RC is an abbreviation for Responsible Care. In the chemical industry, each company handling chemical substances is responsible for ensuring that safety, health, and environmental issues are addressed throughout the chemical lifecycle, from development and production to distribution, use and disposal, publishing the results of their activities and maintaining dialogue and communication with society—all voluntarily. This initiative is called "Responsible Care."
Source: The Japan Chemical Industry Association pamphlet "Do you know about Responsible Care?"
The JSR Group developed the following promotion items with reference to "Management Policies – Responsibility to Our Stakeholders" and the Japan Chemical Industry Association's basic policies on the environment and safety. We create concrete activity plans and promote Responsible Care activities based on these areas.
Management Policies – Responsibility to Our Stakeholders
When developing new products, the JSR Group evaluates the environmental, safety and health impact at every stage from research and development to production, transport, use and disposal, and makes utmost efforts to provide products that take consideration into such evaluations.
The JSR Group sets in place a system for management of product-related safety and environmental information and provides Safety Data Sheets (SDS) to customers and yellow cards to transporters as necessary.
The JSR Group takes a positive approach in its measures for preserving the global environment, facility safety, and protection against major earthquakes, taking consideration into the impact its business activities have on the environment. The JSR Group's objective is to earn even greater trust at its business locations.
The JSR Group conducts studies on the environmental impact of chemical substances and works toward the systematic reduction of emissions. JSR Group engages in thorough efforts to reduce sources of emissions, reuse materials, and recycle resources in order to reduce environmental impact.
The JSR Group cooperates with cross-border transfers to environmental and safety technologies. Regarding corporate activities overseas, the JSR Group strictly complies with the regulations of Japan and other nations, and makes every effort to assure safety and environmental preset nation at each operating site outside Japan.
Constantly at work on pre-assessment of safety matters related to chemical substances and their handling, the JSR Group is dedicated to improving operations and facilities, and to creating a healthy and safe workplace environment.
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.
In addition, in March 2015, JSR signed a declaration of support for the Revised RC Global Charter.
In 1999, all JSR plants acquired ISO14001 certification as an Environment Management System to support environmental management. In FY2015, all plants were qualified for their continuing inspections. Tsukuba Research Laboratory, which has not yet been ISO14001 certified, is restructuring its environmental safety promotion system due to the launch of JSR Life Sciences Corporation and the reorganization of the research laboratory. As a result, it is promoting environmental safety activities through the use of management systems in accordance with ISO14001. Currently, we are preparing to bring ourselves in line with ISO14001 revisions (schedule for September 2015).
President Koshiba who conducts the on-site audits
JSR's Head Office conducts annual internal audits of its plants and research laboratories, with the president acting as head of the auditing team. We also audit our business sites that have been approved by the government for high-pressure gas operations as well as our approval inspection management department to ensure that both the department and the sites observe government approval requirements.
In order to ascertain the actual situation and improve performance, the following changes were made in FY2015: more time was taken for on-site audits and a system for interviewing employees was implemented.
At JSR, we implement environmental and safety audits at all of our Group companies in Japan that are involved in production, transportation, and engineering processes in order to achieve integrated "Responsible Care" activities.
In order to ascertain the actual situation and improve performance at Group companies in Japan, the following changes were made in FY2015: more time was taken for on-site audits and a system for interviewing employees was implemented. We will continue to carry out environmental and safety audits to enhance the environmental and safety levels.
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.
It was discovered that the JSR Group company Kraton JSR Elastomers K.K. has emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) totaling 900 ppmC from the drying equipment outlet at its synthetic rubber manufacturing plant on September 4, 2014, exceeding the emission standard of 600 ppmC.
As part of the investigation into this cause and implementation of measures to prevent a recurrence, the company improved management of emissions by renovating its drying equipment outlet and increasing the number of VOCs analysis points. It also submitted reports to the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture and the mayor of Kamisu City on September 17, 2014.
Explanatory Briefing at the Yokkaichi Plant
Explanatory Briefing at an overseas Group company
To promote the company's CSR activities and responsible care activities to all employees, JSR organizes RC & CSR explanatory briefings. Every year, the officers in charge and other managers visit each plant to report the results of RC activities and share upcoming issues.
In FY2015, an RC & CSR Explanatory Briefing was cancelled due to the serious workplace accident occurred at the Yokkaichi Plant in July, and a Serious Workplace Accident Explanatory Briefing was held instead. The officers in charge visited five domestic JSR locations as well as Group companies in Japan and overseas with the risks of the similar type of accidents. The officers explained the details of the accident to the employees at each location and also described both short- and mid-to-long-term countermeasures to JSR employees and Group company employees.
We have provided cooperation and support to the International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer (ICETT), a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation, since its establishment, assisting the development of environmental and safety engineers from around the world.
There is no training held in FY2014 because there were no training requests were made from ICETT.
| FY | No. of trainings (times) | No. of participants (persons) | Content of training |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-2013 | 64 | 565 | Air/water quality management technology, industrial waste disposal/management technology, odor control technology, environmental management systems, Responsible Care activities, environmental facility tours |
| 2014 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 65 | 569 |