NATIONAL PROFILE on Chemicals Management - UNITAR

11 1.1.4 Labelling and notification of chemical substancesIn the case that certain harmful chemical substances are delivered or supplied, employers areobliged to label the containers and packs of certain harmful chemical substances with theirname and effect on human health and provide MSDS. Employers are obliged to enhance theunderstanding of workers regarding the MSDS notification items through ways includingposting them at all times in the workplace. Furthermore, regarding chemicals not specifiedin the related laws or regulations, it is instructed by the guideline to label them or provideMSDS.11 1.1.5 Dissemination of the content of MSDSEmployers who receive MSDS are obliged to enhance understanding of the content of MSDSamong their workers through such means as displaying MSDS in the workplace.11 1.1.6 Measures based on the guideline for chemical substancesmanagementThe Guidelines for the Necessary Measures to Prevent Health Impairments to Workers dueto Chemical Substances, etc. stipulates the principle implementation items in relation tomanagement of chemical substances in the workplace to advance the voluntary managementof chemical substances by employers and contribute to the prevention of health impairmentamong workers. Specifically employers themselves undertake the necessary examinations ontoxicity, etc., and based on the results take measures appropriately and effectively to preventworkers’ health impairment caused by chemical substances. The implementation itemsstipulated in this guideline include i) to formulate plans to lay out specific implementationtasks for appropriate management of chemical substances and to have workers fully aware ofthose tasks, ii) identify the toxicity, etc. or undertake risk assessment of chemical substances,etc. which the workers may handle, iii) to provide safety and health education on thenecessary items to prevent health impairment caused by handling of chemical substances,etc., and iv) regularly training prepared for emergency cases including leaking of a largequantity of chemical substances, etc.11 1.2 Projects for raising awareness of chemicalsubstances11 1.2.1 Japan Advanced Information Centre of Safety and Health (JAISH)The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) (then-Ministry of Labour) establishedthe Japan Advanced Information Centre of Safety and Health (JAISH) in January 2000 withthe aim of providing safety and health information on the Internet and supporting healthand safety activities in the workplace, through implementation of virtual simulation ofhazardous experience and others as well as to enhance the interest in safety of the generalpublic. The JAISH homepage (http://www.jaish.gr.jp/) provides a search service on thehazard and toxicity (MSDS) of approximately 55,000 chemical substances published under66