ENSR International Supports New Quality Standard for the Chemical Industry
Pilot Program at Arch Chemicals Earns Responsible Care(R) RC14001 Certification
ENSR International provided consulting and technical support to Arch Chemicals in Rochester NY, helping the facility become the second plant in America to achieve certification under the chemical industry's new Responsible Care(R) -- ISO14001 standard (RC14001). RC14001 was created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Registrar accreditation Board (RAB) to help chemical and petrochemical companies receive recognition for incorporating health and safety, product stewardship, environmental quality and outreach communications into their quality management programs.
ENSR, a leading environmental consulting firm, provided support for program development, implementation planning, gap analysis, and training at the Arch Chemicals facility. ENSR environmental management staff worked closely with an in-house team to evaluate the company's position relative to both the new RC14001 certification requirements and those for the more traditional ISO14001 environmental management system. The Rochester plant received both its dual certifications in December after a rigorous series of audits by an independent registrar.
According to Tom Kowalski, ENSR's Director of RC14001 Programs, businesses in the chemical and allied industries with existing management systems are the most natural candidates for RC14001. "By upgrading existing Responsible Care(R) programs to RC14001, companies can add depth, rigor, and credibility to their current programs," said Kowalski. "Conversely, by upgrading existing ISO14001 programs to RC14001, organizations can add accountability and breadth to their environmental management systems."
RC14001 combines the strengths of its two parent programs. The internationally-accepted ISO14001 focuses on uniform environmental management approaches and continual improvement, and has a rigorous third-party verification process. The chemical industry's Responsible Care(R) initiative more broadly encompasses additional health, safety, community, customers, and communications programs. The ACC and RAB created RC14001 to allow companies to be simultaneously certified to both standards. This holds special appeal for chemical companies that have invested in Responsible Care(R) and now want a cost-effective way for their programs to achieve global acceptance.
Other news from the department business & finance
