Responsible Care® is the chemical industry’s commitment to the safe, responsible and sustainable management of chemicals.
Lubrizol has participated in Responsible Care® for over 30 years as it has been a part of the effort from the beginning. Two years ago, Lubrizol embarked on a journey to upgrade its Responsible Care® management systems to the new RC14001 specification. RC14001, an ISO certified management system, brings a new level of accountability and responsibility which further drives HSES improvement and engagement. External stakeholders, such as customers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), see value in this program as it adds rigor to our current practices and procedures through a continued commitment to improvement.
All Lubrizol facilities researching and manufacturing chemicals in the U.S. will fall under one Corporate RC14001 certificate. This novel approach will bring joint accountability to all Responsible Care® sites and increase the amount of information shared across the company. All of which will lead to improved HSES performance. The Responsible Care® Rollout Team has been active with members from corporate along with members from various sites within the organization. As the schedule progresses, more and more members will be added to ensure success and improvement within their management systems.
Today, two-thirds of the sites have achieved certification including the corporate Headquarters. The Headquarters is the central hub of the management system and is comprised of shared functions across the organization such as corporate HSES, Product Safety & Compliance, Transportation, Cyber Security, Supply Chain, Procurement and many others. The Rollout Team continues to provide new tools and resources to help establish common HSES processes and practices. The Paratherm site’s certification schedule is quickly approaching as Greg Jerdan and his team work on building a scope and completing a gap assessment with the help of their colleagues in the CPI/Chemtool businesses. This certification will be completed by the 4th Quarter this year.