Chemicals

We check the safety of all our chemical products and assess any potential harmful effects on people, property and the environment.  We consider the type of market we want to sell into and which applications or uses may be unsuitable.

The four main steps we follow to assess our chemical products are:

1. Identify – we record information about a product, its potential hazards and uses.
2. Assess – we assess a product’s potential health and safety risks.
3. Control – we implement procedures to address any of these risks.
4. Review – we repeat these steps regularly, or when new information becomes available.

Business case

We also apply product stewardship when we consider new manufacturing technology, assess business risks of bringing new products to market, evaluate the entrance of products into a new country, and assist in the marketing of products.

When we start up a new business in a developing country, for example, our product stewardship activities include checking compliance with local regulations, registering products according to local laws, selecting contractors taking into account their health, safety and environment (HSE) qualifications, and assessing customer HSE capabilities (this covers their HSE competence, resources and commitment).

Managing product risk prior to market entry is an important part of our overall product stewardship (HSE) management system. The system is designed to ensure compliance with the law, to demonstrate that all hazards are adequately managed, and to continuously improve HSE performance.

Product stewardship activities also support our business marketing strategy. We provided, for example, information on the safe handling of the hazardous chemical toluene di-isocyanate, as our customers may use it in the manufacture of foam with the non-hazardous chemical polyols they purchase from us.

Our approach supports more traditional approaches to managing the safety of products too, such as developing storage requirements and checklists for contracted storage facilities for highly hazardous products.

The European Solvent Industry Association identified the risk of fire from static electricity as a major safety issue.  The association, with our input, developed a DVD to provide a simple approach to teaching shop floor and HSE staff on the dangers of static electricity.

Managing legacy waste sites

Global concern is growing over the correct management of legacy waste sites contaminated with chemicals.  We have a structured programme to review and remediate sites where our products have been handled when necessary. We established, for example, a scheme to review and manage sites where we used to handle crop protection chemicals.

Case study: Our approach to crop protection legacies

We made and sold crop protection chemical, known as pesticides, until 1993. They were used, for example, to control locusts and insects carrying diseases such as malaria. The UN and aid agencies often donated stocks to developing countries.

Some pesticides, banned because they were found to persistin the environment have become obsolete, but countries may lack the funds and facilities to dispose of them safely.

We support projects to help with this, often working through the industry body CropLife or the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation - led Africa Stockpiles Programme. Industry records showed there were less than 100 tonnes of Shell-manufactured obsolete stocks at the end of 20012 following a successful project in Nepal, compared to a total of more than 100,000 tonnes for other manufacturers.

At sites where Shell companies handled these products we review and manage environmental conditions in line with international best practice. We also act to address environmental impacts to take corrective action.