Akzo Nobel places a high concern for health, safety and the environment as an essential part of its business policy. As such, the company is committed to the principles of Responsible Care® developed by the chemical industry. A key aspect of Responsible Care is the 'cradle-to-grave' management of all products to ensure minimum impact on health, safety and the environment, a process known as Product Stewardship.
Product Stewardship
Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals has proactively incorporated Product Stewardship into its business practices. We have implemented the Codes of Management Practice and developed a comprehensive Product Stewardship management system. Through these efforts, the company has shown itself to be a responsible partner to its employees, suppliers, distributors and customers, as well as with the general public, in addressing the health, safety and environmental impacts of its operations.
Product Risk Assessment
One specific initiative within Product Stewardship is the assessment of product risk. This concept involves evaluating the potential hazards of a chemical product through all stages of its lifecycle, from manufacture to ultimate end-use. In making this assessment, two elements come into play:
- the inherent hazard properties of the material (such characteristics as flammability, corrosivity, toxicity, etc)
- the estimation of exposure to the material, by people or the environment.
Combining these two elements gives a measure of overall product risk. Depending upon the degree of risk, the appropriate actions and safeguards are instituted to guarantee the safe handling of our products.
Information about the inherent hazard properties of chemicals is documented in the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s) and product labels which accompany all products and their packaging. The MSDS provides a summary of the known hazards of a material, as well as outlining protective measures in case of emergencies. New information is incorporated into these documents when it becomes available, for example through toxicological studies. Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals is an active participant in a number of ongoing programs - some in collaboration with the government and some totally funded by industry - to develop further data and more fully understand the health effects of chemicals.
The other part of the risk equation is the exposure potential. This evaluation requires an examination of the container, transportation handling, manufacturing and end use application. Consideration is given to the container, method of delivery, type of control and protective devices, volume used, end use, education & training level, any recent incidents, as well as the chemical hazard information. This is usually done in concert with customers and end-users to obtain a full picture of the exposure potential and always done within the concept of 'cradle-to-grave' lifecycle.
These product risk assessments, weighing both the hazard characteristics and the exposure potential, are performed by different teams of experts for each business area who are the most familiar with the chemicals, applications and end use. Participants in such teams can be drawn from the following disciplines:
- product safety specialists, familiar with product toxicology
- production staff, familiar with manufacturing technology
- sales/marketing personnel, familiar with product usage
- environmental specialists
- transportation and packaging specialists
- Research and Development staff
- legal staff
These teams are headed by Product Stewards for each business area who insure effective communication of the risk assessments to relevant personnel for action. These risk assessments are updated regularly as needed to drive pro-active solutions to address higher risk areas in their businesses.
Akzo Nobel Polymer Chemicals remains committed to being a responsible partner in the communities where we do business. If you would like additional information about our management process or specific information on any products, please contact us.