Himeji Plant

Plant Profile

Plant manager	Kazuto Okazaki, Executive Officer
Location	992-1 Aza-Nishioki, Okinohama, Aboshi-ku, Himeji, Hyogo
Number of employees	1,252 (including research center) (As of March 31, 2026)
Products	Acrylic acid, acrylates, maleic anhydride, superabsorbent polymers, resin modifiers, electronic information materials, De-NOx catalysts, dioxins decomposition catalysts, and other products

FY2025 Results of RC Initiatives

Occupational safety and health	Serious injuries: 0 Injuries with lost workdays: 1 Injuries without lost workdays: 6 (including contractors)
Process safety and disaster prevention	Class 1 process safety accidents: 0 Class 2 process safety accidents: 0
Environmental protection	Implemented measures for energy conservation amounting to about 7,400 kL/year (crude oil equivalent)

In occupational safety and health, we used the results of implementing basic safety behavior^*1 practices and promoted the further reinforcement of behaviors in which employees prioritize safety and independently think, make judgments, and take action, through continuous guidance and awareness‑raising by managers. In addition, we have been advancing “Safety II” initiatives^*2 that focus on successful practices at the workplace. By sharing “tips for success” (factors that enabled risks to be successfully avoided) identified through near miss analysis, we aim to build a flexible workplace capable of responding to various changes.
In process safety and disaster prevention, we have been working to prevent process safety accidents caused by human error under the initiative called “Safety Reform 2025” since the second half of FY2023. As a result, certain achievements have been made, including the reduction in process safety accidents and improvements in process safety awareness among our employees. “Safety Reform 2025” was completed by the end of FY2025 the initiatives originally planned under it, and by reflecting the issues identified through this initiative in the Plant RC promotion plan from FY2026 onward, we will continue to improve our safety capacity.
In environmental protection, we achieved our major environmental objectives, including energy conservation, CO₂ reduction, water consumption, and reductions in substances that have an environmental impact. In addition, through the promotion of material recycling, we continue to contribute to effective resource utilization and waste reduction.
Going forward, as each employee continues to learn and grow through daily experience, and as we enhance resilience through mutual understanding and cooperation, we will build a Himeji Plant that achieves both high safety and productivity.

1. Basic safety behaviors : Basic actions that all employees should routinely practice to prevent occupational injuries including “Think before you act,” “Pointing and calling,” and “Hold the handrail when stepping on stairs.”
2. “Safety II” initiatives : Initiatives that share successful on-site behaviors to promote employees’ independent safety behaviors and prevent occupational injuries.

Accident Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Approximately 14 years have passed since the explosion and fire accident at the acrylic acid production facility that occurred in September 2012, and employees who joined the company after the accident now account for about 40% of employees at the Himeji Plant.
Under these circumstances, it has become a key challenge to accurately convey the details of the accident and the importance of recurrence prevention efforts that should be passed on into the future.
As there were limitations to what could be passed on through conventional education based solely on materials, we established an in-house education facility, the “Accident Learning Center,” with the aim of passing on the accident and preventing its lessons from fading over time.
Inside the Accident Learning Center, the actual tank where the accident originated is displayed at the center, surrounded by explanatory panels, instructional videos, and scale models reproducing the accident site. Using these materials to convey the course of the accident, its causes, and countermeasures accurately and clearly to employees, we provide education that helps them to understand the importance of recurrence prevention efforts as something personally relevant.
To ensure that we never repeat such a serious accident, we will continue to enhance safety awareness among employees, and promote safety culture development.

Hands-on training to experience the risks of liquid splashing

In October 2025, the Human Resource Development and Knowledge Transfer Center, which had been under construction with the aim of developing personnel in the production division, was completed, and technical and skills training was launched. By expanding experiential and hands-on training programs, we aim to enhance sensitivity to safety and reduce human errors.
In chemical plants, hazardous materials and harmful liquids are handled in many situations, and each worker is required to have correct knowledge and sound judgment. At our plant, we position human resource development as an important theme of our RC initiatives and conduct experiential training using liquid splash exposure simulation equipment, in addition to learning key risk points from past accident cases.
With the liquid splash exposure simulation equipment, situations in which water forcefully leaks from piping within an enclosure surrounded by transparent panels are reproduced. This allows participants to visually and intuitively understand the hazards associated with liquid splashing. In addition, by experiencing the effects and importance of properly releasing internal pressure in piping, the training contributes to the effective acquisition of the knowledge and skills required in the workplace. Through continued training, we will further enhance safety awareness and steadily promote the development of human resources essential for ensuring safe operations.

Plant Data