Responsible Care

Based on the recognition that environmental protection and safety and health are fundamental and important issues in business operations, the Tosoh Group has established the Basic Principles Regarding the Environment, Safety, and Health and Action Guidelines, taking into consideration the Japan Chemical Industry Association's Basic Policy on the Environment, Health and Safety. It has also established a Responsible Care (RC) promotion system to promote RC activities.


Environment, Safety, and Health Basic Principles

Based on the recognition of the prime importance of environmental protection and the assurance of safety and health, the Tosoh Group is engaged in continuous RC activities throughout a product’s life cycle, from R&D, manufacture, use or consumption, through recycling or disposal. We will contribute to the sustainable development of society through continuous voluntary RC activities and constant innovation in chemistry.


Action Guidelines

Employees and officers of the Tosoh Group have established the following action guidelines to serve as the basis for putting into practice the company’s environment, safety and health principles.

  1. Environmental Protection
  • Aim to maximize the effective use of resources through energy conservation, resource conservation, and the 3Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—and to minimize the environmental impact of our business activities and help create a recycling-oriented society.
  • Promote community-based environmental protection activities on the recognition that the conservation of biodiversity leads to the sustainable development of society.
  1. Ensuring Safety
  • Always recognize that safety takes precedence over everything else.
  • Strive to comprehensively and quantitatively identify and reduce risks in order to eliminate accidents and disasters and ensure stable operations.
  • Strengthen the emergency response system, including for natural disasters.
  1. Chemical Product Safety
  • Strive to obtain accurate information on all chemical substances handled in research, development, and production, including new products, and ensure appropriate management.
  • Place the highest priority on environmental protection and ensuring safety and health in the provision of products and services.
  • Strive to heighten customer satisfaction through quality control and safety in logistics.
  1. Promoting Communication
  • Proactively promote communication with stakeholders through information sharing and dialogue.

What is Responsible Care?

Responsible Care is a voluntary initiative undertaken by the RC Committee of the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) to ensure the environment, safety, and health of companies that handle chemical substances in all processes from development, manufacturing, distribution, use, final consumption and recycling to disposal, as well as to publicize the results and engage in social dialogue.

Tosoh Group RC activities are not limited to compliance with laws and regulations, but also cover environmental protection, safety and disaster prevention, occupational safety and health, chemical and product safety, quality assurance, logistics safety, and voluntary dialogue to earn the trust of society.

The International Council of Chemical Associations published the Responsible Care Global Charter in 2006 (revised in 2014). Tosoh signed the Global Charter in February 2006 and the revised version in September 2014.

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RC Promotional Structure

We are working on the following system to promote RC activities.

RC Promotional Structure

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RC Activity Cycle

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Tosoh Corporation Tosoh Group
PLAN Company-wide policy proposal (RC Committee)
DO Implementation of activities (employees, executives, subcontractors)
CHECK RC Audits and Patrols
(RC Committee)
Confirmation of activity status through environmental and safety patrols and identification of issues through discussion
ACT

Policy review for the ensuing year (RC Committee)

Review of company-wide policies based on results

List of Activity Targets and Achievements

RC Activity Targets and Achievements

★★★ Achieved

★★ In progress

★ Not achieved

RC Slogan

Fiscal 2022:
The "new normal" as an opportunity to step up! Tosoh Group RC activities with new structure, ingenuity and determination

Fiscal 2023:
Technology and activities for the next generation, achieved through the enthusiasm of each and every one of us Tosoh Group RC activities

Safety and Disaster Prevention / Occupational Safety and Health

FY2022 FY2023 Targets
Policy and Plan Results Appraisal
1) Policy: Zero Accidents and Injuries Resulting in Lost Time Not achieved: Four accidents and eight injuries resulting in lost time (one employee and seven subcontractors) Policy: Zero Accidents and Injuries Resulting in Lost Time
  (1) Ensure basic safety behavior (1) Enacted and reviewed standards to establish 5S and hazard prediction as daily operations (1) Ensure basic safety behavior
● Establish practice-based hazard prediction training ● Establish practice-based hazard prediction, promote safety awareness education
● Continue 5S activities ● Continue 5S activities
(2) Improve comprehensiveness of risk assessment (2) Conducting risk assessment based on multiple layers of defense and using fault tree analysis (FTA) (2) Advance risk assessment
● Priority: Re-examine multiple layers of protection including security equipment Planning company-wide deployment of abnormal reaction information system ● Priority: Continued re-verification of multiple layers of protection
● Priority: Investigate use of abnormal reaction systems for risk assessment    
(3) Undertake efforts to eliminate similar accidents and occupational injuries (3) Undertaking improvement activities based on lessons learned from accidents and industrial accidents (3) Undertake efforts to eliminate similar accidents and occupational injuries
● Priority: Reconfirm and review outsourced operations Clarified scope of jurisdiction at equipment/work level; reviewed preventive maintenance for mission-critical equipment ● Priority: Reinforce safety management of outsourced operations
● Laterally deploy accident and occupational injury case studies, consider reflecting in standards   ● Laterally deploy accident and occupational injury case studies, consider reflecting in standards
(4) Reinforce construction system (4) Verified presence of systemic defects based on past work-related accidents (4) Maintain, improve construction system
Priority: Spiral up construction system Ongoing operation of spiral-up framework to improve system ● Organize, improve issues in risk assessment system operation
Raise level of hazard prediction through education   ● Consider skill improvement initiatives, such as learning how to instruct with a focus on anxiety behaviors during on-site inspections.
Reinforce training for end-users to enter construction sites; ensure compliance with construction work manuals    
2) Policy: Promotion of Earthquake and Tsunami Countermeasures ★★★ Policy: Promotion of Earthquake and Tsunami Countermeasures
  Ensure earthquake resistance of important buildings and promote tsunami countermeasures Conducting seismic reinforcement, flood control work as planned Ensure earthquake resistance of important buildings; promote tsunami countermeasures
3) Policy: Advancement of Independent Safety Measures ★★★ Policy: Maintenance and Improvement of Independent Safety Measures
  (1) Train safety specialists with expertise in safety engineering (1) Dispatched two contract researchers to a university ● Priority: Renewal of high-pressure gas certification at Nanyo Complex
● Priority: Mastery of safety engineering ● Examining curriculum necessary to train process safety engineers (PSEs) ● Compliance with new certification system
(2) Consider enhancing risk assessment based on safety engineering founded on concept of multiple layers of protection (2) Described to improve the comprehensiveness of risk assessment. Actively consider introducing smart security technology
(3) Proactively consider smart security technology (3) Actively considering introduction Develop cybersecurity system
● Priority: Investigate introduction of technology to improve operational issues  
4) Policy: Zero Accidents and Injuries Resulting in Lost Time at Group Companies Not achieved: Three accidents and 16 injuries resulting in lost time (14 employees and two subcontractors) Policy: Zero Accidents and Injuries Resulting in Lost Time at Group Companies
  (1) Provide guidance to group companies (1) Provided guidance to group companies (1) Provide guidance to group companies
● Priority: Continue environment and safety exchange meetings ● Environment and safety exchange meetings: Nine ● Priority: Continue environment and safety exchange meetings, etc.
● Priority: Promote utilization of Ankan-Net meetings ● Safety guidance by outside safety experts: 26 times at 16 companies ● Priority: Promote utilization of Safe Work Environment Network
  ● Safe Work Environment Network meetings: Two Meetings (twice)
  ● Education by outside instructors and others: Four times for safety, twice for environment Education sessions (four safety, two environmental)
(2) Continue promotion of earthquake and tsunami countermeasures at Group companies (2) Conducting survey of each company's response status (2) Promote earthquake and tsunami countermeasures at Group companies
● Promote earthquake resistance of important buildings
(3) Cooperate in business auditing for overseas Group companies (manufacturing companies) (3) Attended four web operations audits (3) Cooperate in business auditing for overseas group companies (manufacturing companies)
(Tosoh Guangzhou Chemical Industries, Inc., Tosoh (Ruian) Polyurethane Co., Ltd., Mabuhai Vinyl Corporation, PT. Standard Toyo Polymer)

Environmental Protection

FY 2022 FY 2023 Goals
Policy and Plan Results Appraisal
1) Policy: Compliance with Laws and Regulations (zero deviations from regulatory or agreed values) Deviations from regulatory values: Two Policy: Compliance with Laws and Regulations (zero deviations from regulatory or agreed values)
  (1) Ensure compliance with agreed values (1) Three cases of deviation from agreed values (1) Ensure compliance with agreed values
● Strengthen monitoring of facilities specified by laws and regulations; promote preventive measures related to deviations ● Enhanced facility monitoring, review of non-routine work standards ● Strengthen monitoring of facilities specified by laws and regulations; promote preventive measures related to deviations
● Conduct re-education of cases of deviation from agreed values (including dissemination, etc.)   ● Review of non-routine work standards
    ● Conduct re-education of cases of deviation from agreed values (including dissemination, etc.)
(2) Ensure compliance with laws and regulations (2) Ensured compliance with laws and regulations (2) Ensure compliance with laws and regulations
● Ensure compliance with laws and regulations other than measurement items Conducted environmental education, explanation of legal revisions, education for pollution prevention managers, etc. ● Ensure compliance with laws and regulations other than measurement items
● Promote environmental education; improve employee competence   ● Review of work standards for non-routine work
    ● Promote environmental education; improve employee competence
2) Policy: Compliance with Laws and Regulations at Group Companies   Policy: Compliance with Laws and Regulations at Group Companies
  ● Priority: Improve legal compliance management level ● Provided guidance on waste management operations; offered legal interpretation ● Priority: Improve legal compliance management level
● Conduct periodic checks, guidance on compliance with environmental laws and regulations ● Regular distribution and dissemination of information on revisions to environmental laws and regulations ● Conduct periodic checks, guidance on compliance with environmental laws and regulations
3) Policy: Reduce PRTR Emissions by 30% Compared with FY2016 (424 metric tons) PRTR emissions: 413 metric tons ★★★ Policy: Reduce PRTR Emissions by 30% Compared with FY2016 (424 metric tons)
  ● Implement n-hexane reduction plan ● Began construction on n-hexane reduction measures ● Implement n-hexane reduction plan
● Continue to study monochlorobenzene (MCB) emission control (wastewater) ● Continuing to study MCB emission control ● Continue to study MCB emission control (wastewater)
● Select candidate substances for reduction, study reduction measures in accordance with revised law    
4) Policy: Less than 1,000 Metric Tons of Landfill Industrial Waste Landfill industrial waste volume: 649 metric tons ★★★ Policy: Effective Utilization of Industrial Waste
  ● Less than 1,000 metric tons of landfill industrial waste ● Recycled zirconia powder waste powder ● Study for 75% reduction in FY2026 compared with FY2001 results
● Reduce total industrial waste discharge, external disposal ● Recovered methylene diisocyanate (MDI) waste products produced during the upstream manufacturing processes ● Reduce total industrial waste discharge, external disposal  Maintain recycle rate of 90% or more
● Promote external acceptance of waste plastics, etc. ● Obtained Yamaguchi Prefecture Eco-Factory certification  
5) Policy: Promotion of Planned Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)-Containing Equipment ★★★ Policy: Promotion of Planned Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)-Containing Equipment
  ● Implement planned disposal of equipment containing low PCB concentrations ● Promote disposal based on plan Implement planned disposal of target equipment containing low PCB concentrations in thin-film coating
● Survey of equipment containing low PCB concentrations in thin-film coating ● Conducted survey of thin-film coating containing low PCB concentrations 
6) Policy: Promotion of Biodiversity Preservation Activities ★★★ Policy: Promotion of Biodiversity Preservation Activities
  (1) Promote biodiversity preservation activities (1) Conducted cleanup activities in each region (1) Promote biodiversity conservation activities
● Promote forest, river, ocean preservation activities, etc. ● Promote forest, river, ocean preservation activities, etc.
● Promote community contribution activities such as city street cleanups ● Promote community contribution activities such as city street cleanups
● Promote waste 3R activities, etc. ● Promote waste 3R activities, etc.
(2) Consider activities that take into account regional characteristics (2) Concluded agreement for effective utilization of wood from pruned trees, other materials for biomass fuel in Shunan City (2) Consider activities that take into account regional characteristics

Quality Management

FY 2022 FY 2023 Goals
Policy and Plan Results Appraisal
1) Policy: Reduce Product Complaints to 23 or Fewer ★★★ Policy: Zero Severe Product Complaints
  (1) Reduce product complaints (1) Number of product complaints: 11 Priority: Reduce product complaints by strengthening cooperation between quality assurance, manufacturing departments
● Prevent recurrence of similar complaints ● Verified that past corrective actions are maintained, recurrence is prevented ● Prevent recurrence of similar complaints
● Prevent complaints using risk assessment ● Completed risk assessment of foreign material contamination; implementing risk reduction measures ● Check status of complaint prevention efforts, maintenance of prevention measures through risk assessments, etc.
(2) Strengthen collaboration between quality assurance, manufacturing divisions (2) Conducting quality on-site patrols, inspections of contract manufacturing operations ● Review delivery specifications, other descriptions/measures to prevent endogenous foreign matter in cooperation with product certification, manufacturing,  business divisions
● Continue quality site inspections, communication concerning quality  
2) Policy: Strengthening Supply Chain Management ★★★ Policy: Strengthening Supply Chain Management
  (1) Strengthen quality control system of outsourced manufacturing sites (1) Strengthened quality control system of outsourced manufacturing sites (1) Strengthen quality control system of outsourced manufacturing sites
● Conduct quality audits of outsourced sites to manufacturing  ● Conducted quality audits of 27 contract manufacturing companies outsourced to manufacturing ● Conduct quality audits of outsourced sites to manufacturing
(2) Strengthen management of raw material (including packaging materials) suppliers (2) Strengthened management of raw material (including packaging materials) suppliers (2) Strengthen management of raw material (including packaging materials) suppliers
● Priority: Systematically implement raw material supplier audits ● Conducted on-site, document, web audits of 65 companies ● Priority: Systematic implementation of raw material supplier audits
3) Policy: Confirmation of Quality Control System ★★ Policy: Confirmation of Quality Control System
  (1) Continue internal, Group company quality control surveys (1) Conducted internal, Group company quality control surveys (1) Continue internal, Group company quality control surveys
● Build database of delivery specifications ● Detected zero incidents with serious environmental or safety impact ● Continue to consider building delivery specification database
  ● Began considering building  delivery specification database  
(2) Conduct quality control survey follow-up for group companies (2) Conducted quality control survey follow-up for group companies (2) Conduct quality control survey follow-up for group companies
● Provide education on quality compliance ● Conducted quality compliance lectures ● Continue quality compliance education

Pharmaceutical Affairs Act

FY 2022 FY 2023 Goals
Policy and Plan Results Appraisal
1) Policy: Reinforcement of Quality Assurance System for Bioscience Division Products ★★★ Policy: Reinforcement of Quality Assurance System for Bioscience Division Products
  (1) Establish legal compliance system in response to revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Agency Law (1) Revised company-wide regulations, established system to comply with revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (1) Establish legal compliance system in response to revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Agency Law
(2) Monitor quality assurance system of bioscience product manufacturing facilities (2) Confirmed quality assurance system of  diagnostic product manufacturing facility (2) Monitor quality assurance system of bioscience products
(3) Monitor quality assurance system in department responsible for product design (3) Confirmed quality assurance system in design department through ISO internal audit  
(4) Ensure compliance with revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, related ministerial ordinances (4) Revised procedural documents to comply with revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law (3) Ensure compliance with revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law, related ministerial ordinances
2) Policy: Supporting the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Quality Assurance System ★★★  
  (1) Submit notification of discontinuation of Type II drug manufacturer/marketer following termination of sales of high-exposure drug grade (1) Implemented as planned Terminated due to abolition of Type II drug manufacturing/marketing business
(2) Support quality assurance system for bulk pharmaceutical manufacturing (2) Implemented as planned

Chemical and Product Safety

FY 2022 FY 2023 Goals
Policy and Plan Results Appraisal
1) Policy: Zero Occurrence of Major Nonconformities in Compliance with Domestic and International Chemical Substance Laws and Regulations Zero occurrence of major nonconformities ★★★ Policy: Zero Occurrence of Major Nonconformities in Compliance with Domestic and International Chemical Substance Laws and Regulations
  (1) Comply with legal obligations (1) Complied with legal obligations (1) Comply with legal obligations
● Satisfy obligation to conduct risk assessment of chemical substances ● Confirmed implementation of risk assessment at all sites ● Ensure risk assessment of chemical substances
● Appropriately implement revised JIS compliance for SDS/labeling ● Completed revised JIS compliance for SDS ● Maintain SDS/labeling
● Ensure compliance with substances newly designated under Japan's Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law ● Confirmed substances newly designated under Japan's Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law are not used in-house ● Response to/management of sales of newly added substances under Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law
(2) Respond to notifications, applications (2) Responded to notifications, applications (2) Respond to notifications, applications
● Ensure implementation of notification, application under Japan's Law Concerning the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc., Industrial Safety and Health Law ● Apply for small-volume  notification of manufacturing, import quantities without problems ● Ensure compliance with Japan's Act on the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc.,  Industrial Safety and Health Law chemical substance application system
● Comply with UK REACH/China Chemical Substance Regulations, etc. ● Provide support for compliance with UK-REACH, Turkey REACH ● Comply as required with overseas laws and regulations
● Conduct in-house briefings on European SDS/Southeast Asian countries' regulations, etc. ● Conduct in-house education on CLP/SDS in Europe  

Logistics Safety

FY 2022 FY 2023 Goals
Policy and Plan Results Appraisal
1) Policy: Reduce Logistics Complaint and Problem Incidence Rate to 70 Parts Per Million (ppm) or Fewer Logistics complaints and problems: 88 ppm ★★ Policy : Reduce Logistics Complaint and Problem Incidence Rate to 70 Parts Per Million (ppm) or Fewer
  ● Continue follow-up, validation of recurrence prevention ● Following up on recurrence prevention measures to confirm effectiveness ● Continue follow-up, validation of prevention of recurrence
● Continue analysis of problem trends, prevention of problems through use of problem reporting system ● Studying improvement activities through analysis of case studies of past problems ● Continue, validate problem prevention activities through use of problem reporting system
2) Policy: Zero Severe Incidents Serious incidents: 0 ★★★ Policy: Zero Severe Incidents
  ● Assess overall effectiveness of bridge resource management (BRM) training, navigational/operational diagnostics for time chartered vessels ● Conducted BRM training for one time chartered vessel, onboard diagnostics for 13 vessels ● Enhance safety awareness through ongoing BRM training, navigational/operational diagnostics for time chartered vessels
● Provide ongoing support for Tosoh Logistics Corporation's efforts to strengthen culture of safety ● Launched hazard prediction workplace patrols ● Provide ongoing support for Tosoh Logistics Corporation's efforts to strengthen culture of safety
3) Policy: Ensuring Logistics Safety   ★★ Policy: Ensure Preventive Logistics Safety
  (1) Ensure safety of cargo handling operations at customer sites ● Improve hazardous locations at delivery sites ● Priority: Study, promote measures to improve handling of high-risk customer cargo
● Improve hazardous locations, work environment ● Priority: Implement safety measures for bromine ISO tank container transportation
  ● Priority: Conduct risk assessment of on-site operations, consider risk reduction measures
    ● Priority: Strengthen safety management of outsourced operations

Social Dialogue

FY 2022 FY 2023 Goals
Policy and Plan Results Appraisal
1) Policy: Promotion of Risk Communication   Policy: Promotion of Risk Communication
  Continue to conduct media training Postponed due to COVID-19 Continue to conduct media training
2) Policy: Promotion of Cooperation with Local Communities   ★★★ Policy: Promotion of Cooperation with Local Communities
  Conduct community dialogues, factory tours, neighborhood association social gatherings Implemented as planned Conduct community dialogues, factory tours, neighborhood association social gatherings
Promote interaction with local schools, cooperation with government Promote interaction with local schools, cooperation with government