Toward achieving the goal of zero legal and social problems related to chemical substances throughout the lifecycle of products, we are committed to the proper management of chemicals through initiatives including complying with laws and regulations and providing related information.

Comprehensive management of chemical substances throughout the product lifecycle

Toward achieving the goal of zero legal and social problems related to chemical substances throughout the lifecycle of products, Nippon Shokubai is committed to the proper management of chemicals and implements a variety of initiatives, including upgrading our internal systems to comply with laws and regulations related to chemical products, and providing customers with information on relevant laws and regulations as well as product safety information.

Ensuring the safety of new products

We have introduced a gate system at each stage from R&D to commercialization. We apply our technical expertise to examine the safety of chemical products throughout the product lifecycle and determine at each stage whether to proceed to the next stage.

Product Safety Initiatives

We prepare GHS-compliant SDSs, warning labels, and Yellow Cards and provide information to customers while providing training sessions for our employees. Regarding application-specific products used in pharmaceutical raw materials, pesticides, cosmetics and food additives, our Product Safety Review Sub-committee conducts strict checks while ensuring compliance with the Product Liability Act.

Sample SDS

Sample warning label

Establishment of a chemical substance management system

We are implementing a comprehensive chemical substance management system that can respond quickly to risk assessments, the issuance of SDS, and surveys from customers querying us on the chemical content of our products. We have created and launched this system by providing centralized management of various types of information encompassing chemicals, raw materials, hazardous materials, and regulations, and are continuously committed to updating the information and improving the system functions. In fiscal 2019, we added to the system the function to output GHS label information, and the automatic production of warning labels using this system will start from fiscal 2020.

Accommodating chemical registration requirements within and outside Japan

In collaboration with specialized institutions and our Group companies outside Japan, we are responding appropriately to laws and regulations, including the Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulations of their Manufacture, etc. and the Industrial Safety and Health Act in Japan, as well as TSCA in the United States and REACH in Europe.
To enhance the employees’ legal knowledge regarding chemical management regulations and awareness of compliance with laws, we hold regular education programs on laws and meetings to explain new systems.

Addressing import/export controls

To ensure legal compliance regarding imports and exports, we have streamlined our process for strengthening company regulations, keeping our employees informed about whether a product has been subject to import/export restrictions and improving our shipping management system for coordination with our enterprise resource planning (ERP) backbone accounting system. We also conduct regular internal training.
In the internal audit we conduct every year, it was confirmed that there were no problems with exports between January and December, 2019.

Promoting a voluntary initiative of the JCIA

We participate in GPS/JIPS, a voluntary initiative for strengthening chemical management promoted by the Japan Chemical Industry Association, which prepares and releases a safety summary to the public.