Provisional Translation

Refiled Complaint No. 4 Classification
Date of Acceptance June 15, 1988 Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint Economic Planning Agency
Responsible Ministries Ministry of Construction Related Laws Building Standard Law
Complainant Belgian firm Exporting Countries Belgium
Subject Concerning wall coverings,
1. Revision of the fire-resistance testing standards being closer to standards in the United States and Europe.
2. Improvement of the inspection system and reduction of the cost.
Details of Measures 1. It was explained that the need for safety makes it impossible to relax the testing standards for non-flammable materials. However, study is being given to the possibility of modifying the standards to accord with the ISO standards and hence to provide greater international compatibility.
2. It was further explained that the following changes are being made in the testing conducted by the Wallpaper Association of Japan.
(1) Making Association services available to non-members.
(2) Reducing the cost of application for Minister of Construction approval for non-members.
(3) Simplifying testing for materials for spot use.
3. Changes are also being instituted that surface testing alone will suffice and the costs to the applicant will be reduced when the wallpaper composition, types, and other details are known and when it is possible to ascertain suitability as a non-flammable material from previous test results. In addition, it will also permissible to display the certification number (obtained after testing) affixed to the wallpaper the same way the Association' s non-flammable certification is displayed.
Classification of Processing 1. D
2. A
3. A
Directions
Remarks Improvement measures were taken on April 23, 1989.
See OTO No.231 for previous case.

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