Coatings Care® — Frequently Asked Questions

What is Coatings Care®?
Coatings Care® is a comprehensive program developed by NPCA to assist its’ members’ efforts to integrate health, safety and environmental activities with corporate planning and operations. Coatings Care® identifies and defines the full spectrum of health, safety and environmental management practices, and organizes them into five key areas: Manufacturing, Transportation and Distribution, Product Stewardship, Community Responsibility and Security.

How will Coatings Care® benefit my company?
Coatings Care® provides you with an organizational framework and valuable resource "tools" to evaluate and continually improve upon your company’s efforts to manage its health, safety and environmental responsibilities.

How does Coatings Care® relate to the chemical industry’s Responsible Care® program?
NPCA and the Chemical Manufacturers Association (now the American Chemistry Council, or ACC) have reached agreement recognizing that Coatings Care® and Responsible Care® are complementary and supportive programs. As part of the agreement, NPCA and ACC have approved the pursuit of joint educational efforts, and the use of both service marks concurrently by companies implementing these programs. Coatings Care® will play a vital role in helping raw materials suppliers meet the requirements of the Responsible Care® Product Stewardship Code: when a supplier’s coatings manufacturing customer implements Coatings Care®, the ACC/NPCA agreement recognizes that the supplier’s Product Stewardship goals are being advanced by the customer through Coatings Care®.

What if my company is already implementing Responsible Care®?
Any company that is already implementing Responsible Care® is considered to have fulfilled all the expressed or implied requirements of Coatings Care®.

What about industry programs such as Responsible Distribution ProcesssSM, or ISO 14000?
NPCA and the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD), which also has a similar program, the Responsible Distribution ProcessSM, have also recognized each other’s programs as complementary and supportive initiatives. A partnership agreement signed by the two organizations encourages joint educational efforts and collaborative initiatives to help promote health, safety and the environment. In addition, Coatings Care® integrates health, safety and environmental practices that are consistent with other industry standards, such as those found in the ISO 14000 series on environmental management.

If my company is international, will it be able to uniformly implement Coatings Care® in plant facilities around the world?
Coatings Care® is already in effect around the world. The International Paint and Printing Ink Council (IPPIC), of which NPCA is a founding member association, works globally to develop and promote the Coatings Care® program. Now in almost 11 countries and 5 continents, Coatings Care® is respected and supported by many regulatory agencies worldwide. IPPIC recognizes the need for flexibility with the program implementation, realizing the different operating structures and requirements of countries throughout the world.

What are the Codes of Management Practices, and what are they based on?
The four Codes of Management Practices are: Manufacturing, Transportation and Distribution, Product Stewardship, Community Responsibility, and Security. Coatings Care® underlying organizational structure has been put together in a thoughtful to make your business more effective. The management practices are based on regulations, standards and common industry procedures, and take into account the spectrum of health, safety and environmental responsibilities held by all coatings manufacturers. Implementation of Coatings Care® will allow companies to integrate regulatory requirements, industry guidance, training and education, research, case studies, best management practices, material specifications, and health, safety and environmental data into one comprehensive program.

How will NPCA help me implement Coatings Care®?
The NPCA staff is always on hand to answer any questions that may arise with the implementation of Coatings Care®. In addition the NPCA web site (www.paint.org) offers extensive resources, and the Coatings Care® Information Center can be reached via e-mail at ccare@paint.org. To assist its members in implementing Coatings Care®, NPCA has established a program oversight structure, including a board-level Coatings Care® Committee. Upon request, Individual facilities may also be visited by Coatings Care® experts within the industry. NPCA also continues to develop guidance, checklists, and technical materials that are downloadable from the Coatings Care® web site and are free of charge.

What resource materials will I be provided with?
NPCA provides members with all four of the Coatings Care® Guides including: Transportation and Distribution, Product Stewardship, Manufacturing Management, Community Responsibility, and Security. All of the guides are available for free by downloading from the web site. The Coatings Care® Resource Guide, which is a comprehensive overview of the wide spectrum of resources available to the program, is also provided to help implement the codes. Each manual provides an in-depth review of the management practices in that code, including implementation and continuous improvement activities. In addition to the Guides, NPCA has also developed detailed and more specific materials to help with Coatings Care® Management, for example: The Static Electricity Guide, Paint Plant Floor Cleaning Guide, Medical Surveillance Guide, and Exposure Assessment Guide which are also available for free download to all members.

What if I have questions or concerns not covered in the resource materials?
As always, the NPCA staff is committed to answering your Coatings Care®, and other questions, quickly and accurately. We’re here to assist you with implementation, to address your questions and concerns, and to help you find any other resources that might be helpful. Technical assistance can be reached at ccare@paint.org or (202) 462-6272.

How may I use the Coatings Care® logo?
Guidelines on how the Coatings Care® logo may be used can be found on the web site. In summary, the Coatings Care® service mark and/or Coatings Care® logo is encouraged to be used as part of the corporate letterhead or stationary; as part of a participating member company’s communications to help explain and promote Coatings Care® initiatives to its employees; and in describing and promoting how Coatings Care® relates to participating member’s environmental, health and safety management programs or operations.