Mr Reshaan Laljith, CEO of CHC Resources has become the latest member of the Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association to sign the Responsible Care Public Commitment, thereby committing the company to implementing the Guiding Principles of this voluntary initiative of the chemical industry.

CAIA seeks to promote the sustainability of safety, health and environmental (SHE) performance, efficiency, productivity and competitiveness of the chemical and allied industries in South Africa. Membership of CAIA is open to chemical manufacturers and traders, as well as organisations that provide services to the chemical industry along its value chain. CAIA is the custodian of Responsible Care in South Africa and requires that all its members commit to this initiative.

“Responsible Care is more than a set of principles and declarations. It is an ethic and commitment that seeks to build confidence and trust in an industry. This initiative is essential to the chemical industry as it assists with improving the safety and health of employees and with protecting the environment for future generations. All CHC Resources personnel should be aware of and support Responsible Care and must demonstrate that they are responsible and able to care for themselves and fellow workers when performing their daily tasks,” says Louise Lindeque, Responsible Care Manager.

Mr Laljith pledged the company’s commitment to the Responsible Care Guiding Principles and indicated that “we are proud and pleased to be a signatory to Responsible Care and are excited about implementing the Responsible Care practices and guidelines as these will add value to our business.” He added that, “Being part of the chemical industry has many challenges of which our industry’s impact on the environment is undoubtedly the most critical. We therefore identified Responsible Care as a logical step towards creating the right attitude and culture within our company.”

The CHC Group was established in 1987 as a chemical distributor. The company is involved in the sourcing, marketing and distribution of a wide range of commodity and specialty chemicals for diverse markets including agricultural, mining, pharmaceutical and many others. The company has offices and warehouses in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Their head office is located in Pomona, Johannesburg. They have fully integrated, nationally located storage and distribution facilities.

The signing ceremony was concluded when the Responsible Care flag was hoisted and Mr. Laljith indicated that “CHC Resources management and employees will support Responsible Care through working safely, protecting the health and safety of our employees and the public and looking after the environment. We look forward to supporting this initiative throughout all of our company’s operations”.

With over 150 companies that are signatories to the voluntary RC initiative in South Africa, this initiative embraces the development and application of sustainable chemistry, helping our industry contribute towards sustainable development while allowing us to meet the world’s growing need for essential chemicals and the products those chemicals make possible.  Through the sharing of information and a rigorous system of checklists, performance indicators and verification procedures, it enables the industry to demonstrate how it has improved over the years and to develop policies for further improvement. In these ways, RC helps the chemical industry to gain the trust of the public and to operate safely and sustainably, and with due care for the environment and future generations.