Chemical safety in the works

JAKARTA (JP): A national committee monitoring chemical and chemical-related industries will issue industrial guidelines to promote pollution protection, workers' health and safety in the industry.

Rahman Subandhi, chairman of the National Committee Responsible Care Indonesia (KN-RCI), said on Monday that the committee had established a work group to carry out the plan.

He said that the guidelines would serve as the Indonesian version of the codes of management practices introduced by the International Council of Chemical Association-Responsible Care Leadership Group.

Rahman said the program would come in a package comprising codes of process safety, community awareness and emergency response, storage and distribution, employee health and safety, pollution prevention and product usage.

He hoped all the package, which will be applied by companies on a voluntary basis, would be completed in 2001.

"We will introduce two codes of the Responsible Care program each year and assess each member's implementation," Rahman said, adding that the committee would soon hold a seminar in Jakarta to promote the use of the first two codes.

The committee was established in 1997 by the Indonesian Chemical Industries Club (ICIC) and the Indonesian Fertilizer Producer Association, which comprises 29 chemical companies.

Responsible Care was initially formed by the Canadian chemical industry in 1986, and is now embraced by the International Council of Chemical Association-Responsible Care Leadership Group.

ICIC chairman Zaenal Soedjais said that one of the committee's objectives was also to give input to the government in designing regulations and laws concerning the chemical industry and environmental issues. (01)