As part of our continuing tradition of more than 90 years of environmentally responsible activities, Carus Corporation is a committed participant in the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) Responsible Care® initiative. Responsible Care helps chemical companies go above and beyond government requirements. In the U.S., Responsible Care companies have reduced environmental releases by 78% and achieved an employee safety record that is more than five times safer than the average of the rest of the U.S. manufacturing sector. Responsible Care companies openly communicate their results to the public, making available the most performance information of any private sector industry group.

Responsible Care is more than a set of principles and declarations. It is implementing world-class management systems, verified through independent auditors; tracking performance through established environment, health, safety and security measures; and extending these best practices to business partners through the industry supply chain. Security has always been a top priority for the U.S. chemical industry, and ACC member companies have taken the lead in securing their facilities. Without waiting for government direction, ACC members adopted the Responsible Care Security Code, an aggressive plan to enhance security of our facilities, our communities, and our products.

Another key part of the Responsible Care management system (RCMS) process is mandatory certification by an independent, accredited auditor. Carus Corporation and other companies who have achieved this certification develop, document, and implement a policy that establishes a company’s framework of goals and objectives. Inherent in this framework is a commitment to continuous improvement that is measurable and documented. RCMS offers an integrated, structured approach to drive results in seven key areas:

• community awareness and emergency response,
• security,
• distribution,
• employee health and safety,
• pollution prevention,
• process safety, and
• product stewardship.

This approach is taking America’s leading chemical companies above and beyond their prior accomplishments to achieve even higher standards of performance and greater value for their businesses. Certification must be renewed every three years.