If you are prepared, you don't have to worry.

1. Status and Future of Disaster Risk Response at Polyplastics

Polyplastics has brought in an external consultant since early this year to tackle issues associated with risk management and compliance across the entire company. Mr. Yasumasa Komura, President, takes charge of a Chairman of "Risk Management Committee", and it has in turn conducted full-scale activities such as instituting risk management basic guidelines and crisis management guidelines, in-house instruction by way of departmental meetings, and risk management promotion manager training. The General Administration Dept. supports the Committee as secretariat.
Two company-wide level risks ("information risk" and "disaster risk") have been selected as important ones and we have started development of response manuals, guidelines, and masterplans.
The General Administration Dept. is doing so for disaster risk. In the following, we describe the status regarding disaster risk, as well as future direction and viewpoints.

(1) Status
Currently, regarding disaster risk, response to a disaster occurring in the Fuji area is the primary issue, and the fundamentals of the Fuji Plant disaster response are detailed in the "Instructions for Emergency Response in Case of Major Disaster Accident Occurrence".
However, for disasters occurring outside of the Fuji area (i.e., Tokyo Head Office, Nagoya Branch Office and Osaka Branch Office etc.), an instruction manual covering areas other than emergency communication networks has not been developed.
Compilation of a manual that can be applied to disasters not only in the Fuji area, but also other areas, is an urgent matter. In parallel, additional points are consideration and clarification of the basic standards to set up "emergency headquarters" and "on-site headquarters" and in, in particular, expansion of the "Instructions for Emergency Response" mentioned the above to a company-wide masterplan.

(2) Future Direction and Viewpoints

While taking advice from outside consultants, we will compile a measures manual
a) The major risks will be considered to be earthquakes, fires, and explosions, but the contents will be able to be applied to similar major disasters such as wind and flood damage, terrorism, and volcanic eruptions.
b) Compilation will be conducted upon the assumption of damage to operations in Japan, and this will be followed by application to overseas operations.
c) The emphasis will primarily be placed on responses at the time of risk occurrence (times of emergency), but we will consider reflecting and clarifying risk response guidelines in normal times to as great an extent as possible in the abovementioned manual.
d) We plan to compile and implement a "Masterplan for Major Disasters," and an "On-Site Manual for Disasters Occurring in the Tokyo Area.

Reported by Yoshinori Nakamura (Deputy General Manager, General Administration Dept.)

2. Report: "Disaster Prevention Drill at the Fuji Plant"

It has been a long time since it was said that the Tokai Severe Earthquake would hit the eastern area of Shizuoka Prefecture, where the Fuji Plant is located. When it does come, the area is expected to suffer significant damage. On this account, Shizuoka Prefecture conducts a relatively large-scale and full-fledged disaster prevention drill every year on September 1, 2003. Needless to say, the Fuji Plant conducts its own disaster prevention drill and this took place as always over half a day on the same date. Here, we would like to introduce details of the event together with photographs.
While the preceding month was downright cool, the temperature rose on September 1, and the sunlight was also strong. All in all, it was a relatively hot day. Everyone was in disaster prevention drill mode from the morning. The day starts with the early morning call to a disaster prevention meeting and activities of the primary disaster prevention personnel. Other staff members come to work as normal, and an earthquake warning is officially announced at 8:30 AM. Secondary disaster prevention measures are conducted by each group, including production and energy, RDC, TSC, and our on-site fire brigade. While it is a drill, everybody behaved with a feeling of tension. Maybe this is because we are truly located in an area where an earthquake could readily occur. After completion of secondary disaster prevention measures, an earthquake occurred after a while (it was assumed that this was the case). This year, a fuel oil leak from the fuel oil tank of the Energy Group was assumed. Let us not think too much about whether the oil burned or not on this occasion. The on-site fire brigade dispatches a fire truck to undertake fire fighting. They did a pretty impressive job of directing water onto the "fire." Then, before the "fire" had been put out, another incident happened. This time it was a methanol leak. The on-site fire brigade broke off into two teams in order to respond to both incidents. Here, water was discharged onto the methanol with the objective of dilution. The drill proceeded along these lines. During this time, various activities were carried out, such as first aid treatment of injured personnel, and area person in charge activities. The emergency situation was lifted at 11:30 AM, and the disaster prevention drill concluded.
The disaster prevention drill is improved every time it is carried out in order to verify the actions of each group during an emergency, as well as fire fighting, and public relations and information communication routes during times of disaster in order to respond appropriately in to such events that may actually occur one day. If at all possible, we sincerely hope that such disasters do not occur.

Reported by Fumitoshi Asano, Fuji Plant