Two Dow employees in a plant discuss work plans

Environment, Health & Safety

Protecting people and the environment is a part of everything we do and every decision we make.

Dow is committed to world-class environmental, health and safety (EH&S) performance, as demonstrated by industry-leading results, a long-standing commitment to Responsible Care® and a strong commitment to achieve our 2025 Sustainability Goals.

Each employee has a responsibility in ensuring that our products and operations meet applicable government or Dow standards, whichever is more stringent. Our goal is to eliminate all injuries, prevent adverse environmental and health impacts, reduce waste and emissions, and promote resource conservation at every stage of the life cycle of our products. We report our progress and are responsive to the public.

To meet the Company’s public commitments, as well as the laws and government regulations related to environmental protection and remediation to which its global operations are subject, Dow has well-defined policies, requirements and management systems.

Employee Health and Safety

Worker protection has been a priority at Dow since the Company’s earliest days. With the goal of having every worker go home safely at the end of their work shift, Dow uses a comprehensive, integrated operating discipline management system that includes policies, requirements, processes, best practices and procedures associated with Environment, Health and Safety, as well as Quality, Operations and related external standards. Within this system, we lay the foundational expectations of hazard assessment and risk mitigation, aligned to Responsible Care®.

Community Safety

We are accountable and responsive to the public, especially our local communities. The focus on security, emergency planning, preparedness and response is not new to Dow and we continue to improve our security plans, placing emphasis on the safety of Dow communities and people by being prepared to meet risks at any level and to address both internal and external identifiable risks.

At all of our sites, safety is our highest priority. Ensuring safety and preventing incidents are the goals of our safety program, which includes everything from employee training and facility maintenance to emergency response planning and testing.

We prepare for a variety of response scenarios in the unlikely event that an incident affects the community. Our emergency response program includes on-site resources and highly trained responders who are committed to employee and public safety as well as environmental protection.

We also work collaboratively with community and industry partners to train, plan and share best practices for emergency response:

Northeast Region CAER
The Fort Saskatchewan site participates with Northeast Region CAER (NRCAER) – the region’s mutual aid emergency response organization. NRCAER is a local partnership of industry and municipal emergency services that works to respond to large-scale or extended incidents.
Lacombe County Mutual Aid Organization
The Prentiss site participates with Lacombe County Mutual Aid Organization (LCMAO) – the region’s mutual aid emergency response organization. LCMAO is a partnership of local industry and municipal emergency services that works to respond to large-scale or extended incidents.
Toronto East CAER
The West Hill site is a founding member of Toronto East CAER, the region’s mutual aid emergency response organization. Toronto East CAER is a partnership of local industry and municipal emergency services that works to respond to large-scale or extended incidents.
Bluewater Association for Safety, Environment, and Sustainability (BASES)
Dow is a founding members of the Sarnia-Lambton Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER), one of the three organizations that comprises BASES. As a member of this mutual aid group, the St. Clair River site shares best practices and resources to aid in responding to incidents.

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