Shin Etsu Chemical : Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents

Our responsibility -
putting first priority on the environment and safety.

The Shin-Etsu Group has made a basic management commitment to people.
For this reason, the Group places the highest priority on its policy of "safety and environmental protection first"in all of its corporate activities.
In conjunction with this, the Shin-Etsu Group has issued an Environmental Charter that sets out the Group's basic philosophy and action plan regarding all matters affecting the environment.
Accordingly, the Group has adopted a number of very ambitious environmental objectives and is striving to achieve them.

In 1970, Shin-Etsu Chemical set up its Environmental Control and Safety Department to strengthen its measures to promote environmental conservation. Since then, Shin-Etsu has continued to promote activities concerning environment and safety, including implementing its self-improvement plan called Responsible Care (RC), and its activities to obtain ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems. As a result, in 1996, Shin-Etsu Chemical's Gunma Plant obtained ISO 14001 certification, becoming the first facility of a major chemical company in Japan to achieve such certification.
Shin-Etsu has continued since then to strive to fulfill environmental activities at each of its affiliates and subsidiaries, and at the present time, all of Shin-Etsu Chemical's and Shin-Etsu Handotai's plants have achieved certification.

Shin-Etsu Chemical has introduced HAZOP* , and from the time planning for new facilities begins it adds more and more consideration regarding safety. At the same time, it checks considerations and points for improvement regarding safety and the environment using a "Safety Inspection Committee" to conduct inspections. Meanwhile, at existing facilities, it makes improvements to operating proce-dures and facilities using HAZOP and conducts regular safety inspections by main members of the plant, thereby striving to ensure safety.

The Shin-Etsu Group's mission is to "strictly comply with all laws and regulations, conduct fair business practices and contribute to people's daily lives as well as to the advance of industry and society by providing key materials and technologies." We formulate the Basic CSR Policy as detailed policy for our corporate mission. Furthermore, we have various internal regulations and activities under the Basic CSR Policy.

※ CSR（Corporate Social Responsibility）
The idea is that those enterprises, rather than concentrating solely on profit, need to value their relationships with a wide range of stakeholders when conducting their business.

In November 2010, the Shin-Etsu Group has joined to the UN Global Compact. As life in society has become more complex and more diverse in recent years, the social responsibilities of enterprises have grown.
Against this background, the Shin-Etsu Group remains firmly committed to its corporate mission statement, which calls for it to "strictly comply with all laws and regulation, conduct fair business practices and contribute to people's daily lives as well as to the advance of industry and society by providing key materials and technologies". At the same time we ensure a flexible response to changes in the social and economic environment.
In April 2005, we established a CSR Promotion Committee which has since addressed CSR issues across the Group. In 2006, we additionally expressed our commitment to supporting and implementing the Responsible Care Global Charter of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA). Having now also joined to the UN Global Compact, we will further enhance the range of our CSR activities by aligning our business activities with the ten principles of the Global Compact.

Global Compact Ten Principles
The Global Compact asks that business should: