FY2026 Chemical Management Expert Meeting: Minutes
Overview
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s expert panel discussed a draft interim report in preparation for revising ministerial ordinances and related rules following partial amendments to the Industrial Safety and Health Act concerning personal exposure measurements and other matters. Topics included ensuring measurement accuracy, who may conduct measurements and analyses, and the status of internationally certified occupational hygienists. The draft was revised in light of members’ comments, and approval of the final draft was entrusted to the chair. The meeting also reported a correction to the list of carcinogenic substances designated in connection with the government’s GHS classification.
Key points
- The draft interim report was to be revised in light of comments made at the meeting, with approval of the final draft entrusted to the chair.
- The main topics considered were standards for personal exposure measurements, qualifications for those conducting them, and the status of internationally certified occupational hygienists.
- Regarding the list of designated substances based on the FY2024 government GHS classification, it was explained that an omission would be corrected by adding 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane.
Overview
The meeting, convened by the Chemical Substances Control Division of the Safety and Health Department, Labour Standards Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, addressed the compilation of matters for consideration ahead of enforcement of the Act Partially Amending the Industrial Safety and Health Act and related laws concerning personal exposure measurements. It was held on May 25, 2026, in Conference Room 2 of the Labour Standards Bureau at the Ministry, with both in-person and online participation.
The secretariat explained its proposed responses to comments from the first meeting and presented a draft interim report. After outlining the background and course of the review, the draft organized the issues by topic: measurement to assess the effectiveness of improvement measures, standards for personal exposure measurements, qualifications for analysts, and the status of internationally certified occupational hygienists.
Impact
The secretariat indicated that it intends to revise the necessary ministerial ordinances and related rules in light of the panel’s recommendations.
Details
Personal exposure measurements were described as requiring a certain level of accuracy to support appropriate follow-up measures based on the results. The policy is to clarify this purpose and the handling of preliminary measurements in an administrative notice. The standards are also expected to specify where to wear personal samplers in relation to workers’ breathing zones and to include information on measurement frequency.
The draft stated that measurements used to assess the effectiveness of improvement measures require accuracy equivalent to measurements conducted by certified working environment measurement specialists. Standards for personal exposure measurements would be based on methods in existing notices and other rules; no new working environment assessment criteria would be established for personal exposure measurements, and respiratory protective equipment would be selected under existing notices for the third management category and related rules.
For analysts, the draft provided that, for substances with an analysis method specified in the technical guidelines, a Class 1 working environment measurement specialist in the relevant registered training category may conduct the analysis. Substances without a method in the guidelines would also be classified according to registered training content; for methods outside that training, the work would be performed by a specialist with the necessary equipment and capabilities. Grade 1 chemical analysis skill technicians would serve as assistants.
The proposal for internationally certified occupational hygienists was to register them as Class 2 working environment measurement specialists without examinations or registered training, authorizing them to conduct personal exposure measurements only. The panel would consider the designation and its relationship to renewal of certification in response to members’ comments.
Document 3 adds 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane as a newly designated substance because its carcinogenicity classification was raised from 2 to 1B in the FY2024 government GHS classification. The related amending notice was promulgated on March 31, 2026. Covered substances are those classified as carcinogenicity category 1 under the government GHS classification among the substances subject to risk assessment as of March 31, 2025. The list of covered substances will be updated in the future.