APPENDIX 1: CEFIC AND RESPONSIBLE CARE

1. Responsible Care – A Public Commitment

"Chemical companies shall demonstrate their commitment to continuously improve all aspects of performance which relate to protection of health, safety and the environment."

2. Prevention of Accidents

Within Responsible Care, the CEFIC ICE prevention programme provides a valuable tool for reducing the number of incidents during the distribution of chemicals, from the time they leave the factory gate until their arrival at the customer's premises. The objective is to minimize the possibility for incidents to happen. Since most distribution activities are subcontracted and since compliance with regulations is a necessary but not a sufficient condition to prevent accidents, there is a need for uniform safety & quality criteria against which distribution companies can be regularly assessed.

Unlike ISO 9002, which concentrates on quality, at a level set by the individual distribution company, SQAS - Safety & Quality Assessment Systems - provide objective performance indicators, which allow the monitoring of continuous improvements. Based on detailed questionnaires, distribution contractors can be assessed by a qualified third party. Questions relate to management, equipment and operations, split by: statutory requirements, additional chemical industry requirements and desirable items. Scoring results can be presented in different ways but it is up to each individual chemical company to evaluate the results according to its own standards.

The distribution contractors will include:

• Marine transport: Vessels and barges
• Road transport: Road carriers
• Storage operations: Terminals/Warehouses
• Ferry operators
• Rail contractors

3. Emergency Response

The ICE Emergency Response programme aims to minimise the consequences of transport incidents involving chemicals by:

• Providing uniformly competent assistance in each European country.
• Coordinating Emergency Response particularly across national boundaries

The chemical industry commits itself to make its expertise available to authorities - who are normally in charge of the emergency - in three levels of assistance:

• Level 1: Remote information and general advice by telephone or fax.
• Level 2: Presence of an expert who will provide advice at the scene of an incident.
• Level 3: Actual help with equipment and personnel at the scene of an incident.

Detailed information on this subject is contained within "the CEFIC Distribution Emergency Response Guidelines for use by the Chemical Industry",

4. CEFIC Recommendations on Safe Management Practices in Distribution

These recommendations conform to the principles of Responsible Care and include the following topics.

1. Safety, health and environmental policies
2. Auditing
3. Risk reduction
4. Specification of packages, tanks and other equipment
5. Incidents evaluation
6. Codes and regulations
7. Control of operations
8. Training
9. Selection and monitoring of Contractors
10. Data and information
11. Emergency Response
12. Information to the public
Although these Guidelines for the distribution of styrene are product specific, it is essential that policies, systems and procedures as described in the CEFIC Recommendations on Safe Management Practices in Distribution are in place and well maintained.

CEFIC
Avenue E Van Nieuwenhuyse 4
B- 1160 Brussels

Patrick Detournay
T +32 2 676 72 05
E pdt@cefic.be