Responsible Care Cells

What are Responsible Care Cells?

Responsible Care (RC) Cells are regional, CIA member‑led forums that bring together organisations operating under the Responsible Care programme to share insight, strengthen leadership and support continuous improvement in health, safety, environment and security performance.

Cells provide a safe, trusted space for members to discuss emerging risks, regulatory expectations and operational challenges, helping ensure Responsible Care remains relevant, practical and credible at site level.

 

Purpose of the Cells

The core purpose of Responsible Care Cells is to:

  • Support consistent implementation of Responsible Care across regions and sectors through shared learning and good practice on all aspects of safety, health, environment, security and sustainability.
  • Provide early intelligence on regulatory change, enforcement trends and emerging risks, and their potential impacts
  • Strengthen leadership and culture, particularly at COMAH, EPR and other high‑hazard sites
  • Build trusted networks between industry peers, enabling open discussion beyond formal compliance and peer-to-peer support.

Cells act as a two‑way conduit:

  • Upwards – feeding regional insight and issues into national Responsible Care governance at the Responsible Care Strategy Group level
  • Outwards – helping organisations translate Responsible Care principles into practical site‑level action.
 

Who Attends Responsible Care Cells?

Attendance typically includes:

  • EHS Directors
  • EHS, Process Safety and Responsible Care leads
  • Regulatory, compliance and assurance specialists
  • Sustainability, stewardship or operations leaders
  • Subject‑matter experts invited for specific topics (e.g. COSHH management, PFAS transition, workplace health and wellbeing)

Cells are not regulatory meetings and do not replace formal engagement with regulators. They are peer forums, operating on trust, professionalism and shared commitment to Responsible Care values.

 

How the Cells Operate

  • Regionally focused, reflecting local industrial profiles and regulatory context
  • CIA member‑driven agendas, shaped by member priorities
  • Non‑competitive and confidential, encouraging open discussion
  • Aligned to Responsible Care guiding principles and KPIs
  • Flexible in format (in‑person, hybrid or virtual)
 

Responsible Care Cell Regions

 

UK Network Map CIA Brand

  

Responsible Care Cells are structured on a regional basis to reflect industrial clustering, regulatory interfaces and community context. Current regions include:

  • North East England
  • North West England
  • Yorkshire & Humber
  • Midlands (East & West)
  • South East & London
  • South West England
  • Scotland
  • Wales

Each Cell reflects the specific risk profile and sector mix of its region (e.g. petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, fuels, energy, specialty chemicals), while remaining aligned to the Responsible Care framework.

 

Why Responsible Care Cells Matter

Responsible Care Cells help ensure that Responsible Care principles are:

  • Lived, not just signed up to
  • Forward‑looking, not reactive
  • Consistent across regions, while allowing local flexibility
  • Credible to regulators, communities and stakeholders

They are a practical expression of Responsible Care’s commitment to leadership, transparency and continuous improvement in the safe management of high‑hazard operations.