Management of Chemicals
Safety Checks on Chemicals
Comprehensive Management of Chemicals throughout Product Lifecycle
We at Konica Minolta view chemicals management as an aspect of environmental management, and conduct risk management based on preliminary evaluation in accordance with strict assessment criteria, so as to prevent chemical-related accidents and adverse environmental impact.
The Konica Minolta Group' s risk reduction efforts focus particularly on the following: “Reduction of atmospheric emissions of hazardous substances,” “Elimination of hazardous substances from products,” and “Improvement in occupational health and safety.”
Moreover, we are comprehensive in our risk communication activities, which include the disclosure of chemical Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on our website, publishing Site Reports and organizing Community Environmental Briefings.
Voluntary Reduction of Hazardous Chemical Use
Reducing the Risk of Hazardous Chemicals, Based on the Master Plan for Safe Management of Chemical Substances
Of the many chemical substances we use, since1997 the Konica Minolta Group has voluntarily set reduction targets, prioritizing several types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and RoHS-designated heavy metals that are deemed particularly risky in terms of toxicity and usage volume.
In cooperation with our suppliers, we have already phased out specific heavy metals used in products subject to the RoHS Directive. Concerning non-RoHS designated products, we have taken measures to phase out use of specified heavy metals in new products released in fiscal 2005; these heavy metals are no longer used in most of these products, apart from some medical instruments and similar items, due to difficulty in procuring alternative substances.
[ Master Plan for Safe Management of Chemical Substances; Results for Fiscal 2005 (Group companies in Japan) ]
| Mid-term environment plan targets | Targets for fiscal 2005 | Results for fiscal 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | Phase out by FY2010 | Reduce to 3.5 t or less | Reduced to 1.6 t |
| RoHS-designated heavy metals | Phase out use in RoHS-designated products*1 by FY2005 Phase out use in non-RoHS-designated product by FY2007 |
Phase out use in RoHS-designated product Phase out use, starting from use in new products |
Use phased out Use phased out, excluding some custom parts |
| PVC | Phase out use in product packaging materials*2 by FY2005 | Phase out use in product packaging materials | Use phased out |
| Atmospheric emissions | |||
| Dichloromethane | FY2008: 106.5 t or less | 144 t or less | 116.3 t |
| Dichloromethane | FY2008: 106.5 t or less | 144 t or less | 116.3 t |
| Ethyl acetate | FY2008: 249 t or less | 263 t or less | 216.1 t |
| Methanol | FY2008: 53 t or less | 75 t or less | 65.1 t |
| Methyl ethylene Ketones | FY2008: 22 t or less | 26 t or less | 24.6 t |
| Total VOC emissions*3 | FY2008: 70% reduction | 60% reduction | 72% reduction |
- *1
- Excluding applications exempt from RoHS Directive
- *2
- Excluding some sealing applications
- *3
- Risk conversion as compared to fiscal 2000 level
We define the risk posed by the effects of VOC atmospheric emissions as the sum of direct human health risk and air pollution risk.
We also quantify human health risk based on the simulation of VOC concentration diffusion, and quantify air pollution risk as the environmental pollution risk of photochemical smog, in reference to examples in which total cost assessment (TOC) techniques are effectively applied. Through such quantification we have established Konica Minolta' s original risk management indicator. In fiscal 2005, we newly set targets on the basis of this indicator, and are working to reduce the risk of atmospheric emissions. Introduction of this indicator has enabled us to better manage the risk of atmospheric emissions, while taking into account the risk of alternative solvents.
Chemical substances to be used in production processes are preliminarily assessed in the planning and development stages, to ensure that they can be used only after we have confirmed that the necessary safety measures have been taken, whether in Japan or overseas. As for substances with high reduction priority and reduction of total atmospheric VOCs emissions, measures are carried out with the same reduction standards applied to manufacturing sites both in Japan and overseas. For instance, our Dalian Plant, in China, is making efforts to phase out use of chlorinated solvents by the end of fiscal 2006.
Green Procurement
Implementing the Green Procurement Survey as a Starting Point for Management of Hazardous Chemicals Used in Products
Konica Minolta' s Green Procurement survey is aimed at reducing the environmental impact of our products. The two pillars of our Green Procurement survey are corporate assessments, by which we evaluate our suppliers, and substance surveys regarding substances contained in the raw materials and parts that go into our products. In the corporate assessments, we evaluate our suppliers in regard to whether they have established appropriate environmental management systems, and how they operate and maintain their systems. In this way, we can advance our activities toward reducing the environmental impact of our products. The substance survey comprises two parts: one survey to confirm that no prohibited substances are contained in the raw materials and parts of our products, so as to verify legal compliance; the other survey to examine the substances contained in our products and investigate their environmental impact. The data on these assessment and survey results are compiled and managed in a common system, shared across the Group.
Concerning subsidiary materials used in product processing/assembly and in after-sales service, we conduct surveys based on our procurement standards for chemical materials. Under the system for preliminary verification of chemicals, subsidiary materials are examined as to whether they are subject to certain laws and regulations, and whether worker safety can be ensured when the materials are used. The relevant product commercialization schedule may be affected to varying degrees, depending upon the laws and regulations that apply to the materials involved. We therefore promote their standardization by designating subsidiary materials that meet Konica Minolta' s standards - and can therefore be used without legal restrictions - recommended subsidiary materials. On the other hand, since adhesives are more likely to contain hazardous substances, their assessment results are published throughout the Group, to share the information.