Ricoh and Quality Assurance Body to Launch Chemical Data Management Pilot Project

Ricoh Co., a major Japanese manufacturer of office automation equipment and supplies, and the Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA) have announced that they will jointly launch a pilot project for managing information on chemical substances in products. The project is being implemented in accordance with the "Management Guidelines for Chemicals in Products," compiled by a committee set up by the Japan Information Processing Development Corporation (JIPDEC) to draw up a certification system for managing information on chemical substances in products. The guidelines contain 24 requirements that call for thorough employee training, identification of management representatives for chemical control, not using hazardous substances in manufacturing processes and so on.

In the pilot project, the JQA has drawn up examination standards that follow the guidelines. Meanwhile, Ricoh is establishing its own chemical substance management system, which will be examined by the JQA.

Regulating the use of chemical substances in accordance with the European Union's Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (the RoHS Directive) has become a recent trend, and manufacturers have started to make more complicated demands on their suppliers, asking for more data and information on chemical measurement methods, etc., increasing the burden placed on suppliers. Standardizing the chemical management system at each stage of the distribution processes and establishing a third-party certification system to ensure proper functioning of the system will lighten this burden. It will also alleviate the manufacturers' burden of having to audit suppliers. Ricoh and the JQA plan to work together in carrying out the pilot program to confirm the effectiveness of the JIPDEC guidelines.

http://www.jqa.jp/english/index.html

Posted: 2004/08/18 12:42:35 PM
Japanese version