VIII. Chemical Products and Dangerous Objects

2. Ensuring of Industrial Safety (of new chemical substances as well as products containing asbestos)

Q8-2

To import new chemical substances, what kinds of toxicity surveys would be implemented to prevent workers' health impairment? Also, from the viewpoint of securing safety of workers, what are the regulations in place regarding importation of products containing asbestos? 

Answer

To import new chemical substances, carcinogenicity test or mutagenicity test by using micro-organisms must be conducted. In addition, there is a ban, in principle, on imports of products containing asbestos.

(The Industrial Safety and Health Law)

1. It is necessary to know the toxicity of chemical substances prior to their introduction to the workplace, and it is important to take measures for preventing workers' health impairment. The Industrial Safety and Health Law prescribes that an employer who intends to import a new chemical substance should investigate certain toxicity and notify the results to the Minister of Health,Labour and Welfare(if the imported amount is less than 100kg annually, it is not necessary to notify chemical substances confirmed by the Minister of Health,Labour and Welfare during the period of said confirmation). The Minister of Health,Labour and welfare implements necessary instructions regarding this notification in reference of opinions made by the learned and experienced.

2. As to investigation, the mutagenicity test or the test equivalent to mutagenicity test in terms of obtainable information, or carcinogenicity test shall be performed. The most general test is the mutagenicity test, using microorganisms (Ames test). To submit results of the mutagenicity tests, the test should be carried out at testing facilities that certified by GLP of the Ministry of Health,Labour and welfare. If the test have been conducted in overseas in conformity with OECD-GLP and implemented in accordance with OECD test guidelines, the result is also acceptable.

3. To prevent exposure to asbestos of workers, the Enforcement Order of the Industrial Safety and Health Law was amended in October, 2004, to ban importation, production and use of products containing asbestos, except for a small number of products for which there are no alternatives. In addition, the Regulation on Prevention of Harm by Asbestos was promulgated in July, 2005, to strengthen measures to counter asbestos release into the environment for works such as construction dismantling and other operations.