Occupational Health and Safety

To promote our employees’ health and safety, we have an EHS (Environmental, Health and Safety) Policy that lays out our guiding principles and leadership expectations around EHS.

This policy is the foundation of our EHS Standards and Programs that guide our actions and track key indicators to drive enhancement of EHS performance. Creating and maintaining EHS awareness is crucial to ensure our associates and contractors understand risks and adopt safe behaviors. These programs promote a culture of safety, where everyone is engaged and accountable for safe work practices and responsible environmental behaviors.

DOWNLOAD EHS POLICY

Our Key Focus Areas

We have numerous programs to support and educate our employees including:

Both corporate and local, tailored safety training
Job Risk Analysis (JRA) and Last Minute Risk Analysis (LMRA) tools and training
Life Saving Rules which support EHS awareness and engagement
Recognition, Observations, and Concerns (ROC)
Job Stop Trigger
EHS Calls and EHS Alerts
EHS Dialogues

Protecting People. Promoting Well-being.

At Bakelite Synthetics, safety is more than a priority—it’s a core value. We are committed to fostering a culture where every employee, contractor, and visitor returns home safely every day.

Workplace Safety

Our approach to safety is proactive, data-driven, and people-focused:

Global Safety Management System
Standardized across all sites to ensure consistent practices and compliance.
Behavior-Based Safety Programs
Empowering employees to identify and mitigate risks in real time.
Incident Prevention
Focused on leading indicators, near-miss reporting, and root cause analysis.

Product & Process Safety

We ensure the safety of our products and operations through:

Responsible Care® Certification at all U.S. sites
Process Safety Management (PSM)
Applied at high-hazard sites to prevent incidents and protect communities.
Regulatory Compliance
Adherence to global standards including REACH, TSCA, and OSHA.

Continuous Improvement

We are always learning and evolving:

Safety Leadership Training
Delivered to more than 200 leaders globally in 2023.
Global Safety Week
Annual event to reinforce safety culture and celebrate achievements.

Safety Milestones

In addition to a significant reduction in OIIR in 2024, seven sites reached notable safety milestones without a recordable incident.

20 or more years
- Beaver Creek, MI, USA
10 or more years
- Botlek, The Netherlands
5 or more years
- Acme, NC, USA
- Crossett, AR, USA
- Kitee, Finland
- Lantaron, Spain
- Cowie, UK

Responsible Care

In 2024, Bakelite is proud to have earned the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care ® certification for all our sites in the U.S. Responsible Care® is the global chemical manufacturing industry’s leading safety and sustainability initiative.

How and Why I Stay Safe

What are your reasons for staying safe?

My main reason for staying safe is my son. Become a father has revolutionized my life in many ways – including in the way I think about safety. Having a child has made me much more aware about the responsibility that I have to him.

What is your top safety goal each day?

My personal daily “mission” is to work safely in order to come back home safely so that I can continue to try my best to be a good father. I don’t want to miss any step of my son’s growth.

What are the ways you stay safe?

I prioritize safety education at work and in my personal life. Last year, I took a course about pediatric airway de-obstruction – and it turned out to be crucial for me. Unfortunately, during the weaning phase, a piece of peach obstructed my son’s airway; it was only through the knowledge I gained during the course that I knew the right operations, and I was able to act immediately. Today I am thankful that my son is safe and healthy.