Responsible Care Management
Basic Policy on Responsible Care (Occupational Safety and Health Policy)
Based on the “Kumiai Chemical Group Corporate Philosophy,” the Kumiai Chemical Group endeavors to protect the environment and ensures health and safety throughout the life cycle of our chemical products, and continuously works to improve people's quality of life and creates a sustainable society as we implement Responsible Care with the goal of contributing to its realization.
- Kumiai’s executives take the lead in demonstrating leadership and promoting Responsible Care.
- In business management, we always take into consideration the environment, health, and safety, and continuously work to create a good workplace environment where all employees can work with peace of mind.
- We make a conscious effort to protect and continuously improve the environment and health and safety throughout our supply chain.
- We comply with legal requirements and other requirements*.
- We promote conservation of resources and energy, and work to reduce and effectively utilize waste.
- We prevent occupational accidents by identifying hazard sources, and continuously assessing and mitigating risks.
- We disclose the results of our activities and endeavor to engage in dialogue and communication activities with society in order to meet the expectations of stakeholders regarding our efforts for the environment, health and safety.
- We require all employees to give their opinion and participate in discussions, and we carry out organizational activities.
- For “Protecting and fostering life and nature,” we continue making efforts to create new value that will lead to the sustainable development of an affluent society.
- Other requirements: Matters decided by our company to respond to, including compliance with our group’s philosophy, various basic policies, internal rules, industry guidelines, contract contents, and requests (needs and expectations) from employees and stakeholders etc., aside from laws and regulations.
We have signed the Responsible Care® Global Charter to promote and strengthen our proactive Responsible Care initiatives.
System for Promoting Responsible Care
The Responsible Care Promotion Committee, which is headed by the President, includes full-time Directors and Executive Officers and department heads, and is operated by the Responsible Care Promotion Section as the secretariat. We are focusing on the following efforts to continuously improve our Responsible Care activities.
- Creating goals and plans for Responsible Care activities
- Progress management for Responsible Care action plans
- Matters related to the Responsible Care Management System
- Responsible Care internal audit reports and management reviews
Initiatives for Responsible Care
Our Responsible Care activities are to protect the safety, health, and the environment of related people inside and outside Kumiai throughout all processes, including research and development, production, sales, and use by customers through to disposal.
Our group is implementing Responsible Care activities as part of sustainability management. In order to improve our activities, we leverage working groups and cross-functional collaboration.
Specific Initiatives concerning Responsible Care
Chemical Safety
Since its founding, the Kumiai Chemical Group has contributed to the realization of a sustainable society through the research and development of safe and effective agricultural chemicals and high-quality fine chemicals. We give the utmost consideration to the safety of chemicals and their impact on the environment and human health, comply with relevant domestic and international laws, regulations, and guidelines, and respond appropriately to social demands and regulatory requirements. We ensure safety throughout the entire product lifecycle and promote sustainable business activities that earn the trust of society through transparent corporate practices.
[Basic Approach]
- Compliance with Laws and Regulations and Conformity with International・Standards
- Thorough Safety Management Throughout the Entire Life Cycle
- Accurate Information and Sincere Communication
- Accurate Information Provision of Chemical Substances
- Dissemination of Safety Information on Chemical Substances
- Compliance with Laws and Regulations
- Proper Management and Handling of Chemical Substances
View more details about Chemical Safety(PDFファイル)
Company-wide Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS)
In January 2026, we began company-wide operation of the OHSMS to enhance employee awareness of occupational health and safety, maintain an accident-free, healthy, and comfortable workplace, and promote Responsible Care. OHSMS is a system that uses the PDCA cycle to systematically and continuously promote safety and health management. Through this system, we aim to prevent occupational accidents, promote workers’ health, and create a safe and comfortable working environment. By sharing concerns and risks identified in daily operations and using them to make improvements, we can create a safer and more comfortable workplace. We will promote this initiative company-wide as the first step toward protecting the health and safety of all employees.
Response to Mandatory Fit Testing
Fit testing is performed to verify that a respirator (respiratory protective equipment) is being worn properly. As part of the new chemical substance management system introduced under the newly revised Industrial Safety and Health Act, employees who wear respirators at work are now required to undergo fit testing. In response, the Head Office took the initiative to establish a fit testing system that covers all group companies. We also provided training on respirators. Fit testing will be conducted annually.
Dialogue and Communication with Society
Each year, we organize tours of its factories and institutes for local residents and users. These tours are a great opportunity to help visitor understand our safety awareness and initiatives through business presentations and site visits. As part of our efforts to raise awareness and deepen stakeholders’ understanding of agriculture and agricultural chemicals, we have created a series of brochures on agricultural chemicals used for crops and distributed them to elementary schools in various regions in Japan. We also visit elementary schools near our offices to give classes designed to raise awareness about the importance of agriculture and agricultural chemicals. Through these initiatives, we aim not only to enhance our corporate value by disseminating accurate information on agricultural chemicals, but also to foster an environment in which growers and our employees can handle agricultural chemicals with confidence.
Information Exchange with Group Companies
In 2024, we launched Safety Nexus, a mutual information exchange system designed to facilitate the sharing and use of occupational health and safety information. As a common platform for group companies, Safety Nexus has transformed communication from conventional individual email exchanges into open forums. By enabling personnel at our Head Office, factories, institutes, and group companies to share information, it promotes mutual communication, centralizes information management, and improves access to the information they need.
Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) on All Products Made Available
SDS is a document that conveys information on product handling and safety so that our customers can use our products safely. We prepare SDSs for all our products and publish them on our website.
We reviewed our SDS operation system along with new restrictions on chemical substances with revisions of laws and regulations. As a result, the whole process has become more efficient and SDS can be provided quickly in response to changes in laws and regulations.
Responsible Care Internal Audit
In FY2024, we selected factories and institutes, which are central to our Responsible Care (RC) activities, as the subjects of our audit. The audit reviewed the management systems (MS) and the current status of RC activities in the areas of environmental conservation, process safety and disaster prevention, industrial health and safety, logistics safety, chemicals and product safety, and dialogue with society. It was confirmed that the MS were properly implemented in each office, and that continuous improvements were being made through the application of the PDCA cycle. It was also confirmed that the processes of RC activities were clearly defined through the establishment of management regulations and procedure manuals. Going forward, we will conduct audits with a focus on on-site operations to further enhance the effectiveness of RC activities.
Responsible Care Global Charter
We have signed the Responsible Care Global Charter to promote proactive Responsible Care activities. As part of our sustainability management, we strive to protect the environment, ensure safety and health, and to make continuous improvements. Furthermore, our group has established the Basic Policy on Responsible Care, and management is exercising leadership in promoting these activities. The signing of the Responsible Care Global Charter is a reiteration of the Responsible Care activities that we have been promoting on a daily basis, and we will continue to actively engage in Responsible Care activities in the future.
