This guidance article explains how the RBA's Chemical Platform enables RBA members and their suppliers to determine high-level, qualitative Facility Risk Ratings of ‘Very Low’ through ‘Very High’ using the RBA's standardized Facility Risk Rating Methodology, which may be used to support materiality assessments and risk-based supply chain due diligence on chemical management risks. 

For Facility Risk Ratings to be accurate, comparable, and conformant to this methodology, Chemical Platform users must generate standard Facility Risk Scorecards that account for all chemical products (i.e., process chemicals, chemicals in products, and others) being consumed at facilities. Although Custom Facility Risk Scorecards with limited scopes on chemical risk data may be generated to satisfy stakeholder demands such as materials restrictions assurance and ecolabel conformance, standard Facility Risk Scorecards must account for 100% of chemical products being consumed at the facility. 

Facility Risk Ratings are primarily based on two factors; weighted average Product Hazard Ratings and weighted average Exposure Ratings, which are each weighted by the volume of chemicals being consumed. Facility Risk Ratings are determined using these two factors along with the Chemical Risk Ratings Matrix described in the following 3 steps of the RBA's Facility Risk Rating Methodology. 

RBA's Facility Risk Rating Methodology 

Step 1: Determine weighted average Product Hazard Rating

Product Hazard Ratings are based on formulation-level hazard data derived from Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)5F information disclosed in chemical products’ Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) and ingredient-level hazard data derived from ChemFORWARD Hazard Band ratings based on comprehensive, best-in-class chemical hazard assessments (CHAs). 

Using codified GHS and EU CLP hazard statements (H-codes) contained in Section 2: Hazard Identification of SDSs, formulation-level hazards are assigned hazard ratings of Very Low through Very High (quantified as 1 through 5) based on Table 1. Using substance CAS numbers contained in Section 3: Composition/Information on Ingredients of SDSs, ingredient-level hazards are assigned hazard ratings of Very Low through Very High (quantified as 1 through 5) using ChemFORWARD Hazard Band ratings based on Table 2. The highest hazard rating between all formulation-level hazard ratings and all ingredient-level hazard ratings is assigned as the Product Hazard Rating of the chemical product.

Table 1: Formulation-level Hazard Ratings

*Hazard categories, sub-categories, divisions, and types that share the same H-codes and Hazard Rating are grouped into single rows. Rows with EUH-codes reflect EU CLP hazard classes and supplemental hazard information not included in GHS.

Table 2: Ingredient-level Hazard Ratings

Note – If a chemical product’s SDS doesn’t disclose any CAS numbers for ingredients or H-Codes for the formulation, a Product Hazard Rating of Very Low (1) is assigned to the chemical product.

Note – If substances result in ChemFORWARD Hazard Band ratings of “U” or “?”, ingredient-level hazard ratings of Moderate (3) are assigned to those substances to avoid over- or under-rating such substances and ChemFORWARD uses this information to help prioritize future development of CHAs.

After determining Product Hazard Ratings (PHRs) and annual volumes consumed for all chemical products, facilities' weighted average PHR may be determined using the following formula:

Note – Calculated weighted average PHR must be rounded up to the nearest whole number (e.g., weighted average PHR of 2.5 is rounded up to 3 for Moderate).

The below example demonstrates how a weighted average PHR may be determined based on the given data. 

Given:

• Chemical A has a PHR of High (4) and annual consumption of 1,000 kg
• Chemical B has a PHR of Low (2) and annual consumption of 300 kg
• Chemical C has a PHR of Very High (5) and annual consumption of 500 kg

Step 2: Determine weighted average Exposure Rating

Exposure Ratings are based on three data variables originally derived from CEPN’s PCDC Tool and now also collected by RBA’s Chemical Platform; the number of persons with potential exposures to the chemical product (P rating) based on Table 3, the application method of the chemical product usage (A rating) based on Table 4, and the ventilation control measure in place (V rating) based on Table 5. Exposure Ratings for each chemical usage are calculated by the following formula:

Table 5: Ventilation Control Measures

Similar to PHRs, calculated Exposure Ratings are assigned qualitative Exposure Ratings of Very Low through Very High (quantified as 1 through 5) based on Table 6.

Table 6: Qualitative Exposure Ratings

After determining qualitative Exposure Ratings (ERs) and annual volumes consumed for all chemical products, facilities' weighted average ER may be determined using the following formula:

Note – Calculated weighted average ER must be rounded up to the nearest whole number (e.g., weighted average ER of 1.5 is rounded up to 2 for Low).

The below example demonstrates how a weighted average ER may be determined based on the given data. 

Given:

• Chemical A has a ER of High (4) and annual consumption of 1,000 kg
• Chemical B has a PHR of Low (2) and annual consumption of 300 kg
• Chemical C has a PHR of Very High (5) and annual consumption of 500 kg

Step 3: Determine overall Facility Risk Rating using Chemical Risk Ratings Matrix 

After both the weighted average PHR and weighted average ER are determined, the overall Facility Risk Rating may be determined by using the Chemical Risk Ratings matrix illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Chemical Risk Ratings Matrix

The below example demonstrates how an overall Facility Risk Rating may be determined using the Chemical Risk Ratings matrix based on the given data. 

Given:

• Weighted average PHR is High (4)
• Weighted average ER is Low (2)

In this example, the Facility Risk Rating = Moderate