We control operational processes via our integrated management system (IMS). The system describes workflows and responsibilities, and defines groupwide standards for quality, workplace and plant safety, environmental and health protection, and energy management. It is based on customer demands, statutory regulations, our own sustainable business principles, and national and international standards.

WACKER’s voluntary commitments regarding the Responsible Care^® and Global Compact initiatives exceed legislative requirements. We use the IMS to control additional sustainability-related topics, for instance the effective use of resources such as energy in our production processes. We have our Group management system evaluated by an international certification organization in accordance with ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental protection) standards, and our German sites as per ISO 50001 (energy). At Siltronic, every site is certified to ISO/TS 16949 (quality), ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 (plant safety and occupational health and safety), due to this subsidiary’s specific processes and customer requirements.

Our Group certification ensures that customer-driven specifications and our corporate standards are implemented at all WACKER sites. In 2013 and 2014, we expanded our Group certification to include our Jincheon site in South Korea and the technical competence center in Mumbai, India (certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001). We have merged Wacker Chemie AG’s ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certification with that of Siltronic AG.

Our processes and standards relating to occupational health and safety and plant safety will be aligned with the international OHSAS 18001 standard by 2015. Both our Siltronic subsidiary and our Jincheon site already have an OHSAS certificate. The German sites introduced an OHSAS management system in 2013. The Jandira site in Brazil passed an external audit in line with this standard.

Almost all WACKER production sites are now included in the Group certificate. Exceptions are our Brazilian sites, Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.’s plant in Kolkata, India, and the Halle, Germany site, which we acquired from Scil Proteins Production GmbH in 2014. These have corresponding individual certificates, though.

In the reporting period, the Chinese subsidiary Wacker Chemicals (Zhangjiagang) Co., Ltd. obtained certification as a Clean Production company. The Chinese Environmental Protection Bureau reviewed corporate environmental protection in the course of certification, assessing, for example, savings in electricity, raw materials, fresh water, and waste.