CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (SHE)

Responsible Care *

The Canadian chemical industry launched the Responsible Care* initiative in 1984. The aim was to raise standards of operation in the industry through, inter alia, the provision of best practice standards. Responsible Care has been adopted worldwide and AECI is a signatory. In South Africa, the Chemical and Allied Industries' Association is the custodian of the Responsible Care programme.

The following best practice standards are included in the programme:

• health and safety of persons
• transportation of chemicals;
• storage and distribution of chemicals;
• waste management and pollution control;
• community awareness and emergency response
• product stewardship; and
• process safety.

Internationally, signatories to Responsible Care are required to submit self-assessment questionnaires against these standards every two years. In South Africa, the initiative has gone beyond this. A verification protocol has been developed to demonstrate, through independent third parties, a company's compliance with the Responsible Care management practice standards. AEL's Modderfontein operations have been audited successfully against these standards, as have the following companies in the Chemserve group:

• Akulu Marchon
• Chemical Initiatives
• Duco Speciality Coatings
• Lake International Technologies
• Senmin
• Specialty Minerals SA