ACC Member Companies Highlight Chemical Safety at West Virginia Workshop

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 18, 2014 – Members of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) joined state agencies and community leaders last week at a workshop on enhancing chemical safety and security hosted by the West Virginia Manufacturers Association (WVMA).

The workshop provided smaller chemical companies in West Virginia the opportunity to garner valuable insights from Responsible Care, ACC's world-class environmental, health, safety and security performance initiative. Nationally, Responsible Care companies have worker safety rates nearly six times better than the entire U.S. manufacturing sector and three times better than the chemical industry overall. And through a commitment to continuous improvement, these companies have reduced recordable injury and illness rates by 80 percent since 1990, and have reduced the number of safety incidents that result in product spill, fire, explosion or injury by 55 percent since 1995.

Community leaders and representatives from state and county emergency management agencies also discussed the need for better coordination and communication during incidents that impact facilities in West Virginia. Representatives from state and local regulatory agencies highlighted legislation signed by Governor Ray Tomblin earlier this year that updated the regulation of above-ground storage tanks and expanded compliance with laws regulating small and medium sized chemical companies.

"As valuable as the products of chemistry are to our lives and to the economy of West Virginia, we know they must also be used responsibly," said Cal Dooley, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). "That's why the nearly twenty ACC companies that call West Virginia home all share a commitment to Responsible Care and the program's focus on continuous enhancements in health, safety and security at their facilities across the state. Today's workshop was an important opportunity to educate a broader audience of chemical manufacturers and distributors in the state about the benefits of programs like Responsible Care."

Bayer MaterialScience President Jerry MacCleary and AC&S President Dean Cordle joined the event to speak about the ways their companies have incorporated voluntary industry programs into the operations of their facilities in West Virginia.

"Programs like Responsible Care and Responsible Distribution represent the principles of doing the right things when it comes to the business of chemistry, and we're pleased to join with leaders across West Virginia to emphasize how companies and communities both benefit from leveraging the latest safety and security innovations in our industry," said MacCleary, whose company was awarded ACC's Responsible Care® Company of the Year Award for 2014.

Since 1988, Responsible Care has helped ACC member companies significantly enhance their performance and improve employee safety, the health of the communities in which they operate and the environment as a whole. Last year, the 25th anniversary of Responsible Care in the United States, ACC launched an enhanced Responsible Care that strengthens industry's commitment to the safety of its products and manufacturing process, and includes new operational energy efficiency and performance measurements.

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