Environment and Safety Management Policy
JSR developed the following promotional areas with reference to “Management Policies – Responsibility to Our Stakeholders” and the Japan Chemical Industry Association's (JCIA) basic policies on the environment and safety. We create concrete activity plans and promote Responsible Care activities based on these areas.
- Promotional Areas and Policy
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- Undertake product development in consideration of safety and the environment
When developing new products, JSR evaluates the environmental, safety and health impact at every stage from research and development to manufacture, transport, use and disposal, and makes utmost efforts to provide products that put into consideration such evaluations. - Provide safety and environmental information related to products
JSR sets in place a system for management of product-related safety and environmental information and furnishes Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and yellow cards to customers, transporters and others as necessary. - Preserve the environment and assure safety for local residents
JSR takes a positive approach in its measures for preserving the local environment, facility safety, and protection against major earthquakes, taking into consideration the impact its business activities have on the environment. JSR's objective is to earn even greater trust at its business locations. - Reduce environmental impact
JSR conducts studies on the environmental impact of chemical substances and works toward the systematic reduction of emissions. JSR engages in thorough efforts to reduce sources of emissions, reuse materials, and recycle resources in order to lessen environmental impact. - Assure safety and environmental preservation in international operations
JSR makes every effort to ensure that environmental and safety standards are observed at each operating base outside Japan. JSR cooperates with cross-border transfers of technology in these fields and strictly adheres to the regulations of Japan and other nations. - Ensure employee health and safety
Constantly at work on advanced evaluation of safety matters related to chemical substances and their handling, JSR is dedicated to improving operations and facilities, and to creating a healthy and safe workplace environment.
- Undertake product development in consideration of safety and the environment
JSR Signs Declaration Supporting RC Global Charter
Declaration of support for RC Global Charter
The Responsible Care (RC) Global Charter is a voluntary activity policy adopted by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) and shared by the chemical industry to enhance and reinforce RC activities around the world. JSR subscribes to this activity policy and signed a declaration supporting the RC Global Charter in October 2008. By signing the declaration, JSR has committed itself to making even greater contributions to health, safety, and environmental preservation not just in Japan, but around the world.
ISO Certificate Acquired
By 1999, all JSR plants had acquired ISO 14001 certification, an Environment Management System that supports environmental management. Together with the ISO 9001 Quality Management System, we will continue to receive regular audits by the authority concerned to maintain ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, and will strive to improve our systems for protecting the environment and product quality. All plants successfully passed regular audits again in FY2011 (April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011).
The Environmental and Safety Internal Audits
The president participates in audit activities at the Kashima Plant
JSR's head office annually conducts internal audits of the plants and research center, with the president as head of the auditing team. We also audit our business sites approved for high-pressure gas-related operations as well as our approval inspection management department to confirm that approval criteria are being met. In FY2011, audits were conducted on improvement activities at four business sites and 41 departments (including plants and their local Group companies), with the following four areas of focus for environmental and safety goals.
- (1) Confirm whether proper communication habits have been established, or efforts are being made to establish them, to develop a “safety first” environment. Such habits may include active verbal communication in the workplace, and verbal communication made by management during patrols.
- (2) Confirm whether basic actions and personal efforts to improve are being carried out by all employees, both new and experienced, to be more aware of safety and prevent human error.
- (3) Confirm exactly what kinds of environmental and energy-related activities based on the E2 Initiative™ are being planned and implemented at each workplace.
- (4) Confirm whether targets and progress management is being quantified as much as possible and whether the appropriate check and action efforts are being made with regard to issues in the environmental and safety activities of Group companies.
We implement measures to improve issues raised by the audits to further raise environmental and safety levels. In addition, each business site conducts its own environmental and safety internal audits on a regular annual basis.
Environmental / Safety Audits in all Group Companies
Auditing an overseas Group company
At JSR, we implement environmental and safety audits at all of our Group companies in Japan who are involved in production, transportation, and engineering processes in order to achieve integrated “Responsible Care” activities. We audited four business sites of four companies during FY2011, and provided them with assistance for raising the level of their environmental and safety activities based on the unique circumstances of their business.
We also perform audits of overseas Group companies, having started audits of nine companies in FY2006. We verify the environmental and safety activities and challenges of each company within the context of local laws and culture and advise them on ways to achieve higher performance levels. In FY2011, we audited JSR Micro Taiwan. We will continue to implement environmental and safety audits of our overseas Group companies to ensure environmental and safety levels.
Environment Merit Award
To further encourage environmental protection activities, we created the Environment Merit Award for people who have made an important contribution to environmental protection through any of a range activities that include environmental product and technology development, environmental impact reductions, and assisting local communities with environment-related issues. Twenty-one employees received this award for six areas of excellence in FY2011.
Legal Compliance
When environmental and safety laws are adopted, enacted, or amended, the head office distributes information to each business site to keep them fully informed. JSR employees and personnel seconded to group companies can view environmental and safety information at any time using the Group intranet.
RC Explanatory Briefings
RC explanatory briefings at the Kashima Plant
JSR is using RC explanatory briefings to promote the company's responsible care activities among all employees. Every year, the JSR director responsible for these activities and others managers travel to all plants to explain RC. JSR uses such opportunities to share the results of its activities and future issues.
Raising Environmental Consciousness and Ensuring Safety in Global Business
Ensuring Environmental and Safety Levels through Technology Exports
JSR exported its proprietary energy-conservation technologies to the following countries for plants involved in the production of 1,3-Butadiene, thereby contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
Environmental Accounting
JSR Independent Accounting
JSR introduced environmental accounting in FY2000 with the following two objectives:
1) To strive to quantify the amount of resources invested into the environment and implement healthy measures for the environment.
2) To publish environmental accounting and increase corporate transparency.
- Aggregation Scope:
- JSR head office, Yokkaichi Plant, Chiba Plant, Kashima Plant and Research Laboratories
- Target Period:
- April 1, 2010 - March 31, 2011
- Unit:
- Million yen
Underlying Assumptions regarding Aggregation and Calculation
1) While costs were mainly calculated based on actual results, some expenses were calculated based on underlying assumptions.
2) While costs were mainly calculated based on actual results, some expenses were calculated based on underlying assumptions.
Environmental Protection Costs
Environmental Protection Effects
Economical Effects of Environmental Protection Measures4
Consolidated Accounting for Group Companies
Development of New Environmental Protection Technologies
Amount of Capital Investment
JSR makes continuous investments in the environment and safety. Investments made in FY2011 reached 730 million yen. This consisted of investments in plant and facilities aimed at various environmental improvements such as energy-saving equipment, and safety improvements such as full-scale anti-seismic measures. JSR will continue to make ambitious investments to maintain and improve the environmental, safety, and health aspects of operations in accordance with its medium-term capital investment plan.
- Main Areas of Environmental & Safety Capital Investment
(Year in parentheses is investment year) -
- ●Large-scale, natural gas-fired turbine cogeneration system (FY2010)
- ●Full-scale anti-seismic measures for facilities (FY1996-2011)
- ●Ground flare installation (FY2000, FY2008)
- ●Renovation of sludge dehydrator and upgrading efficiency (FY2001)
- ●Facilities to reduce hazardous atmospheric pollutants (FY1999-2008)
(dichloromethane solvent recovery facilities, 1,3-Butadiene treatment facility, incinerators for dry synthetic rubber dry exhaust, etc.) - ●Augmented comprehensive facilities to treat wastewater (FY2006, FY2008)
Development of New Environmental Protection Technologies
Guided by the company's environmental concept that “technological breakthroughs enhance environmental protection,” JSR, led by its Process Development Center, is actively engaged in the development of new technologies to promote environmental protection. The following are recent themes in technological development approached by JSR. We deploy technologies as they are developed.
- Main Areas of Environmental & Safety Capital Investment
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- 1．Development of Energy-saving Processes
- ●Computer-assisted optimization of heat recovery (pinch technology)
- ●Computer-assisted optimization of energy use in control systems
- ●Energy-saving through changes in heat recovery and solvent types across multiple plants
- 2．Other Measures to Reduce Environmental Impact
- ●Development of solution polymerization manufacturing facilities and a new solvent recovery process (to reduce atmospheric emissions of hydrocarbons)
- ●Development of synthetic rubber manufacturing facilities and dry exhaust systems (to reduce odors near plants and hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere)
- ●Development of polymerization technologies to combat total nitrogen emissions (measures to prevent eutrophication of ocean waters)
- ●Development of environmental technology through more effective use of microbes (to reduce odors near plants and to improve the quality of wastewater)
- ●Incineration technology for dry synthetic rubber dry exhaust (measures for harmful atmospheric pollutants)
Improving the Local Environment
JSR values the opinions of local residents and considers high transparency of plant operations to be the key to improving the local environment. With this in mind, we have strived to improve the local environment by implementing monitoring and tours of environmental equipment at regular intervals. In FY2007 and 2008, we installed equipment to incinerate dry synthetic rubber dry exhaust at the Yokkaichi, Kashima, and Chiba plants to prevent foul odors5. In FY2009, a ground flare was installed at the Yokkaichi Plant to prevent noise and flashes, and as a result there were no environmental complaints between FY2009 and FY2011. We will continue to strive to maintain our basic policy of improving the local environment.
5. Burning dry exhaust also reduces VOC emissions
- Improvement Initiatives
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- Odor: Emissions incinerator
- Noise: Ground flare
Supplying Environmentally-friendly Products
JSR has set goals for raising the percentage of its products that are environmentally friendly. In order to incorporate environmentally-considerate design into product development, JSR had previously established an environmentally-friendly products category. In FY2010 JSR revised the types of environmentally-friendly products as follows:
(1) Non-fossil-fuel-derived; (2) energy saving; (3) renewable energies; (4) reduce, reuse, recycle; and (5) non-harmful substances.
Going forward, JSR is committed to contributing to the preservation of the environment by developing and supplying environmentally-friendly products.
List of Major Environmental and Safety Awards
JSR was recognized for its leadership on the environment and safety with the following awards.
| 1979 | Kashima Plant | Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) | Safety Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Yokkaichi Plant | Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) | Safety Award |
| 1986 | Chiba Plant | Minister of International Trade and Industry | Outstanding High-Pressure Gas Plant |
| 1989 | Yokkaichi Plant | Minister of International Trade and Industry | Outstanding High-Pressure Gas Plant |
| 1991 | Chiba Plant | Minister of Labor | Progress Award (in the safety category) |
| 1992 | Kashima Plant | Minister of International Trade and Industry | Outstanding High-Pressure Gas Plant |
| 1993 | Yokkaichi Plant | Director-General, Fire Defense Agency | Fire Defense Award |
| 1993 | Kashima Plant | Minister of Labor | Progress Award (in the safety category) |
| 1994 | Chiba Plant | Director-General, Fire Defense Agency | Fire Defense Award |
| 1994 | Kashima Plant | Director-General, Fire Defense Agency | Fire Defense Award |
| 1995 | Chiba Plant | Minister of Labor | Award for Excellence |
| 1995 | Kashima Plant | Minister of Labor | Award for Effort |
| 1999 | Chiba Plant | Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) | Safety Award |
| 2002 | Chiba Plant | Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare | Award for Effort |
| 2003 | Yokkaichi Plant | Chubu Bureau of Trade, Economy and Industry | Award for Excellent Energy Management Plant (Thermal Sector) |
| 2006 | Tsukuba Research Laboratories | Director-General, Fire Defense Agency | Fire Defense Award |
| 2010 | Chiba Plant | Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) | Award for Safety Excellence |
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