History of OSH in JAPAN (Outline)

1911

The Factories Act was promulgated. (Put in force in 1916)

1927

The "Green Cross Motif" was adopted as a symbol mark of safety.

1928

The National Safety Week was initiated.

1929

Ordinance on the Factory Accident Prevention and Health (Hygiene) was promulgated.

1932

National Industrial Safety Convention was initiated.

1935

Ordinance on Boiler Control was promulgated.

1936

Ordinance on Safety and Health for Civil Engineering and Construction Work Sites was promulgated.

1942

The Research Institute of Industrial Safety was established.

1947

Labour Standard Law was promulgated.
The Ministry of Labour was established.
Ordinance on the Occupational Safety and Health, etc. was put in force.

1950

Nation Occupational Health Week was initiated as an independent activity.

1951

Ordinance on the Regulation for Prevention of Tetra-ethyl-lead Hazards was promulgated.

1952

No Accident Record Movement was initiated.

1953

Nationwide Safety Organization (Predecessor of the JISHA) was founded.
The "White Cross Motif" was adopted as a symbol mark of occupational health.
The National Occupational Health Convention was initiated.
(The Convention was held in 1967 under a renewed name of "National Industrial Safety and Health Convention".)

1955

Special Protection Act for Silicosis, etc. was promulgated.

1956

The Research Institute for Occupational Health was established.
(The Institute was reorganized in 1976 as "National Institute of Industrial Health".)

1958

Industrial-Accident Prevention Five-Year Plan was formulated.

1959

Ordinance on Safety of Boilers and Pressure Vessels was promulgated.
Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards was promulgated.

1960

The Pneumoconiosis Law was promulgated.

1960

July1of every year was designated as "People's Safety Day"

1960

Ordinance on Prevention of Organic Solvent Poisoning was promulgated.

1961

Ordinance on Safety and Health at Work under High Pressure was promulgated.

1961

Special financing for safety measures taken by small and medium-sized enterprises, and Round Special Medical Examination for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises was initiated.

1962

Ordinance on Safety of Cranes and Other Similar Equipment was promulgated.

1964

Industrial Accident Prevention Organizations Law was promulgated.
Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association, and Japan Safety and Health Associations by industrial sector were established.

1965

"Safety and Health Motif" was adopted by integrating two separate motif.
"Green Cross Award" was granted to persons who had made distinguished contributions in the field of occupational safety and health, for the first time.

1967

Ordinance on Prevention of Lead Poisoning was promulgated.
"Department of Safety Engineering" was established in the National University of Yokohama.

1968

Ordinance on Prevention of Tetra-alkyl Lead Poisoning was promulgated.
An industrial safety seminar for business executives was initiated.
"Green Cross Exhibition", which is annexed to the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, was initiated to display protective equipment, etc.

1969

Ordinance on Safety of Gondola was promulgated.
The 16th World Congress on Occupational Health was held.

1971

Ordinance on Prevention of Hazards due to Specified Chemical Substances was promulgated.
Ordinance on Health Standards in the Office was promulgated.
Ordinance on Prevention of Anoxia, etc. was promulgated.

1972

Industrial Safety and Health Law was promulgated.
Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health, etc. was promulgated.

1973

The Zero-Accident Total Participation Campaign was initiated.

1973

Ordinance on Industrial Safety Consultants and Industrial Health Consultants was promulgated.
The Tokyo Safety and Health Education Center was established.

1975

Working Environment Measurement Law was promulgated.

1976

The Guideline for safety assessment of chemical plants was published.

1977

The Subsidy program for small and medium-sized enterprises' health management was initiated.

1978

The University of Occupational and Environmental Health was established.
The Silver Health Plan was announced. This plan was developed in 1989 to "Total Health Promotion Plan (THP)" In 1978, The Osaka Safety and Health Education Center was established.

1979

Ordinance on Prevention of Hazards due to Dust was promulgated.

1981

The Subsidy program for working environment management at small and medium-sized enterprises was initiated.

1982

"Safety Work Cycle Activity" in construction industry was proposed.
Japan Bioassay Research Center was founded.

1983

Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health was partially revised (safety measures for industrial robots)

1984

Construction Industry Safety and Health Training Center was founded.

1992

The Industrial Safety and Health Law was partially revised (for creating a comfortable working environment).

1997

The Ninth International Conference on Occupational Respiratory Diseases was held in Kyoto.

1999

The Japan International Center for Occupational Safety and Health (JICOSH) was founded.

2000

Japan Advanced Information Center of Safety and Health (JAISH) was founded.

2005

Ordinance on Prevention of Health Impairment due to Asbestos was promulgated.

2006

The Research Institute of Industrial Safety and National Institute of Industrial Health were integrated to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan.

2008

The Japan International Center for Occupational Safety and Health (JICOSH) wasclosed.

2010

Industrial safety Campaign Century project (only Japanese) has started nationwide since October 2010 to commemorate the year 2011 as the 100th after an imported idea of safety-first was put into practice for the first time in a company in Japan.

2011

2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami was occured.

2014

Industrial Safety and Health Act was revised (for stress check, chemical risk assessment, etc).
Guidelines on Prevention of Radiation Hazards for Workers Engaged in Nuclear Accident-derived Waste Management and Guidelines on Prevention of Radiation Hazards for Workers Engaged in Decontamination and Related Works were published.

2016

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan andJapan Bioassay Research Center (only Japanese) were transfered to Japan Organization of Heath and Safety (only Japanese).