We operate a worldwide product stewardship program that aims to make health, safety, and environmental protection an integral part of the development, manufacture, distribution, use, recycling, and disposal of all our products.
The product stewardship effort begins with a cross-functional team evaluation and prioritization of each product or product group according to the level of risk. This is determined using hazard and exposure ratings. Product hazards are intrinsic characteristics with the potential to cause harm such as flammability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. Product exposure describes the potential contact between a product and people or the environment; which is dependent upon the type of packaging, distribution, sales volume, the number of customers and their control systems, and the product applications. For each risk category, specific risk management practices and requirements have been identified, and are reviewed on a regular basis.
We work closely with our suppliers, carriers, distributors and customers to help them maintain high safety and environmental standards; providing technical assistance, training and logistic support as well as health, safety and environmental advice.
We also participate in the worldwide Global Product Strategy (GPS) program which is a voluntary initiative championed by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) which aims to improve the safety of chemical products during their use and handling.
The LyondellBasell Product Safety team helps widely communicate information about our products and risks by providing:
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more than 79,000 Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) annually.
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over 25,000 Product Stewardship Bulletins issued annually, providing information including regulatory clearances for our products and their end uses.
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ICCA Global Product Strategy Safety Summaries, which provide digestible summaries of product safety information.
As part of our commitment to the Responsible Care program, we have worked closely with other American Chemistry Council (ACC) members to develop a new Responsible Care Product Safety Code. This new code is incorporated into our Operational Excellence Product Stewardship Standard.