The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) are collaborating to enhance safe management of chemical products across the supply chain through Responsible Care ®, the global chemical industry’s signature environment, health, safety and security performance improvement initiative.
First adopted in Canada in 1985, and in the United States in 1988, a key element of Responsible Care for both associations has been its mandatory verification and certification processes, which provide accountability that ACC and CIAC member companies have a structure and system in place to measure, manage and verify their performance.
Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed today by both organizations, CIAC will adopt the ACC Responsible Care Management System ® (RCMS®)/RC14001® certification model as an option for its members to fulfill their CIAC verification requirement. Doing so expands RCMS/RC14001 certification options for CIAC and ACC members, to foster greater integration of Responsible Care program elements in Canada and the United States.
“ACC is pleased to partner with CIAC to enhance Responsible Care performance across both of our countries,” said ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley. “This partnership between our two associations will enable chemical companies in the United States and Canada to more effectively integrate their Responsible Care and environmental, health, safety and security programs throughout their North American operations.”
“The business of chemistry has changed considerably since Responsible Care was founded in Canada in 1985,” said CIAC President and CEO Bob Masterson. “Today, our industry is highly integrated across North America. We greatly value our relationship with the American Chemistry Council as we pursue both harmonized regulatory and Responsible Care approaches for the chemistry industry in Canada and the United States.”
Under this agreement, cross-border adoption of RCMS/RC14001 audits are an option for fulfilling both the CIAC verification and ACC certification requirements of each organization’s respective Responsible Care program. This agreed-upon process does not diminish either the individual ACC or CIAC Responsible Care programs, and the unique elements of each will be reviewed on RCMS/RC14001 audits.CIAC and ACC also will work together to enhance member companies’ knowledge of the verification/certification options available in both countries, as well as the auditing community’s awareness of RCMS/RC14001 certification availability to CIAC members.
CIAC and ACC are trade associations representing leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry in Canada and the United States.
