COLUMBIA, Md., Mar 15, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE:GRA) has received environmental and health and safety certifications for its facilities in Passirana, Italy; Santiago, Chile; and Bogota, Colombia. These certifications are part of the company's continuing commitment to global environment, health and safety (EHS) best practice.

The company's facility in Passirana received International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification. As part of the certification process, the facility implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) that involves the identification of environmental aspects and impacts associated with its operations, and establishes objectives and targets for continuous improvement. Some of the EMS objectives include increased recycling, waste reduction, energy savings and product life cycle assessment.

The EMS implementation was conducted in accordance with the ISO 14001 standards of the Italian National Agency for Standardization. It was completed over the course of one year under the close review of ICMQ, an Italian independent certification body. Passirana joins Grace sites in Sant Boi, Spain; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Dueren, Germany; and Widnes, United Kingdom that have earned ISO 14001 certification. Additional locations are currently undergoing or will begin the process shortly.

In Chile, the Grace facility obtained ISO 9001 certification, which involves the implementation of a Quality Management System. The scope of this certificate is for the design, manufacturing and commercialization of construction admixtures and for field services on dispensing admixtures. The process was overseen by Bureau Veritas Quality International (BVQI), a global certification organization that served as auditor. The facility's next step is to work towards ISO 14001 certification.

Grace Colombia underwent a similar audit relating to safety and received Occupation Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 certification. The certification is related to the design and implementation of a local health and safety management system. The Colombia certification was the result of a South American regional project team involving Grace employees from Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico, and was audited by BVQI. Grace's office in Bogota is one of the company's safest and has not had a lost workday case in more than 18 years.

"Excellent EHS performance can only be achieved as a result of teamwork, effort and commitment to environmental and safety issues by every single Grace employee," remarked Fred Festa, President and CEO. "Our vision is to become the best at delivering the products and services our customers need while placing safety first and being environmentally responsible."

Jeff Forgang, Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety, commented, "The certifications are significant achievements for these locations and recognize our greater understanding of the environmental, health and safety aspects and necessary controls associated with our operations."

Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and other products to petroleum refiners; catalysts for the manufacture of plastics; silica-based engineered and specialty materials for a wide-range of industrial applications; specialty chemicals, additives and building materials for commercial and residential construction; and sealants and coatings for food and beverage packaging. With annual sales of more than $2.8 billion, Grace has about 6,500 employees and operations in over 40 countries. For more information, visit Grace's web site at www.grace.com.

SOURCE: W. R. Grace & Co.

W. R. Grace & Co.
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