Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 372 | Classification | MHW-185 MOL-9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | July 15, 1989 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Economic Planning Agency |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Health and Welfare Ministry of Labour |
Related Laws | Waterworks Law Industrial Safety and Health Law |
| Complainant | German firm | Exporting Countries | Germany |
| Subject | Concerning electric water heaters, 1. As regards the products meeting European official standards for drinking water which has no sanitation problems inclusion in the examination standards by the Japan Water Association including the use of brass. 2. Products whose pressure exceeds 1kg/cm² are regarded in Japan as for industrial use, regardless of the product's classification in Europe, and cannot realize original capacity. Permission of the use of the Products which meet to official European safety standards. |
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| Details of Measures | 1. The Japanese Water Works Association does not specify structure, materials, and other specifications and exclude all other products but has formed a committee composed of researchers and other experts and worked on establishing testing methodology for zinc corrosion to conduct technical inspection so as to ascertain whether or not the product can be certified as having the necessary capabilities. But in light of the fact that the applicant's brass use does not pose any sanitation problems, the standards were received on April 26, 1990, to allow the use of brass in water faucet systems as well. It was also decided to approve use not only for built-in types but also for valves to prevent back up and notification that the standards have been changed was issued that same day. 2. Largely accepting the complainant's argument, the Ministry of Labor intends to revise the handling of this item effective as of the December 1989 Director-General's Notification so as to set the minimum wall thickness for pressure vessels for electrical water heaters at 2.5 mm (provided however that this shall be 1.5 mm in the case of nonferrous metals and stainless steel shell). The Ministry of Labour formed a committee of experts and has been studying electrical water heaters for which corrosion-prevention measures have been taken since March 12, 1990. As a result, it was decided that it would be possible to apply the thickness stipulations for nonferrous electrical water heaters to those water heaters for which the corrosion-prevention measures may be deemed to be of high reliability. Consequently, response was made that a Director-General's Notification would be issued including the operational standards for the construction code, for the said electrical water heaters and boilers satisfying the same structural and technical specifications. |
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| Classification of Processing | 1. A 2. A |
Directions | 1. I-a 2. II-a |
| Remarks | |||