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Responsible Care: RC14001 and RCMS Certifications
The Responsible Care Management System (RCMS®) and RC14001® programs, developed by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) as a way to demonstrate commitment to Responsible Care® Codes of Practice and continued involvement with business partners and communities, provide a value-added management system approach to operations in the chemical sector.
ABS QE is the Premier Provider of Responsible Care Certification
ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. (ABS QE) has been helping to support companies in the chemical industry in their efforts to meet their meet Responsible Care commitments for more than 20 years, supporting continuous improvement in safe chemicals management and excellence in environmental, health, safety and security performance.
Our flexible approach to certification helps you meet your commitment to protect human health and the environment while safely manufacturing products that are essential to the global economy.
ABS QE was part of the pilot program and became the first registrar to receive RC14001® accreditation from the American National Accreditation Board (ANAB). Our goal is to help ensure trust in operations around the world and create a safer, more sustainable world through management systems certification.
Key Elements of the Responsible Care Technical Specification
Our method for implementing Responsible Care certifications enables organizations to identify key elements and opportunities for improvement in their operations, ultimately helping to ensure the safe and responsible management of chemicals to support long-term sustainability.
- Policy and Leadership
- Planning and Goal Setting
- Operation and Accountability
- Measurement
- Corrective Action and Continuous Improvement
Ask an Expert
Cy Sharp, Global Certifications Manager
Do you have questions about how to implement Responsible Care in your organization? Connect with our Global Certification Manager, Cy Sharp, who has over four decades of management systems and safety program experience. Start your certification journey today.
Achieve Your Organizational Goals with Responsible Care
ABS QE is the leading certification body for the global chemistry industry. Our auditors help you achieve your Responsible Care goals, providing qualified assistance in meeting both RCMS options as well as RC14001 requirements.
- RCMS Certification (option 1) - issued following a successfully completed audit and followed by annual surveillance audits.
- RCMS Statement of Conformity (option 2) - awarded following a successfully completed audit per ACC cycle with no surveillance audits.
RC14001 Management System Certification incorporates requirements for RC14001 and ISO14001 in a single management system. The scope of RC14001 certification includes health, safety, security, transport, outreach, product stewardship and emergency response. ABS QE takes this to the next level, emphasizing process and incorporating cybersecurity for a more robust program.
RCMS and RC14001 Program Benefits
Occupational Health and Safety
- Helps enhance process safety
- Assists in improving work environments
- Helps in promotion of emergency preparedness and response
- Helps to improve community relations
Process Efficiency
- Can enhance chemical management systems
- Helps to encourage innovation
- Assists in capturing metrics that document performance
- Can simplify transparency in reporting
Sustainability
- Can enable environmental stewardship
- Contribute to a more circular economy
- Facilitate sustainability efforts
- Verify your ESG commitment to key stakeholders
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