Progressing product safety

Throughout the many value chains of the products we make, we emphasize safety, product stewardship, regulatory compliance, and science-based advocacy.

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This work includes:

  • Issuing safety data sheets.
  • Labeling products accurately.
  • Addressing regulatory developments.
  • Supporting our customers’ safe use and disposal of our products.

We develop testing methods and models for our own use, and we collaborate with others to inform our efforts and share what we know. We factor in relevant data about health, environmental exposure, and use of our products. This information is communicated to employees and customers to help mitigate potential impacts of our products. 

Image United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to this content.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to this content.

Our approach

We aim to provide the energy and products the world needs in a way that helps to protect human health and the environment. 

We work to identify and manage risks associated with our products and provide the appropriate level of safety for people and the environment.

Our scientists are at the forefront of product safety research.

Our Product Safety Policy is part of our Standards of Business Conduct and is incorporated into our management systems. It is consistent with external product safety standards, including those provided by the American Chemistry Council Product Safety Code.

ExxonMobil actively supports global efforts to advance product safety. We promote safe chemical management through rigorous compliance, transparent safety data, and extensive risk assessments. We also work with organizations like the International Council of Chemical Associations which brings the chemical industry together to share knowledge and tackle global issues.

Our chemicals, lubricants, and fuels products meet or exceed applicable regulations, standards, and guidelines.

These include:

Zero

work-related workforce (employee or contractor) fatalities caused by product incidents in transport from 2017 through 2025.

We also apply relevant standards for product safety where no regulations exist, enabling communication of product safety aspects to our customers. We work to identify and manage risks associated with our products and to avoid product end uses that cannot meet an appropriate level of safety.

Safety and environmental standards also apply to the transport of our products. Periodic risk assessments are part of our transportation processes and help us to find opportunities to further avoid and mitigate risk. Examples include using GPS to track movements and our work with intermodal providers on positive train control – a method to avoid collisions. We share good practices and promote safe transport of our products with industry peers and emergency responders through regular engagements, and we continue to improve training for first responders both inside and outside our company.

In 2025, we began work to harmonize our Product Solutions portfolio, including chemicals, under our Brand and Product Integrity Management System (BPIMS). BPIMS is grounded in the expectations set by foundation policies in our Standards of Business Conduct. This effort helps align our requirements and best practices for product stewardship into a unified framework that includes standards for monitoring our performance. Incidents are assessed based on actual and potential impacts, including product safety, health, environmental, regulatory, or financial impacts.

Communication and collaboration

Our Product Stewardship Information Management System (PSIMS) is the primary way we share potential product hazards and risks with our customers. The safety data sheets in our PSIMS include details on safe handling, transport, use, and disposal of our products. 

Since 2021, we have focused on continuous improvement of our PSIMS. This ongoing project is designed to improve the accessibility and clarity of our product formulas and to expand our supplier data. This upgrade provides key personnel at the manufacturing sites access to the most current product safety information.

We collaborate with industry, academia, regulators, and policy makers to help ensure that the best available science informs industry product safety policy.

Groups we work with include:

In 2025 we actively managed a library of more than

111,000

safety data sheets, in compliance with the regulations of the countries where we operate.
We successfully distributed more than

175,000

safety data sheets to customers across 149 countries.

Thought leadership from ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc.

The multi-faceted research led by ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc. (EMBSI) directly informs operations and processes at ExxonMobil. EMBSI comprises more than 80 scientists who conduct research in various fields including epidemiology, exposure science, toxicology, environmental sciences, quality assurance, and safety data sheet authoring. EMBSI also oversees toxicity testing associated with product registration, develops safety information to support the safe use of our products, and conducts science-based risk assessments.

Since 2014, EMBSI scientists have published more than 280 peer-reviewed papers (which can be found online at Web of Science). In that time, experts from the EMBSI team have also given about 1,000 technical presentations to science conferences, regulatory agencies, and academia. Among them were the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, the Society of Toxicology, and the International Society of Exposure Sciences.

Spotlight

Strategic collaboration for safer choices

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers the Safer Choice label – a voluntary label used by manufacturers to inform consumers about product safety. As described by the EPA, “Products with the Safer Choice label help consumers and commercial buyers identify products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance.”

Detergents and other cleaners are examples of products that might feature the Safer Choice label. These products contain surfactants – compounds that reduce surface tension and make it possible to remove dirt, oils, and grime effectively.

ExxonMobil produces ExxalTM branched alcohols, which are key feedstocks for ethoxylate surfactants. Our extensive in-house environmental testing1 of ethoxylate surfactants made from ExxalTM branched alcohols provided detailed information on their environmental profiles, including biodegradability and aquatic safety. Our tests demonstrated which of these products meet the EPA's Safer Choice Direct Release Surfactant Criteria.

With this knowledge, we worked with the EPA and the NSF (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) to create a category within the EPA’s system for ExxalTM-derived products. The result was a more streamlined application and review process, making it possible for surfactant manufacturers to apply for the Safer Choice label for their products.

    Publications

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    A person working at night, wearing a white safety helmet and a headlamp. They are holding a device, possibly a phone or tablet, with a soft glow illuminating their hands and chest area. The background is dark, featuring colorful, out-of-focus city lights creating a bokeh effect.

    Enhancing process safety

    A person in an orange safety jumpsuit and a white hard hat labeled

    Leading in personnel safety

    A modern office complex with several large, glass-fronted buildings situated behind a scenic pond. The architecture features clean lines and extensive use of windows, allowing natural light to flood the interiors. The foreground is dominated by the pond, surrounded by lush greenery and trees, providing a tranquil, park-like setting. The sky is partly cloudy, adding to the serene atmosphere. There are walking paths and outdoor spaces visible, suggesting the area is designed to encourage outdoor activity and relaxation.

    Improving air quality

    Sunset over ExxonMobil fields.

    Integrating sustainability into what we do

    A lush green mangrove forest interspersed with winding blue rivers and waterways. The dense vegetation forms various patterns and shapes, creating islands and peninsulas within the water.

    Conserving water resources

    The image depicts a large industrial complex, likely an oil refinery or chemical plant, illuminated brightly at night. Numerous pipes, towers, and machinery are visible, with steam or smoke rising from several stacks. The sky is dark, with dramatic clouds streaking across, possibly due to a long exposure photograph. City lights and buildings can be seen in the distant background, enhancing the sense of scale and activity.

    Working with suppliers

    FOOTNOTES:

    1. ExxonMobil evaluated the environmental properties of ethoxylates derived from ExxalTM alcohol (Exxal 8–13). See Case Study: Assessment of Surfactant Precursor Chemicals for Safer Choice (https://cleangredients.org/case-study-assessment-of-surfactant-precursor-chemicals-for-safer-choice/)