Crisis Management in the Chemical Industry

State of the Industry Report 2021-2022

We’re pleased to introduce CHEMTREC’s State of the Industry Crisis Management Report, featuring responses from across the chemical industry (e.g. specialty, fragrances, agrochem, gases etc.) and associated industries supply chains (e.g. oil and gas, automotive, and mining). The companies range from small businesses to large multi-national companies, all seeking to improve their crisis management capabilities and understand excellent practices.

Key Findings:

Almost a third of businesses surveyed (28%) reported underprioritizing crisis management, with 63% of planning being coordinated by management or department teams rather than at a c-suite level (19%). Less than 3% of organizations surveyed employ a full-time crisis management professional.

More training and development would be beneficial across the industry. Based on the survey, 4 in 10 people recognize an opportunity to improve their capability to coordinate a wider crisis response.

More validation and assessment of crisis planning is critical across the industry to assess whether plans and processes are fit for purpose. While two thirds of surveyed companies reported testing their plans in the last year, almost 20% of organizations reported that they have not validated their plans; this figure rises to almost 40% for those who reportedly have not validated their plans within the last year.

Integration is crucial. 61% of the companies surveyed reported that they do not understand how their business continuity plans and crisis management systems work together to provide a holistic response, highlighting room for further improvement and the need to focus on the protection of its assets.