Care programs develop in South America. (Responsible Care environmental, health and safety programs; includes related article on Camacari petrochemical complex in Brazil)(Responsible Care issue)

THE MESSAGE AND PHILOSOPHY OF Responsible Care is continuing to spread throughout the South American region. Each country with a significant chemical industry has adopted its own version of the program, and with economic stability now restored to almost the entire region, companies are better able to spare the necessary resources to speed up implementation of their codes of management practice.

"Responsible Care programs have been successfully implemented in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela," says Jorge Rosas, president of DuPont South America (Sao Paulo), speaking at the recent CW conference on South America in Rio de Janeiro. Care is probably most advanced in Brazil, partly because of the large number of international companies that have provided support.

Brazil's Atuacao Responsavel program, launched by Abiquim in 1992, has received the support of 75% of the total of 156 members, says Olympio Jardim Jr., coordinator/environment, health, and safety (EHS) at Zeneca Brazil and chairman of Abiquim's environmental committee. That number represents 90% of the leading companies, and "50% of the committed companies are multinationals," Jardim says.

Abiquim is supporting the program through workshops and seminars, regional committees, and local networks. Abiquim also offers a communication and partnership program, as wall as information exchange and support. However, Atuacao Responsavel is still not a condition for membership in Abiquim or any other South American association.

Jean Daniel Peter, chairman of Union Carbide do Brasil and manager of the program at Abiquim, said at the recent Abiquim seminar that Atuacao Responsavel is likely to become mandatory when 90% of the affiliated companies subscribe to it. He notes that six new companies became interested in the association because of its commitment to the program.

So far, three of the six codes of management practice have been completed by Abiquim and sent to companies for implementation: process safety, health and employee safety, and transportation and distribution. The other three--environmental protection, community outreach and safety, and product stewardship--are due at the end of 1995. Abiquim has prepared a manual to guide companies in implementation.

A recent survey showed that 76% of signatory companies have begun to implement the program …