From rain boots, to parachutes, to blue jeans, and heart machines,
there is perhaps no other industry that affects our lives more than the chemical industry.
In fact, more than 96% of all manufactured goods
are directly touched by the chemical industry.
Chemical production has a wide range of hazards requiring different
levels of control to keep companies and their communities safe.
These hazards range from virtually zero for some products to very serious for others.
The good news is that environmental, health, safety and security programs exist
to give businesses a way of verifying that they’re manufacturing as efficiently, effectively and safely as possible.
This can include meeting federal regulations, or reducing pollution levels.
Multi-national manufacturers can devote significant resources to implement their programs.
However, the bad news is that this can be challenging for small chemical manufacturers.
Some companies don’t have a lot of time and money
for an environmental, health, safety and security program.
Some might rely on expensive consultants to guide them through complicated regulations.
Others use programs that aren’t suited to their operations and grow frustrated with the requirements.
Luckily, there are environmental, health, safety, and security programs
specifically designed to be the right fit for different kinds of chemical companies.
For example, Bill knew that his plant was due for an audit, which can be scary to think of.
So, Bill looked into SOCMA’s ChemStewards® program
to address his environmental, health, safety and security requirements.
Bill’s team documented their processes and used feedback
from other manufacturers to improve their operations.
Once his facility became certified, Bill felt confident
in showing his customers and government auditors how well his plant runs.
When a company is certified, it tells people inside the plant and out
that they have looked at everything they do, made it better,
written it all down, and then proved it to someone else.
Not all chemical companies are the same.
The industry has greatly improved the environmental, health, safety and security levels of chemical production.
But there is no ONE process improvement program
to meet the needs of every chemical manufacturer big and small.
Companies must choose the program that’s right for their business.