Responsible Care Management System

We act responsibly as an integral part of society and have set out the framework for our voluntary commitments in our Responsible Care Management System. We never compromise on the safety and security of our employees, contractors and neighbors as well as our facilities, transportation and products, and the environment.

The graphic depicts the different stations along the value chain. The topics in each chapter address the station shown in dark green. (here: Transportation, Production, Transportation, Customers) (graphic)

Strategy

  • Worldwide safety initiatives foster awareness of workplace safety
  • Ambitious goals for safety, security, health and environmental protection

BASF’s Responsible Care Management System comprises the global rules, standards and procedures for safety, security, health and environmental protection for the various stations along our value chain. Our regulations cover the transportation of raw materials, activities at our sites and warehouses, and distribution of our products as well as our customers’ application of the products. Specifications for implementing these measures are laid out in binding directives that are introduced in consultation with employee representatives. These describe the relevant responsibilities, requirements and assessment methods. At our sites, we cover energy and climate protection through, for example, our energy management.

We regularly conduct audits to monitor our performance and progress. We use the findings from these audits for continual improvement.

We set ourselves ambitious goals for safety, security, health and environmental protection. Our policies and requirements are constantly updated.

We assess the potential risks and weak points of all our activities – from research to production and logistics – and the effects of these on the safety and security of our employees, the
environment or our surroundings. In our databases, we document accidents, near misses and safety-related incidents at our sites as well as along our transportation routes; appropriate measures are derived according to specific cause analyses. We foster awareness of workplace safety in every individual with our worldwide safety initiatives.

Audits

  • 121 safety, security, health and environmental protection audits performed at 80 sites

Regular audits help ensure that standards are met for safety, security, health and environmental protection. We conduct audits at BASF sites and at companies in which BASF is a majority shareholder. We have defined our regulations for Responsible Care audits in a global Group requirement. During our audits, we create a safety and environmental profile that shows if we are properly addressing the existing hazard potential. If this is not the case, we agree on measures and conduct follow-up audits on their implementation.

Our internal audit system complies with the standards for external auditing procedures ISO 19011 and OHSAS 18001. Worldwide, 155 BASF production sites are certified in accordance with ISO 14001 (2015: 180)1. In the BASF Group in 2016, 121 environmental, safety and security audits were carried out at 80 sites, along with 37 short-notice audits on various topics at 33 sites. We audited 30 sites with respect to occupational medicine and health protection.

1 In addition to changes in the site portfolio, the decrease mainly resulted from the sites’ aim to be certified in accordance with ISO 50001 due to our energy efficiency goal.

Costs and provisions for environmental protection in the BASF Group (million €)

 

 

2016

2015

2

Investments comprise end-of-pipe measures as well as integrated environmental protection measures.

3

Values shown refer to December 31 of the respective year.

Operating costs for environmental protection

 

1,011

962

Investments in new and improved environmental protection plants and facilities2

 

206

346

Provisions for environmental protection measures and remediation3

 

588

538