Responsible Care® is the chemical industry’s unique global initiative that drives continual improvement in health, safety, environment and security (HSES) performance, along with open and transparent communication with stakeholders. Responsible Care was launched in 1985 by the Canadian Chemical Producers Association and is now implemented globally through international, national and regional associations such as the International Council of Chemical Associations, American Chemistry Council, European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), Association of International Chemical Manufacturers (AICM) and others.
Eastman adheres to the Responsible Care Global Charter, which goes beyond the original elements of Responsible Care. The charter focuses on new and important challenges facing the chemical industry and global society. It includes the growing public dialogue over sustainable development and public health issues related to the use of chemical products. The charter also addresses the need for greater industry transparency and the opportunity to achieve greater harmonization and consistency among the national Responsible Care programs currently implemented.
Our company was a leader in the development of the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Codes of Management Practices. We built our Responsible Care management system on the Codes of Management Practices and our HSES management system. Our management system is comprised of our Responsible Care pledge, guiding principles, procedures, policies and documents that govern our activities, operations and the way we conduct business. Core elements of our system include product stewardship, distribution safety, health and safety, process safety, emergency response, security, environmental stewardship, communication, community advisory panels and audits.
Our health, safety, environment and security (HSES) management system is comprised of the Responsible Care pledge — available to view here — and the company's policies, procedures, commitments, performance objectives and targets, and leadership expectations. One of the core elements of our management system is our global HSES audit team. Audits of the Eastman HSES management system are a fundamental part of a zero-incident mindset. Eastman's approach to assessing our HSES management system is tiered and begins with employee responsibility to comply with company policies and procedures. Each site is required by company policy to assess HSES commitment and performance and report the results to leadership. In addition to each site's own assessment, our global audit team conducts a performance audit of each facility to ensure that it is protecting the environment and committed to health and safety as governed by our HSES management system. The global audit team ensures uniform adherence to applicable laws, regulations and policies.