Kenya: Initiative to Handle Chemicals Safely Launched
By Opija Raduk and Simon Theuri
Kenya joins South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco as the fourth African country to join Responsible Care implementation in Africa. The move underscores Kenya’s commitment to promoting responsible chemical management practices on a global scale.
Responsible Care is a voluntary initiative for associations and industries who commit to safety, health, environment and security in handling chemicals through their life cycle.
Chair of the Chemical and Allied Sector at Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), Manoj Shah, stressed the critical role of manufacturers in ensuring the proper management of chemical waste, adding that failure to effectively handle chemicals used in production could pose numerous dangers to the environment and the general public.
“In the manufacturing cycle, there’s always waste and byproducts generated, however, embracing responsible care principles can help minimize waste and promote sustainable practices,” explained Shah during the launch of the Responsible Care, Kenya Chapter.
Sharing similar sentiments, KAM Board Director, Mucai Kunyiha emphasized the need for manufacturers to understand the potential effects of the chemicals they employ in their production processes.
Kunyiha noted that responsible care “involves recognizing that our actions have consequences and striving to create a harmonious relationship with the environment and future generations.”
Responsible care promotes the adoption of best practices and encourages manufacturers to proactively evaluate the impact of chemicals used in their operations to minimize environmental pollution, protect public health, and drive sustainable development.
The initiative is guided by seven Responsible Care Codes, namely community awareness and emergency response; employee health and safety; product stewardship; process safety; pollution prevention; distribution; and security.
“The initiative marks a significant milestone in connecting efforts of ensuring that the chemicals are managed in a manner that minimizes risk to both humans and the environment,” said Dr. Duncan Onyango Ochieng, Director, National Disaster Management Unit, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government.
Onyango noted that there is a need to integrate sustainability by adopting the principle of responsive care into every stage of the chemical life cycle from production and distribution and from use to disposal, adding that measures have to be put in place if the responsive care initiative is to be achieved.
“Today, approximately 50 percent of manufacturers and importers of chemicals are not associated with safe chemical measures because they were never taught of hazards relating to chemicals,” Barry Dyer, the International Council of Chemical Association(ICCA) board member said.
“Responsible Care is an ongoing commitment to improving the safety, health, and environmental performance of chemical companies and their products throughout their entire life cycle.”
The global initiative that was started in Canada in 1985 is currently practiced in 68 economies around the world. Between 1988 and 2016, responsible care companies reduced hazardous releases to the air, land and water by 84%.