Simplified and Integrated Management System for Responsible Care (SIMS-RC) in chemical industries
Management of Environmental Quality
ISSN: 1477-7835
Article publication date: 30 October 2018
Issue publication date: 6 March 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the barriers and challenges faced by chemical industries in Malaysia causing to the low participation in Responsible Care program. Also, this paper aims to propose a solution to address the issues in implementing Responsible Care by introducing a Simplified and Integrated Management System for Responsible Care.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was distributed to 132 Responsible Care signatory companies in Malaysia, and they were given a week to return it via e-mail. Combining the inputs from the survey and document analysis, a Simplified and Integrated Management System for Responsible Care (SIMS-RC) was proposed.
Findings
Responsible Care signatory companies faced barriers in implementing product stewardship code and they also faced challenges in getting employees’ commitment from all levels. Taking the inputs received from Responsible Care signatory companies and document analysis, an SIMS-RC was proposed as a closed-loop process which consists of quality, environmental, health and safety management system.
Research limitations/implications
Some of the chemical companies were unable to share their thoughts in the survey due to the companies’ confidential reason.
Originality/value
Abundant literature has discussed about the limitation of Responsible Care that needs to be improved. Therefore, several elements and procedures of the program need to be revised and innovated to help the signatory companies to continuously improve their performances and encourage more participation in Responsible Care program. The findings will add value to the current body of knowledge and Responsible Care signatory companies which seek to improve Responsible Care implementation through an integrated management system approach. The proposed SIMS-RC is a simple, integrated, holistic and process-oriented management system in which it blends Responsible Care into quality, environmental, health and safety management system.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support for this study provided by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, through Geran Arus Perdana (AP-2015-012) and Geran Universiti Penyelidikan (GUP-2017-016). The authors would like to thank the Chemical Industries of Malaysia (CICM) for providing reference materials and information which have been instrumental in writing this paper.
Citation
Muhamad Khair, N.K., Lee, K.E., Mokhtar, M. and Goh, C.T. (2019), "Simplified and Integrated Management System for Responsible Care (SIMS-RC) in chemical industries", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 624-642. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-07-2018-0126
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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