Japan: New Law Means Revised Requirements for Safety Data Sheets

Japan is updating its Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA). The revision means that companies must meet new requirements for safety data sheets (SDS) and the labeling of substances. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) announced the revised law (in Japanese) on May 31, 2022.

According to the ISHA, the following obligations mandated by the law will apply as of April 1, 2023:

• SDSs must be available that contain information on the effects of a substance on human beings. Should new knowledge about a substance become known, the SDS must be updated, and the customer must be informed of the update within one year.
• If substances are transferred from one container to another, the label must provide all the hazard information.
• If companies comply with the requirements for chemicals management defined by the ISHA, the labor director of the prefecture will certify them, enabling them to implement self-regulated risk management for specific substances. The MHLW maintains a list of the substances that exhibit the risk of long-term toxicity.

The Ministry’s goal is to improve employee safety and risk management in the workplace. The self-regulated model should foster a sense of self-responsibility.

We are familiar with the chemical regulations in Japan. Feel free to contact us at sales@kft.de.