Social inclusion and a focus on quality
Thirteen years after the first Brazilian version of the program was introduced, a conference announces new focus areas for Responsible Care® The general principles for Responsible Care®
written by ◦ Miucha Andrade photos by ◦ Holanda Cavalcanti

Since the 1980s, Responsible Care® has been a principle and management practice for petrochemical companies around the world. The Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (Abiquim) introduced the program in Brazil in 1992. Created in Canada by the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA), and now present in 52 countries, it was the first to set out guidelines for health, safety and environmental performance. Today, Responsible Care is a registered trademark known throughout the world. Thirteen years after the Brazilian version – called “Atuação Responsável” – came into being, the program is being revised to broaden its scope and encompass more focus areas such as social inclusion and the quality of products and processes.

Jorge Soto, Braskem´s Corporate Manager for Health, Safety and the Environment, is also the coordinator of Abiquim´s technical commission on Responsible Care. At the Ninth Responsible Care Conference, held on July 27 and 28 in São Paulo, he gave a presentation on the main directives, new management practices, degrees of implementation and management model for the Brazilian version of Responsible Care now being introduced.

One of the reasons behind this change was the pursuit of consistency with existing verification systems used by the Brazilian chemical industry, such as ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and the National Quality Award. "We are seeking interactivity among these systems," says Soto. Another reason was the incentives being given for companies to develop their health, safety and environmental performance even further. "We have created two more levels of assessment for companies that have already reached the level of continuous improvement," he explains.

According to Soto, in recent years, the public has become increasingly interested and involved in matters that go beyond health, safety and environmental protection, such as social responsibility, sustainable development and quality. "We have included these themes in the Responsible Care program," he says.

The program is also being reformed in response to public concerns about the uses and effects of chemical products. "Responsible Care was more focused on industrial plants, but now it is also concerned with the risks involved in using certain products throughout their life cycles. This is new for the chemical industry and a global phenomenon," explains Marcelo Kós, Abiquim´s Manager for Technical Affairs.

A total of 460 industry representatives attended the conference, which provided an opportunity for professionals to get together and discuss the international management of chemicals, environmental protection and the work of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, among other subjects.

José Maria Bach, the director of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) Group of Responsible Care Leaders, introduced the Responsible Care Charter for the first time in the world. This document contains a set of principles to be followed by the chemical industry.

During the conference, Abiquim launched the latest edition of the Responsible Care Report. It contains data covering the period between 2001 and 2004, demonstrating the positive changes that have taken place in the chemical industry´s performance. According to Soto: "There has been a systematic improvement with every passing year." A reduction in the number of workplace accidents, a 27% drop in the amount of industrial waste produced, and the gradual replacement of non-renewable fuels with renewable energy sources are some examples of the improvement of the chemical industry´s health, safety and environmental performance.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect, have fallen annually for three consecutive years. In 2004, the industry produced 354 kg of CO2 per tonne of chemical products, compared with 384 kg/t in 2001. The amount of water consumed by the chemical industry fell from 10.65 cu.m per tonne in 2001 to 7.7 cu.m/t in 2004. Raising the awareness of professionals involved in production processes has been key to the program´s success.

Hélcio Colodete, the Braskem officer responsible for the Energy and Essential Services area, gave a presentation at the conference on the results of measures the company is taking to reduce its consumption of water resources. "Our goal is to produce zero wastewater in four years, at least at the thermal power plant," he explains. Hélcio pointed out that the rational use of water and energy sources is a priority in Braskem´s strategic planning. "All of the company´s business units are implementing programs in those areas."

The Responsible Care program is a benchmark for the Brazilian chemical industry. "We are going to include these guidelines in our practices in order to bolster our management, which is based on the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO)," says Soto.

Each of the Abiquim member companies will determine the next steps to be taken. At Braskem, the new Responsible Care program will be implemented as of 2006. "It gives me the greatest satisfaction to contribute to the future of a program that is so important to this industry. Braskem is deeply involved in this process and therefore we are absorbing knowledge naturally," says Soto.