Responsible Care in the Chemical Industry

Looking back on my working life within the Chemical Industry I am reminded of how far we have come. Some would no doubt say that for someone like me who entered the Industry in the 1970s, that there will be a lot to look back on!

There aren’t many Industries’s that have faced more challenges.

It can be said that the World has shrunk, just as the Chemical Industry has.

There’s always been a bit of a public fear where chemicals are used but the quality of our lives have been improved by using innovative solutions as a result of them.

Naturally, any level of risk must be understood and issues of environment, safety of use, handling and storage are at the heart of information provided by responsible suppliers. In terms of risk assessment, we can reasonably say that today's society has greater protection than any previous generation.

We take it for granted but it’s no accident and it came at great cost.

I am proud to report that the UK chemical distribution industry has an enviable reputation and record of driving forward a programme of continuous improvement.

When the UK joined the Common Market in January 1973 new challenges were thrust upon the chemical industry. In 1974, a UK Act of Parliament introduced the Health and Safety at Work Act, with the Health and Safety Executive and Commission to enforce the regulations.

Other challenges were COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health); BS 5750 (as it was then) and Packing and Handling Regulations.

It was to be good experience for the most dramatic changes to come in 2007.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Part of the intention was to standardise the existing broad range of EU Directives and regulations, together with the current and confusing rules for "existing" and “new" chemicals.

A single system was intended to be created for both.

Harmonisation would make some sense but it required major changes.

The two most important aims were to improve protection of human health and the Environment from the risk of chemicals while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry.

2013 is a significant year in the phasing of registering chemicals that will not be fully complete until 2018.

Registration was determined by tonnages and is split into four groups and three different timescales with differing requirements for data to be provided.

The cost of implementation has been eye watering and not without complications.

But at least we have a chemical industry operating at the highest of standards and protection.

Following the First World War of 1914-18 the World scene would change dramatically. Hard though it may be to imagine now, the modern chemical industry did not get started until the late 1800s.

By the middle of the 20th century the important role of the chemical industry in helping to raise the quality of our life would be clear.

The ability to meet the needs of a growing international market would also be vital.

Though I never realised it as I should at the time, I was privileged to work with some special people as I developed my chemical career. They were ambassadors with high principles who gave their own time willingly wherever it would enhance the industry's good progress and reputation.

As in all good Industry’s a lead needs to be set.

As far back as 1923 a move was afoot to amalgamate two trade associations that would become the ultimate authoritative voice of the chemical industry.

In its original form it was called the British Chemical and Dyestuffs Traders Association (BCDTA).

Later, in 1980, reflecting the changing activities of a growing membership, the name was changed to the British Chemical Distributors and Traders Association (BCDTA). Interesting that the acronym was retained!

Today, reflecting the modern World and a greater role, it is called the Chemical Business Association (CBA).

Advocating the highest standards, membership has Responsible Care as mandatory and it is recommended you use a supplier who has qualified to use the Responsible Care Logo, recognised as a standard worldwide.

Safe movement of chemicals by road, rail, sea or air is of paramount importance to the CBA and the public at large.

In support of this, training services, workshops, codes of practice and regulatory guidance notes are all provided by CBA.

All of these contribute to safe product stewardship in which millions of tonnes of products can be moved professionally to customers.

To describe the chemical industry as complacent would be to avoid the facts.

Dangerous incident s have fallen dramatically.

Maintaining effective channels of communication with Government Departments, the European Union and all regulatory and statutory authorities, the CBA provides up-to-date insight into technical, commercial, legislative and environmental issues.

More than ever, keeping up to date is vital and such expertise and positive influence cannot be understated.

From manufacture, transport and use, we can congratulate the chemical industry on what it has achieved to reduce public anxiety.

Add to this, that the Surface Finishing Industry has also made huge investment in better process, staff awareness and safety and environmental policies, we are better placed by such strong partnerships.

The future will bring new challenges but the combined expertise and goals shared is a credit to the UK.

We have come a long way but the only way is to keep going forwards.

“Together we do it better”.

Never get “Too big for your Boots”

There’s a saying in football that “no-one is bigger than the Club” and it’s usually said about a player or manager who is paid generously but who has succumbed to the temporary “adulation” given to them.

It’s no different in business of course.

Some exaggerate their importance and give off an air of superiority.

Then, one day their world falls in by being overlooked or retirement beckons without much fuss and they recount how they had “given the best years of their life” with little thanks.

The fact that they had a good career, were paid well and had a part to play is not seen as enough recognition.

Loving your job is one thing but turning it into an obsession is unhealthy.

The rules are simple.

We get given a job, we should do it well, enjoy it, get paid and carry on being of value.

Any sensible Company wants to get the best from staff and should provide a platform for it but for anyone to think if they left that the Company would fail has lost a sense of reality.

If we are that good, other Companies would have been knocking down our door to join them.

Change happens and we must adapt to continue proving we are competent and a good achiever.

Often, when arguing that we have done this job for twenty years we anticipate the hearer will interpret this as proof of our success.

Without more scrutiny how can it be?

Is it twenty years of experience or five years experience because we thought we were the “finished” product and so forgot to reach out further.

Time is not proof of anything in itself but what was done with the time is a better guide.

Some people like to be the “Boss” whilst thinking they can now drift without risk.

Some even get away with it for years.

I heard recently of a very talented Individual who surprisingly lost an opportunity that went to someone who everyone knew was a surprising choice given what was on offer.

I asked someone in the process why?

In simple terms a member of management felt “threatened” by the idea of introducing such proven talent.

In this case someone must have been held as “bigger than the Company” or whose decision could not be challenged.

This is weak management of the worst kind.

If there is no-one capable or being developed to the standard that they could fill our shoes it’s a doomed policy.

The most successful people deliberately surround themselves with the best talent around.

It keeps them driven and motivated and guarantees the best results by using the best minds.

Can you imagine being at an interview being asked by the Managing Director “how long will it take and what will you need to be doing my job?”

Imagine working for someone like that.

Personally, I have never met one.

I would not expect it since they are “unique” but that person will exist.

If you are the “Boss” maybe you might become HIM.

You just need to avoid buying size 8 shoes when you are really a size 10.

Good feet make you stable to stop you falling over!

Mixing Iron with Clay means you cannot stand indefinitely.

Never let “Differences” hinder good relations

Have you ever had the thought that society continues to make new rules to deal with old problems, rather than producing real solutions?

Race relations, Equal Rights and Equality and Diversity in one form or another have proved difficult to instil in many.

The United Kingdom is a very diverse nation as was illustrated recently, that Polish is the Countries second language and others developing behind.

Why is it so hard for everyone to get along at times?

I guess that when we meet someone from outside the UK and immediately call them “Foreign”, we set an immediate stumbling block.

We don’t do well with anything we consider “different” and yet when we travel we consider it to be a positive experience.

I laughed recently to hear someone say “having trampled our influence on most parts of the World over Centuries it’s ironic to hear people say we should close our borders to “outsiders”.

Is it true that legislation educates people?

The evidence suggests not.

The very nature of legislation means that an issue in society has reached “breakdown” and it looks at penalties rather than education.

When Leeds dislikes Sheffield and the South dislikes the North it seems there is a “programmed” root barrier.

A little humour between each other about our differences can create a bond but to use differences as an excuse to deal badly with people reveals that WE are part of the problem.

Our conduct and attitude will influence others, not least our children.

We are part of the “new” education needed to prove that respect is due to everyone.

Until we learn to accept that dealing with others needs to be driven by genuine respect we cannot make progress.

Is it not time to examine our lists of “Foreign” and “Different” ideas that radiate negativity and learn to celebrate all that’s good in people and stop judging them by some vague notion of “Origins”?

Lending support for each other makes us stronger.

It may of course mean we have to learn a little “Humility”.

Celebrate Women for their great contribution to Business

I was asked recently if I had ever had a Woman for a Boss.

My answer was that I had worked with many Women but never directly reported to one.

You know I am going to say “it set me thinking” don’t you!

It’s true that I have worked for some very talented Men but when I thought about it, I realised how gifted Women are too.

In fact I feel bold enough to say that a talented Woman is as good as any Man and often, more so.

Boards of Directors are always better balanced when a Woman is Involved and it’s true that they add huge quality to discussions and outcomes.

Most certainly, there is not enough credit given to Women in the workplace.

Many Men, for some unfathomable reason, take the view that they could NEVER work for a Woman.

It’s just proof that “prehistoric” Man still roams the Earth!

My conclusion is that I never had the privilege.

I can predict one thing for sure though.

On merit more Women will fill senior roles in business and I have a sneaking feeling we will be better off for it.

For those Men who don’t welcome such an Idea...get used to it Boys because cream always rises!

Its possible one day that Men will insist on equal pay to Women because they are being unfairly treated.

Life is such an irony don’t you think?  

Be “Consoling” to those who are depressed

Whenever I read of deaths by suicide I feel a sense of sadness and defeat, as I did reading such an account of a young woman in her mid 20s this week.

What’s worrying is that the statistics show rapidly increasing numbers of people who take their own lives.

But of course these are NOT statistics.....they are real people, leaving heartbreak behind.

Peter Hitchens writing in the Mail on Sunday submits the view that you will often find this outcome when people have been taking anti depressants for some time. Why? Because they can increase the sense of depression and feelings of fear and exaggerate symptoms.

Evidence suggests that in some cases this might be a key factor.

The debate about whether too many are prescribed by Doctors has raged for years but for me, lives could be saved if we were better listeners, more observant and more supportive.

What is worrying is that so many young people are resorting to suicide and we can say some of the reasons are lack of self worth, being bullied and having no confidence in their value.

If we are honest we all have the “armchair” expertise that is swift to give very general reasons for suicides.

One that is common is to reinforce the idea that “thinking became irrational”.

It may be true to say the mind was “imbalanced” but the detail and planning that some make before suicide shows they can be very rational but deeply in pain.

What they are not doing when saying “no-one loves me” is drawing on the times when they did feel loved and reproducing it.

As one person put it “you develop a fear of living, not dying”.

We are told that a good sign to alert us will be a change in behaviour but they are not always acute.

Some can look and sound upbeat in company but withdraw later into a deep sense of isolation.

Do you sense more people are depressed these days? I do.

The problem it creates is that it seems so common, much like a cold, that we ignore it. We just call it “the blues” and box it.

Depression enters an entirely more dangerous place if it lingers more than a few days so be aware.

It can disable the mind to the point that the brain seems no longer to give instructions like “let’s get a shower”, “some fresh air might help” and “It would make sense to eat something”.

The things that used to excite you completely lose their joy.

You lose your sense of relevance, see your life ahead as fearful challenges and decide that more of the same is not desirable.

Isolating ourselves is never healthy either.

We are “hard wired” to need the company of others.

To a depressed person a reassuring word, a phone call or visit to see if they are feeling better reminds them that someone cares.

I have always taken the view that if you are down, I lift you and when I am down, you lift me.

Some people are influenced badly by a constant flow of negative news or “professional” moaners.

We need to be positive around others, as much for our own frame of mind as theirs.

Please, NEVER tell someone to “pull their socks up” or glibly say “you will get over it”.

To that person they have a very real pressure and it should be respected.

I once talked a Man down from a skyscraper roof.

I was so terrified of heights I had to sit down on the roof whilst talking to him.

Not once was he irrational.

He was clear thinking but had reached the wrong conclusion.

We talked very casually and my heart went out to him.

He genuinely thought his failures were hurting those he loved and not being there was like a breaking of their curse.

The moment I asked him what he wanted me to tell his “obviously” lovely wife and children, he broke down into sobbing I have never forgotten.

I told him he needed to tell them himself and spare a lifetime of heartache for them, since they would assume they had failed HIM.

The story had a happy ending many years ago and the challenges of life have broken many others since.

Pressures of life on people have risen to unprecedented and unbearable levels regardless of age.

For most we will not be there to help so what might we be reminded of?

Keep a close eye on those special people in your life.

Give some time and attention that proves to them that they are not undervalued or forgotten.

Include them in your life.

An elderly person recently responded to “Isn’t creation wonderful?” with “you don’t think about creation at my time of life, its cremation I’m thinking of!”

Next time you ask someone how they are and they say “fine thanks” without hesitation, surprise them with interest by asking “give me how fine on a scale of 10 with 10 being brilliant”

You will be amazed what it reveals but be ready to listen.

Even if its 9, you get to say how happy you are for them.

If its four, lift them to six.

Sharing shows real care and caring is reassuring.

Give up fifteen minutes of your day and take the lead.

You will be thrilled how satisfying it feels.

“Give something back” by being consoling.

It’s even better than giving someone a blanket to keep warm.

Academic or “Action Man” – Different but valuable

I am the first to encourage learning but it’s not with the view of becoming an Academic.

Learning is of little value unless there is a resulting benefit, skill or application.

My experience, too often, is that a “professional” Academic is absorbed in learning alone and often too far removed from real experience of life.

In a crisis they will debate but seldom does it reveal an “Action Man”

The reverse can be that someone whose circumstances limited their ability to make their education “rounded” can develop huge life experience and prove to be the hero of the hour.

It’s not surprising that some of the best Entrepreneurs lost something in education but rolled their sleeves up and achieved great things, developing leadership qualities.

Family hardships sometimes limit people but talent generally finds success.

Academics and “Action Man” both have value but in a world facing so many challenges I expect we will come to value “Action Man” more than we do.

Battles may Interest Academics on a strategic level but “Action Man” is the one on the frontline who gets the job done.

Having the right people for the right tasks is vital if you expect best outcomes.

What we need is a quality of “taking the lead” for the greater good.

Social Networking is hindering Social Skills

Am I sounding old fashioned to say that whatever the advantages of social networking, I am getting seriously worried by the outcomes it is producing.

I should also say that I am talking about all ages and not just young ones, though the signs are certainly worrying with them.

Nothing is sacred anymore and Facebook will let you into someone’s life on levels unprecedented in the past.

Is it that because they are using a keyboard to record even the darkest of secrets or opinions that it is forgotten that people can access it.

Would you say the same things so openly “one to one”?

Is it wise?

People are now being dismissed from work for misuse of this medium, which on some levels suggests some people have lost all sense of reason. It confirms an obsession.

Next time you are in a Library where people are on computers take a glance on how many are on Facebook!

Even Twitter, once so moderate and good humoured, has turned into a vile exchange that’s hard to comprehend.

It’s brought an International Society together and as usual it has attracted the best and worst of humanity but who’s winning?

I try to imagine anyone inviting some of these vilest of users into their homes.....and yet, that’s exactly what is happening.

Shut them out.

Perhaps people like dealing with others at arm’s length for comfort but getting relaxed, results in saying things you would not dream of normally.

Its changed peoples personalities and responses. Non verbal communication makes some timid in nature. For others they have redefined free speech as having no boundaries of any sort.

Perhaps some who struggle with real relationships substitute networks to feel popular.

This is deluded. Nothing beats a real friend you can go to a football match or to the cinema with.

In a world where most people suggest they have a right to privacy you have to wonder what they leave private on Facebook.

Be warned. This obsession makes you vulnerable and robs you of a real life experience that does not require a keyboard.

Get out and enjoy it before you forget how to speak and behave.

Whatever benefits have been gained, decency has been the cost.