Sihlangene Bulk has become the latest member of the Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA) to sign the Responsible Care (RC) Public Commitment, thereby committing the company to implementing the guiding principles of this voluntary initiative of the chemical industry.
Sihlangene Bulk specializes in the transportation of hazardous chemicals throughout the country. The business is strategically situated in Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng which gives it a well-positioned base of operations nationally and cross-border.
Explaining the RC programme, Louise Lindeque, Responsible Care manager says: “Responsible Care adds value to the chemical industry and provides an excellent framework for sustainable and predictable operating performance particularly as it relates to health, environment and safety impacts.
“It focuses on the entire value chain and manages downstream risks including the safe storage and transportation of chemicals and chemical products.’
Jacques de Norre, CEO of Sihlangene Bulk says: “Our company always keeps in mind the health and safety of our employees and that of our community. We will always strive to instill the guiding principles of Responsible Care in our everyday operations. Responsible Care will complement our company’s efforts in striving for improved performance in the above areas during our everyday operations and during the transport of hazardous chemicals.’
Sihlangene Bulk is currently working towards undergoing an assessment audit against the SA Safety and Quality Assessment System (SQAS). The SQAS system assesses if logistics service providers have management systems in place to ensure that the risk arising from the transport of chemicals have fully been identified and are being properly controlled and managed.
With over 150 members in the RC programme, Responsible Care is more than a set of principles and declarations. Through the sharing of information and a rigorous system of checklists, performance indicators and verification procedures, it enables the industry to demonstrate how it has improved over the years and to develop policies for further improvement.
In these ways, Responsible Care helps the chemical industry to gain the trust of the public and to operate safely, profitably and with due care for the environment and future generations.
Workshop
And while on the subject, the CAIA will be holding a Responsible Care transport workshop titled Transporting dangerous goods , Be prepared for the future and any eventuality at the Country Club Johannesburg on 12 September 2013 from 07h30. It will be repeated at Sica’s Guesthouse Durban on 13 September 2013.
Speakers include Richard Durrant, owner of TRANSHEQ Consulting and Johan van Wyk, Senior Specialist Supply Chain Risk Emergency Response from Sasol, among others.
The workshop will address changes in the legal requirements applicable to the transport of Dangerous Goods, specifically focussed on proposed amendments in SANS 1518 and SANS 10231. The importance of post-accident event reconstruction, how to plan for emergency incidents on the road, the preparedness of drivers for such eventualities as well as the new Road Incident Management System (RIMS) will be addressed. The workshop will also introduce industry to ISO 39001:2012 Road Traffic Safety (RTS) Management Systems.
To learn more about this workshop or to book, contact Linda Steyn (rcare@caia.co.za) at The Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association (CAIA).
