Industrial Safety and Health Department

Making workplaces where people can work healthily and safely a reality

(Source : Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Guidebook)

We are working hard on occupational accident prevention measures on the basis of the Industrial Accidents Prevention Plan, in response to the approximately 560,000 persons per year being injured and killed in occupational accidents. In addition, we are trying to ensure the safety and health of working people by promoting the prevention of occupational disease, maintenance and promotion of occupational health and the creation of a comfortable working environment

Organization

		Matters concerning the overall coordination of the administrative offices of the Safety and Health Department; matters concerning the Industrial Injury Prevention Program; and others.
		Matters concerning promotion of technical cooperation with overseas countries in improving industrial safety and health, adjustment of Japanese safety and health standards with international standards, and collection and provision of overseas safety and health information.
		Matters concerning standards for industrial safety; supervision of agencies inspecting at the time of manufacture, etc. for industrial safety; and others.
		Matters concerning standards for industrial safety for the construction industry, etc.; notification of plans for Article 88-3 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law; and others.
		Matters concerning measures for the prevention of occupational diseases such as pneumoconiosis, physical impediments and anoxia, and measures for ensuring human health.
		Matters concerning the creation of a comfortable workng environment, working environment measurements, and verifications of dust respirators and gas masks type.
		Matters concerning measures for the prevention of health impairment for workers by chemical substances.

Main Applicable Legislation

• Industrial Safety and Health Law
• Working Environment Measurement Law
• Pneumoconiosis Law
• Law Concerning Special Measures for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning due to Coal Mine Disasters
• Industrial Accident Prevention Organization Law

Safety and Health Measures

Prevention of Industrial Accidents

Although the number of persons killed or injured due to industrial accidents is decreasing year by year, as many as about 560,000 persons per year sustain injuries from industrial accidents. Among those, 1,889 persons were killed in accidents during 2000 and much precious life has been lost. For that reason, we are promoting of

(1) industrial accident prevention measures for the construction industry and other such industries were numerous fatal accidents have occurred.

(2) inherent safety of machinery, etc.

In addition, we are promoting the spread of the "Occupational Safety and Health Management System," which is a means for safety and health management have prescribed the series of steps called "Plan- Do- Check - Act" at work sites and that is continuously and ceaselessly implemented.

Measures for the Maintenance of Worker's Health

When one looks at the state of the health of workers in Japan, unchanging occupational diseases such as low back pain and pneumoconiosis have not been eliminated and even now there are about 8,000 workers per year suffering from occupational diseases. In addition, in the midst of changes in industrial structure, an increasingly aging society and other such factors, over 40% of workers have some medical finding starting with findings that can be a sign of brain and heart disease, and at the same time the percentage of workers having extreme unease, worry or stress related to work or life in the workplace is increasing year by year.

Such being the present condition, for all workers be able to bring their abilities into full play in good health, it is necessary to more actively plan for the promotion of maintenance and promotion of mental and physical health and the creation of a comfortable workplace in addition to the prevention of occupational disease.

For this reason, we are promoting "the building of mental and physical health (Total Health Promotion Plan: THP)", which will undertake in a planned and continuous manner the building of vigorous health, formulating the policy of "the guideline for the building of mental health in the work site" as part of the measures for mental health in the workplace, and planning the spread and establishment thereof.

In addition, we are advancing the maintenance of Regional Industrial Health Centers and Occupational Health Promotion Centers for health management in small-sized work sites and for the support of industry health staff.

Furthermore, we are promoting the building of a comfortable workplace by providing the guideline for the creation of a comfortable workplace, since making workplaces more comfortable should result in the revitalization of work even without considering the prevention of health impairment of people working there.

Measures for the Prevention of Health impairment Due to Chemical Substances

Chemical substances provide a great contribution to the development of industry and the realization of a rich lifestyle and the present life of our society could not be sustained without them. However, while they are so valuable, chemical substances are dangerous and harmful and it is necessary to have proper controls since people's health is affected by the handling of chemical substances.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is promoting measures for the prevention of health impairment for workers resulting from chemical substances such as the precise implementation of surveys of the harmful effects of chemical substances (surveys of carcinogens through experiments with animals), making the indication system for dangerous and harmful chemical substances (labeling, issuing material safety data sheets(MSDS)) well-known, the promotion of the establishment of voluntary management of chemical substances in the work site.

Measures to Ensure Workers' Safety and Health