Proactive Approach
The key element of the proactive approach is prevention rather than cure. PotashCorp believes it is more cost-effective to act early to ensure that irreversible environmental or social damage does not occur. Before marketing and distribution, products are assessed for safety, health and environmental hazards and risks.
- Assessment includes normal use and foreseeable misuse.
- All manufactured products are periodically reassessed, including review of any adverse effects experienced in handling.
- Up-to-date information on safety, health and environmental risks associated with the use, storage, handling, transport and disposal of products is available to the workforce, customers and others. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), labels and other information are developed and issued to handlers and users in accordance with legislative, regulatory and customer requirements, and as information changes. MSDS are updated on a formal, routine basis to ensure they are current. These documents are available on the company's website.
Voluntary Standards
PotashCorp adheres to a variety of voluntary codes.
- Its Lima and Augusta facilities are ISO 9001-certified to quality management standards because they serve industrial customers. Lima is also ISO 14001-certified to environmental management standards.
- The company worked with The Fertilizer Institute to establish a Security Code of Management Practices and adopted this risk-based approach to identify, assess and address security vulnerabilities.
- Its Lima and Aurora facilities are Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Sites. Approval into VPP is OSHA's "official recognition of the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health."
- All of the company's feed plants have obtained certification under the Safe Feed/Safe Food guidelines of the American Feed Industry Association.
Memberships in Business and Industry Associations
Through membership in industry and lobbying associations, PotashCorp actively supports political and public policy advocacy efforts.
PotashCorp Memberships in Key Industry and Trade Associations |
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American Feed Industry Association American Society of Safety Engineers ASIS International Canada Chamber of Commerce Canadian Business for Social Responsibility Canadian Fertilizer Institute Canadian Industrial Transportation Association Chicago Climate Exchange The Commercial Club The Conference Board of Canada Corporate Executive Board The Corporate Leadership Council Council for Sustainable Florida The Executives' Club of Chicago The Fertilizer Institute Florida Audubon Society Florida Minerals and Chemical Council The Fluid Fertilizer Foundation Foundation for Agronomic Research Institute of Corporate Directors International Feed Industry Federation International Fertilizer Industry Association International Plant Nutrition Institute International Society of Explosives Engineers Louisiana Chemical Association National Association of Corporate Directors National Industrial Transportation League New Brunswick Mining Association NPRA Point Lisas (Trinidad) Energy Association Process Gas Consumers Group Saskatchewan Mining Association Saskatchewan Potash Producers Association Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics Society for Human Resource Management Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce |
| Source: PotashCorp |