San Mateo, CA: Menlo Worldwide Logistics' Chemical Group has been approved as a Responsible Care(R) Partner by the American Chemistry Council. With this designation, Menlo's Chemical Group joins leading companies who elect to adhere to recognized industry standards, promoting the safe storage, handling and transport of chemicals.
As a Responsible Care Partner company, Menlo is committed to protecting the environment and continuous improvement of chemical transportation and logistics with respect to health, safety and security of all stakeholders – employees, contractors, customers and the communities in which Menlo and its carriers operate.
"Responsible Care Partner designation is a significant measure of commitment to the safe handling and management of chemicals in our environment," says Tom Balzer, Sr. vice president, Supply Chain Center - NAFTA for Bayer MaterialScience LLC. Menlo provides transportation services to Bayer. "We are pleased to see Menlo step up and adopt this important industry initiative," Balzer says. "It is supportive of Bayer's overall risk management philosophy and the high standards of business conduct we expect to help ensure the safety of our employees, customers, service providers and the environment in which we live and work."
"As a Responsible Care Partner, Menlo is closely aligned with both our company's and the industry's unique safety and security requirements," says Lawrence Cresci, senior director, Global Supply Chain Operations, The Dow Chemical Company. "From the employees and contractors handling our products to the service providers who store and transport them on our behalf, we gain the peace of mind that we're working with a provider who adheres to high standards of safe performance and continuous improvement. We're pleased that Menlo has achieved this designation and has shown true commitment to its goals and ideals."
The Responsible Care Management System(R) (RCMS) provides a rigorous and structured framework for assessing a company's needs, setting specific goals and sharing progress and activities with the public. Under the initiative, Menlo is required to meet the guiding principles of the program, gain executive-level support and report its progress toward meeting performance measurement goals, including the submission of annual data that is made publicly available. In addition, Menlo must receive an independent, third-party audit to verify that a management system is in place and functions according to the requirements of the ACC standards.
The RCMS utilizes the plan-do-check-act continuous improvement cycle that raises the standard for industry-wide performance, while allowing flexibility to meet the specific needs of individual companies and facilities. As part of the company's commitment to the Responsible Care Program, it must implement a system of internal and third-party certification audits to show continued compliance with the tenets of Responsible Care.
"The ACC program strongly aligns with Menlo's Lean philosophies and the plan-do-check-act cycle that has become engrained into all aspects of our business," says Robert L. Bianco Jr., president, Menlo Worldwide Logistics. "Not only will this certification highlight our commitment to safety and best practices within the chemical industry, but it will also provide us with clearly defined deliverables that are designed to drive real and measurable continuous improvement. Committing to these standards is complementary to our business and helps us achieve the operational excellence our customers require to be successful."
For more information on the Responsible Care certification process, please visit www.americanchemistry.com .