HOME > Sustainability > Responsible Care Initiatives
All companies in the chemical industry responsible for handling chemical substances voluntarily agree to protect the environment, safety and health in all processes ranging from the development of chemical substances to their manufacture, transportation, use, end consumption, disposal and recycling. By disclosing the results of these activities to the public, the companies hold dialogue and communicate with society. These efforts are known as Responsible Care (RC). The RC Global Charter was released in 2006 and revised in 2014 by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), which promotes Responsible Care worldwide.
Nippon Shokubai has participated in the Japan Responsible Care Council (currently known as the Japan Chemical Industry Association [JCIA]'s Responsible Care Committee) since it was established in 1995, and has been advancing various initiatives by introducing relevant systems, such as the environmental management system under ISO 14001, the quality management system under ISO 9001, and the occupational safety and health management system (OSHMS).
We are determined to continue contributing to society while fulfilling our corporate social responsibility through our group-wide commitment to Responsible Care.
We actively promote our RC initiatives in the priority areas of environmental protection, process safety and disaster prevention, occupational safety and health, chemical safety, quality and communication with society.
In conformity with the Nippon Shokubai Group Mission, Values, Corporate Credo, and the Code of Conduct, we rank it as an important management measure to provide products and technologies that contribute to society and environmental protection.
In addition, while paying due respect to the principle of Sustainable Development, we are determined to conduct all activities in accordance with the following policy related to environmental protection, safety, and quality that will bring our business operations into harmony with the global environment.
We will implement this RC Policy in all our business operations by ensuring all employees have a thorough understanding and awareness of its importance. The president shall be the person with the ultimate responsibility for implementing this policy.
1 | Aim at environmental protection and reduction of negative environmental impact throughout the entire life cycle of a product, from development to disposal. |
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2 | Ensure the safety of our employees and our communities by targeting zero accidents and zero injuries with a commitment to the Corporate Credo, "Safety takes priority over production." |
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3 | Confirm the safety of chemical materials, intermediates and products, and consider the health of our customers, employees of our logistics subcontractors, our employees, and others. |
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4 | Stably supply products and associated services that meet customer satisfaction and inspire their trust. |
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5 | Publicly announce the results of these activities and make an effort to communicate for proper understanding. |
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Nippon Shokubai has established the RC promotion committee, chaired by the president, to deliberate on general and basic matters to specifically promote the RC policy and the guidelines stipulated separately in the company regulations for all initiatives related to environmental protection, process safety and disaster prevention, occupational safety and health, chemical safety, quality, and communication with society. Specialized subcommittees have been established under the RC promotion committee to promote company-wide RC activities.
To implement the RC Policy, the Nippon Shokubai Group promotes RC initiatives by following the PDCA cycle below each year, thereby contributing to society and fulfilling its corporate social responsibility.
Steps to promote RC initiatives
Note: FY2021 RC Basic Plan is a single-year plan which is basically another one-year extension of the 10th (FY2017 – FY2020) Medium-term RC Basic Plan.
Nippon Shokubai conducts RC inspections every year to ensure continuous improvement of RC initiatives at Himeji and Kawasaki Plants by organizing the RC Inspection Committee chaired by the Member of the Board in charge of production and technology, which consists mainly of officers.
Nippon Shokubai has conducted RC inspections for 46 years since they started in February 1974 (initially named "safety inspections") to implement our Corporate Credo "Safety takes priority over production," which was established in 1973.
The RC inspection, which was renamed in fiscal 2003 (previously known as a safety inspection), is currently conducted on the progress of each RC initiative at the plants and their priority theme set for each fiscal year. The priority themes of recent years are as shown below.
Medium-term Plan | Fiscal year | Priority theme |
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9th FY2014 to FY2016 | FY2014 (42nd) | Progress in measures to prevent recurrence |
FY2015 (43rd) | Measures to prevent recurrence and development of a safety culture | |
FY2016 (44th) | Summary of measures to prevent recurrence | |
10th FY2017 to FY2020 | FY2017 (45th) | Initiatives for environmental protection |
FY2018 (46th) | Prevention of quality issues and ensuring quality governance | |
FY2019 (47th) | Prevention of recurrence of similar industrial injuries | |
FY2020 (48th) | Prevention of process safety accidents |
Online RC inspection
The RC inspection for fiscal 2020 was conducted online, in consideration of the spread of COVID-19, on October 30 at the Kawasaki Plant and on November 4 at the Himeji Plant to check the progress on each of their RC initiative and under the priority theme of "prevention of process safety accidents."
The priority theme of the RC inspection for a fiscal year is determined between February and March of the previous fiscal year based on information on issues inside and outside the Company and the results of internal RC initiatives. Then the RC Inspection Committee conducts the inspection between October and November. The inspection results of both plants are reported to the RC Promotion Committee, which is chaired by the President, and reflected in activities of the next fiscal year.
The flow of an RC inspection is as shown below.
A written report indicating the problems found, proposals for improvement and other matters is issued for the two Plants, with the aim of ensuring continuous improvement of their RC initiatives.