Japan establishes workplace substance exposure measurement standards

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is currently considering a shift from legally compliant risk management to autonomous risk management in response to the growing risk management of new chemicals in the industrial sector. Chemicals and workplace safety requirements in Japan are managed by the government through a set of laws and regulations. 

On 30 September 2022, Japan released a draft notification to implement guidelines for measuring workplace exposure to certain hazardous substances as it transitions to a self-regulated risk assessment model for chemicals under the Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA), and the industry was given a deadline of 29 October 2022, to comment on the suggestions. 

Chemicals and workplace safety requirements in Japan are managed by the government through a set of laws and regulations. The ISHA requires workers exposed to any chemical on a designated list to be screened for occupational diseases on a regular basis.  

In the draft, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) specifies the risk measuring requirements for the compounds like Lead, dust, specific chemical compounds, such as chlorine, ethylene oxide, and chromic acid, and organic solvents like acetone, xylene, and isobutyl acetate. 

Companies that don't follow the suggested working environment measurements for exposure threshold levels to certain chemicals, organic solvents, and lead would have to hire outside consultants to provide them advice on enhancing safety precautions. 

According to the ministry, businesses will be able to assess the overall workplace environment to better manage and control these substances by tracking samples from two or more employees who have experienced similar substance exposures and gathering sample data over the course of an entire working day. The document also outlines specifications for respiratory protective equipment. 

The MHLW suggested new, obligatory procedures in July 2021 to enhance ISHA’s chemical risk assessments and workplace safety. The rules will be published in late November, according to the ministry, and will start to be enforced on 1st April 2024. 

The draft also suggests that workplaces designated for controls under the MHLW's working environment evaluation standard, or where air exposure levels are above the limits specified in the draft, conduct personal sampling strategies — using wearable portable sample collectors — to measure substance exposure.