Responsible Care

 

Continual improvement in all key sectors of Responsible Care

Further duties are to support continual improvement in all key sectors of Responsible Care and to develop new and existing performance indicators. The Competence Center Responsible Care supports and advises the Sustainability Council in all questions that relate to strategies on environment, safety and health and their implementation.

 

In 2009, three new Group directives were adopted as part of our Responsible Care Management. Topics included global incident reporting, corporate and information security, and a binding directive on toll manufacturing. With the latter, we ensure that our environmental, health and safety standards are also adhered to by firms who produce BASF products on our behalf. The new Group directive on reporting forms the basis of our global incident database, in which we record all accidents as well as near-misses and other incidents. It covers our sites and transportation routes. We include incidents involving employees of BASF, personnel leasing companies and contractors. In this way, we analyze weak points that could potentially affect the environment, the safety of our employees or our host communities. In addition, the database helps us to systematically learn from mistakes so that we can pursue our goals for environmental protection and safety. This requires open communication about mistakes and challenges, which we support through activities such as our new safety initiative. Information about incidents that may help us to avoid similar occurrences in the future is communicated throughout the BASF Group.

 

BASF's commitment to environment and safety was recognized in 2009. For example, our subsidiary BASF Chemicals Co., Ltd. was honored by the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park for outstanding safety management for the third consecutive year.

 

In 2011 we enacted a globally effective standard for aspects on security personnel and human rights. This standard is based on the "UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials" and the "UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials."

 

 

International membership

The Competence Center Responsible Care has four members who are responsible for environment, safety and health in Europe, Asia, North and South America. The Director of the Center reports directly to the Board member in charge of Responsible Care, Dr. Kurt Bock, who is also the chairman of the Sustainability Council.

 

 

Support from expert groups

The work of the Competence Center is supported by eleven international Responsible Care expert groups, six units responsible for further issues and the Audit team. This organizational structure covers all key sectors of Responsible Care.

 

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