Responsible Distribution

Responsible Distribution is the National Association of Chemical Distributors’ management-system standard, and participation is mandatory for NACD members. It is verified by third-party audit on a recurring cycle.

What the standard actually covers

• Supplier and carrier selection — qualifying who we buy from and who moves the product
• Product stewardship — understanding the hazards of what we handle and passing that knowledge downstream
• Handling and storage — compatible segregation, containment, and inspection
• Transportation safety — driver qualification, equipment condition, and load securement
• Employee health and safety — training, PPE, and exposure control
• Emergency response — planning, drills, and the 24-hour capability
• Community awareness — being a neighbour that the surrounding area is not worried about
• Continuous improvement — measured, documented, and audited

Why it matters to a buyer

Chemical distribution is a business where the failures are expensive and occasionally catastrophic. A distributor operating a real management system is less likely to deliver the wrong material, store incompatible products together, or put an under-qualified driver on the road with a placarded load.

We recognise that our customers’ quality depends in part on the quality of their suppliers. That is the whole argument for holding the standard.

Verification

Our Responsible Distribution verification and our ISO 9001:2015 certificate are both available on request. Email cs@mileschemical.com.