To fulfill our environmental commitments, we have established a robust environmental management system (EMS)—one that is built on a solid foundation and ingrained in all our activities. With this system in place, we prioritize environmental, health and safety (EHS) initiatives throughout our operations.
Our environmental management efforts are guided by MS (Manufacturing System)-168, a center-led approach to operational oversight and management that uses principles of lean manufacturing to improve our processes. Through MS-168, our associates continuously assess operations and formulations to minimize waste. MS-168 helps us reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy consumption and costs by identifying and implementing efficiency initiatives.
We currently practice MS-168 in 60 plants across 14 countries and continue to focus on expanding the program to new locations, including our six largest Distribution Centers, and improving it where already implemented.
Our environmental management efforts are aligned with MAP (Margin Achievement Plan) 2025, a program designed to increase operational efficiencies throughout RPM. The improvements to our processes from MAP 2025 and MS-168 aligned projects will contribute to reductions in waste, emissions and use of water and energy.
As part of our efforts to increase efficiency, RPM has approximately 300 associates who have completed their Six Sigma Green Belt training and serve as internal resources to drive improvement initiatives. Through the end of 2023, savings for all completed Green Belt projects totaled approximately $22.7 million. These projects also benefit our environment, such as the installation of a rainwater collection system at our Alghero, Italy, plant and a waste segregation initiative at our Wigan, UK, plant that increased recycling and reduced hazardous waste disposal.
In addition to our EMS, many of our facilities pursue third-party certifications, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification for environmental management.
HIGHLIGHT
- Reduce waste at its source by improving process efficiency
- Reclaim and recover materials that would have gone to waste
- Recycle waste outputs where possible and transition to recyclable product packaging and storage solutions
- Reuse materials and equipment until the end of their life cycle
Our EMS is used to develop and implement effective and sustainable environmental management programs across our organization, enabling us to:
Our EMS is used to develop and implement effective and sustainable environmental management programs across our organization, enabling us to:
Our manufacturing systems incorporate EHS as a key pillar of plant management, and EHS oversight extends to the corporate level. The Vice President – Environmental, Health & Safety oversees our EMS. This position reports directly to the Vice President – Operations, who reports to the Chief Executive Officer and provides updates on operations areas to the Board of Directors.
To improve support and oversight of our EHS initiatives, we continue to expand our EHS resources at all four operating segments.
Through our comprehensive annual EHS audit program, a component of our center-led EHS management program, we review the content and effectiveness of our protocols. This program consists of audits for:
- Targeted environmental compliance
- Health and safety compliance
- Property risk/fire protection
- Product stewardship & chemical compliance (added in 2023)
The center-led EHS management team conducts risk assessments to help prioritize our audits, which are completed by a qualified, third-party firm. The audits are used to determine actionable steps to improve our EHS performance and serve as a resource for local managers to enable compliance with standards set forth by governing agencies, RPM and industry best practices. Our goal through these audits is to identify ways we can further improve our health and safety outcomes.
RPM recently launched a web-based EMS audit management system to track the assignment and completion of our various center-led EH&S audit programs and associated corrective actions. RPM employs the use of a third-party audit membership service, CHWMEG, to access audits of our vendor waste sites to ensure comprehensive compliance with waste disposal regulations globally. In addition, we have entered a multiyear global service contract with an outside firm to conduct global electrical safety assessments and engineering analyses to ensure our facilities are operating safely and responsibly.
Our audit escalation mechanisms consist of direct involvement from our center-led EHS, operations and legal teams, database tracking of findings and remediation plans, and prompt resource mobilization for any identified high-risk scenarios.
HIGHLIGHT
Stonhard’s Maple Shade, New Jersey, facility recently achieved its lowest total recordable incident rate (TRIR) in 27 years and looks to build on this success across the rest of Stonhard’s U.S. facilities. The Viapol manufacturing facility in Candeias, Brazil, recently celebrated three years of injury-free performance by a team that has fully embraced safety engagement and accountability in its work culture, proudly branding the initiative “Safety 168.”
of RPM's manufacturing and distribution locations around the world receive an annual EHS audit (on a rolling basis)
EMR is based on annual U.S. workers compensation claim data only.
EMR is based on annual U.S. workers compensation claim data only.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Learn more about our commitment to associate health and safety. Click here >
