Companies are invited to consider these actions to develop and implement their responsible care management system (RCMS) to be ready for RC14001 registration and to reduce the costs of meeting health, safety, environmental and security obligations:

1. Decide, commit and make a senior person responsible for the system.
   This person, trained in responsible care principles, will report directly to the CEO.
2. Form a Task Force and review need for an RCMS advisor.
   Select up to eight personnel from a cross section of grades and functions.
3. Conduct RCMS assessment using RC14001 and report.
   Report will identify adequacy of as-is procedures and need for new procedures.
4. Publish/update Responsible Care Policies, Objectives & Targets and Action Plan.
   Deploy Policy from the top and the significant impacts to Objectives and Targets.
5. Develop leaders to create and sustain customer/employee/supplier awareness.
   All leaders and Task Force must learn so they understand and can explain to others.
6. Define organizational structure and responsibilities.
   Keep this up to date with names and job titles as a formal document.
7. Involve employees in developing and improving their system.
   By awareness sessions, flowcharting, team reviews and experience feedback.
8. Decide on the document coding procedure.
   Use this from day one of developing system documentation.
9. Flowchart key processes showing all interfaces.
   Start with core processes and then tie in the support processes.
10. Code all forms in line with agreed coding procedure.
    Every form should belong to a process; remove redundant forms.
11. Correlate all forms to flowcharts.
    Every form should have a place. If not, check completeness of flowchart.
12. Review flowcharts for accuracy.
    By “accuracy” we mean what actually happens!
13. Develop and use flowcharts as documented procedures.
    Ensure process objective(s) also address significant risks.
14. Review, reconcile, approve and issue as-is procedures.
    Involve everyone and do not ignore comments. Process owners may approve.
15. Prepare new procedures and train staff to implement.
    These may include: Risk assessment, RC14001 auditing and business continuity.
16. Issue new procedures and the RCMS improvement program.
    This will be the first program implemented by the RCMS.
17. Describe the whole system in a system manual.
    Keep it slim and simple for customers, every employee and suppliers.
18. Launch the system and respond quickly to revision requests.
    Throw a well deserved party! Invite continual improvement.
19. Start auditing to improve continually your integrated system.
    Your trained audit team will come from action 15. Cover suppliers too.
20. Conduct pre-assessment at least two months before the Registrar.
    Use a registered systems auditor and ensure all corrective actions are up to date.

RCMS Action Planning Checklist