In the interest of protecting the environment and the health and safety of the Earth's citizens, Goodyear continuously keeps track of its chemical materials. The company's global chemical material management team provides worldwide coverage of product notifications/registrations, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), chemical import and export certifications, advice on hazardous material transportation and responds to customer and governmental requests regarding product and material health and safety issues.

Product notifications/registrations
In many countries, chemical products cannot be manufactured, imported or used within their borders unless they are registered with specific government agencies. Where required, Goodyear ensures that all new chemicals are compliant. In 2003, the company registered 15 chemical products in the United States, Canada, Europe and Korea.

Material safety data sheets
In various regions and countries, Goodyear prepared MSDS in 13 languages for experimental and intermediate materials as well as for finished products that were sold. These MSDS provide health and physical hazard information to customers and Goodyear associates. Goodyear technicians prepare about 1,100 new or revised MSDS per year. Goodyear associates also can access MSDS on the company's intranet.

In addition, MSDS for Goodyear Chemical products are available to customers and potential customers at www.goodyear.com.

Goodyear's Vendor Safety Data Sheet (VSDS) system tracks MSDS from company suppliers on an intranet Web site. These MSDS list health and physical hazard information, fire protection data, handling and storage data, first aid information and toxicology and environmental test data. More than 30,000 MSDS, in English or one of 14 other languages, are contained in this constantly expanding VSDS.

Hazardous materials/dangerous goods transportation
Since Goodyear products are shipped to customers around the world, global compliance must be assured for packaging, labeling, placarding and shipping descriptions. Goodyear's global chemical material management requires hazardous material/dangerous goods training for its transportation associates and provides motor carrier safety assistance, reference materials, assistance for enhanced security requirements and contact associates to respond to emergency situations.

Customer concerns, inquires
Global chemical material management addresses customer and regulatory concerns and inquiries regarding health, safety, and environmental issues. In addition, the team helps other Goodyear associates to resolve customer/regulatory issues. Inquiries range from technical questions to governmental regulations regarding a product or ingredient.

Goodyear actively manages its raw materials, intermediates and products sold globally to customers and tracks governmental regulations on a global basis. Global chemical material management also provides labeling statements for chemical and industrial products sold, technical support for automotive compliance issues, chemical certifications for the Chemical Weapons Convention, product certification for the National Sanitation Foundation, and product certifications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

It also participates in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's initiatives and testing requirements for high production volume HPV chemicals and the voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program on acetone. Both programs are an alliance between the EPA and the U.S. chemical industry.

Goodyear embraces the United Nations resolution that supports a new and global harmonization for the classification of and labeling of chemical substances and mixtures. The company believes that the resolution will help standardize chemical material management and define chemical hazards on a global basis.