CHAPTER 13SAFETY AND HEALTH IN PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP
THOMAS GRUMBLES
17806 Paintbrush Pass Ct., Cypress, TX, 77433
13.1 INTRODUCTION
Product stewardship (PS) is of growing importance for manufacturing companies as well as others in any supply chain. Manufacturing industries face increasing expectations from multiple stakeholders including government agencies, communities, surrounding manufacturing, customers, the media, and multiple nongovernment organizations to continuously improve the health, safety, and environmental (HSE) performance of their products. PS can provide a defined process that enables business to meet or exceed these expectations and add value to the bottom line.
This chapter will discuss:
- Common definitions for PS.
- Specific program elements common to PS programs.
- Regulatory foundations for PS programs.
- Traditional HSE elements that are involved.
- Expanded HSE roles in PS.
As will be noted later in this chapter, there is no consensus definition of PS. However, one publically available definition that encompasses many of the common elements of PS programs is as follows:
Responsibly managing the health, safety, and environmental aspects of raw materials, intermediate, and consumer products throughout their life cycle and across the value chain in order to prevent or minimize negative impacts and maximize value. (Product Stewardship Society 2014)
13.2 HISTORY OF PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP
It is difficult to find the source or the time for the origin of the modern ...