Updated on May 29, 2026 Product Safety and Chemical Management
- Product Safety
- Chemicals Management
- Target and Result
Product Safety
In each division of the Kuraray Group, various risk assessment methods are applied during new product development and product change control (such as changes to raw materials, production equipment, or production conditions) to ensure product safety. Based on the results of these assessments, necessary improvements are implemented to ensure product safety and quality, allowing us to deliver reliable products to our customers. Furthermore, for products and development items that require company-wide safety review, such as those intended for ingestion, those used in medical devices, or those containing nanomaterials, an Assessment Committee is established in accordance with the "Rule for Assessment Committee on Crucial Matter." Led by the Corporate Sustainability Division, this committee evaluates and confirms product safety before proceeding with development and product launch.
In 2025 as well, the Committee reviewed issues related to the development and commercialization of products specified by these Rules. The Committee decided that these products may proceed to development and commercialization on the condition that appropriate measures are taken to ensure product safety and minimize environmental impact on both manufacturing employees and end users.
The Kuraray Group will continue to supply products with appropriate safety measures to employees and users of our products through risk assessment by each business division and/or deliberations by the Assessment Committee for some of the target products.
Chemicals Management
In recent years, there has been a growing global demand for a new approach to chemicals management that minimize the negative impacts of chemical substances while ensuring the sustainable development of the chemical industry. In such situations, we are working with our overseas affiliates to collect information on the latest trends, comply with chemicals laws and regulations, and take various other actions to ensure appropriate management throughout the Group.
Management System
The Kuraray Group’s internal regulations stipulate that the Group’s chemicals management is overseen by the officer in charge of the Corporate Sustainability Division. The Corporate Sustainability Division, as a corporate organization, works to continuously improve the chemicals management system throughout the Group. Each business division responsible for each product is tasked with confirming safety, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, and communicating information on chemical substances in the supply chain. This is done in accordance with the product's intended use and customer requirements. Our business divisions and the Corporate Sustainability Division coordinate to ensure that our customers can use our products safely.
Compliance with Laws and Regulations, Provision of Information
【Providing Information】
The Kuraray Group provides Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for chemical products supplied outside the Group, in accordance with applicable laws and standards in each country. When transporting chemical products with specific properties or hazards, we issue transportation-related safety documents (e.g. Yellow Cards*) based on applicable laws, regulations, and commercial practices, and provide them to logistics service providers. Additionally, we have subscribed to 3E’s Global Incident Response Hotline Service. In case of emergencies, we have established a system to include a 24-hour, multilingual phone number on product SDSs, labels, etc.
A global database is operated to centrally manage all product SDSs across the Kuraray Group. This system eliminates duplicate management across sites and enables SDSs to be viewed and downloaded from all Group locations. The database also shares information with some of the Group’s external-facing websites, allowing the latest SDSs to be provided promptly to customers.
*
Yellow Card: An emergency contact card that describes the steps to be taken by truck drivers, firefighters, police, and other relevant personnel in case of an accident during transport of chemicals or high-pressure gas.
【Global Collaboration】
The Kuraray Group has many production sites overseas, and our products are distributed globally. As a result, situations requiring compliance with foreign laws and regulations are increasing. We collaborate with product stewardship managers and regulatory affairs staff at our overseas affiliates to collect information on the status of revisions and implementaion of chemicals-related laws and regulations in each country, and to share and review this information as appropriate. This approach enables the entire Group to respond efficiently and reliably. In addition, efforts are underway to promote global alignment in the use of regulatory search tools and management tools. Through these initiatives, we have established a system that enables us to obtain relevant regulatory information and hazard information, prepare documents such as SDSs, and provide necessary information to our customers.
【Responding to Changes in Legislation】
The following are examples of major measures implemented in response to chemical-related regulations that came into effect in 2025. We will continue to make efforts to ensure full compliance with chemical regulations in Japan and overseas.
Japan
From April 2025, additional designated chemical substances subject to SDS documentation requirements were added, and the number of designated substances is expected to continue to increase in stages. In response, we enhanced our SDS preparation system by introducing a mechanism to search for newly added and revised substances, and we established a framework to revise SDSs prior to the enforcement of the regulations.
We have also ensured that new chemical substances are notified under the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL) and the Industrial Safety and Health Law (ISHL), as well as the notifications on manufacturing volumes and the others under the CSCL.
South Korea
To comply with the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH), we have established an agent (Only Representative, OR) in Korea to handle substances that require registration and reporting. For the registered chemical substances, we share appropriate information with our customers and manage actual quantities within the registered tonnage framework in cooperation with our customers.
Education
We have established a Chemicals Management Liaison Meeting as a forum for sharing information between the Corporate Sustainability Division and business divisions (chemicals management managers, persons in charge, etc.). The meeting was held four times in Japan during 2025. In the meetings, participants deepen their knowledge of chemical regulations in Japan and overseas, such as the Law Concerning the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture and the Industrial Safety and Health Law. Through the meeting, new internal rules incorporating voluntary management activities, as well as and specific response approaches, are communicated and explained. Furthermore, in 2025, we invited external lecturers to hold a total of four in-house seminars on SDS preparation.
In addition, we utilize webcasts of the Chemical Risk Forum hosted by the Japan Chemical Industry Association as an opportunity to learn about the latest trends in risk assessment and laws and regulations, which are key elements of chemicals management. Because the program is accessible online, it is attended by a wide range of Group personnel, including not only those responsible for chemicals management in the business divisions but also those in charge at business sites, thereby helping to deepen their understanding of chemicals management across the Group.
Target and Result in Product Safety and Chemicals Management
| FY2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Target | Performance | Evaluation |
| Improve information sharing among divisions to support our goal of preventing serious accidents caused by products and achieving zero serious accidents and violations. | In order to improve employee awareness of product safety and chemicals management, we have regularly held liaison meetings between the corporate and business divisions to familiarize employees with internal rules and educate them about laws and regulations. In the liaison meetings, we share best practices and lessons learned from each business unit. Through this cross-functional sharing, we aim to apply these insights across the organization and improve our overall responses. There were no serious accidents or violations in 2025. | Accomplished |