The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) has successfully launched the region’s first GCC Responsible Care® Peer Review program.
The GPCA-led initiative is first of its kind in the region and marks a significant step in GPCA member companies’ journey towards transparent performance reporting.
The first of the planned pilot reviews was performed at SABIC’s affiliate Eastern Petrochemical Company (SHARQ) in Jubail on May 22nd – 23rd with the support of Khaled Saleh Al–Kharboush, VP HSE, SABIC, and his corporate HSE team.
“GPCA would like to congratulate SABIC and its affiliate SHARQ on the successful completion of the first of its kind in the region Responsible Care® Peer Review,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA.
“This innovative program will offer GPCA member companies an opportunity to be verified by an industry peer against the guiding principles of Responsible Care® and go beyond self-assessment in line with the industry’s Global Charter commitment.
“GPCA remains committed to advancing the sustainability agenda in the region and – through the continuous promotion and implementation of industry best practice – help facilitate its member companies’ commitment to Health, Safety, Security, Quality and the Environment (HSSQE),” he added.
The program mirrors the UK Chemical Industry Association’s (CIA) ‘Responsible Care® verification by peer review in the UK’, which in 2013 was recognized during the CEFIC RC Awards.
Other regions have implemented such a program, most notably China, who started the initiative in 2016.
In the GCC, the idea was born through the RCLG sharing network, coming just at the right time as the industry renewed its commitment towards greater transparency in metrics reporting.
During 2016 the RC Committee carried out a strategic planning workshop in order to identify future HSE priorities for the region, and the Peer Review program was one of them.
The initiative is now aiming to achieve new highs and expand its reach. In 2017, two additional pilots are planned to take place at member company facilities followed by a proposal to the GPCA Responsible Care Committee for review and endorsement.
“The Peer Review Program is an excellent initiative that specifically relates to Element 2 of the ICCA Responsible Care® Global Charter: Safeguarding People and the Environment by continuously improving our Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) performance,” said Alan Izzard, Director, Responsible Care® and Gulf SQAS, GPCA.
“The program involves a member company requesting, via the GPCA Responsible Care community, a team of peers to visit their manufacturing facility in order to provide an independent perspective on their implementation of Responsible Care®, in particular the Technical Codes of Management Practice.
“Similar to any such process, some positive practices and opportunities for improvement are likely to be identified. After being captured in a Peer Review report, owned by the GPCA member company, it is proposed that the company – as a minimum – shares its positive practices with the GPCA RC community. Thus, the program provides an excellent platform for sharing best practice and lessons learned,” he added.