Asahi Kasei : Sustainability Report 2021 Part3

Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Society

The Asahi Kasei Group aims to be a corporate entity that contributes to sustainable society in harmony with the community by taking social issues into consideration and striving for fair information disclosure.

Quality Assurance

CSR Procurement

Human Resources

Human Rights

We deliver safe and reliable products and services to our customers and strive for genuine communication with them.

We work to promote CSR in partnership with our suppliers through fair and transparent business activities that take account of environmental issues and human rights.

We respect each and every employee and aim to create a rewarding and vibrant workplace. We will feature our approach to employment, and human resources, human resources development, active engagement, and diversity.

We provide support so that all people involved in the business activities of the Asahi Kasei Group can reach their full potential without any discrimination.

Health and Productivity

Management and

Occupational Health and

Safety

We engage in diverse activities based on an occupational safety management system to achieve employee health and safety in the workplace.

Process Safety

We continually make voluntary eforts to ensure operational safety in accordance with our Basic Policy on Safe Operation.

Social Activities

We aim to contribute to community development through proactive communication with everyone in the local community and a diverse community fellowship program all around Japan.

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Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Quality Assurance

Policy

Products and services provided by the Asahi Kasei Group internally and externally include materials, products, installations, various services, and after-sales support. We believe that providing safe and reliable products and services that satisfy our customers is our ultimate mission.

In 2016, we established the Asahi Kasei Group Quality Policy and Group Quality Assurance Bylaws. Based on these, we promote quality assurance to provide products and services that satisfy our customers and society.

As we enter an era of coexistence with the coronavirus and the post-coronavirus era, we have changed the Asahi Kasei Group Quality Policy on August 1, 2020, to refect our strong awareness of the need to regard discontinuous and irreversible structural changes as opportunities for reform and to act on our own initiative.

Asahi Kasei Group Quality Policy

The Asahi Kasei Group fexibly anticipates the constantly changing needs of customers and society to create and provide products and services with quality that ensures safety and security.

Management framework

In April 2019, we appointed a dedicated Executive Ofcer for Quality Assurance to further reinforce the management framework. The Corporate Quality Ensurance department of Asahi Kasei Corporation oversees and coordinates Group-wide quality assurance activities.

Corporate Quality Ensurance consists of four groups: the Quality Ensurance Group, which covers all aspects of quality assurance; the Product Safety Group, which functions to ensure quality assurance as a comprehensive chemical manufacturer; the Regulatory Afairs & Reliability Assurance Group, which functions to ensure quality assurance of products and services in the Health Care sector; and the Corporate Quality Ensurance Planning Group, which proposes new plans and coordinates with other organizations. Corporate Quality Ensurance performs a head-ofce function as a hub for the Group's quality assurance framework and strives every day to reinforce quality assurance activities throughout the Asahi Kasei Group to deliver safe and reliable products and services to our customers and society.

Corporate Quality Ensurance prepares a Monthly Quality Assurance Report, based on which the Executive for RC and the Executive for Quality Assurance holds monthly quality assurance meetings to discuss information related to quality assurance.

Each core operating company and strategic business unit within the Group performs quality assurance in accordance with the products and services provided in each business area in conformity with uniform Group guidelines and bylaws.

The Group Quality Assurance Bylaws stipulate quality assurance activities for RC Administrators, such as the Presidents of the core operating companies and strategic business units, to lead. The bylaws also defne the designation and roles of Quality Assurance Managers who play a central role in activities to enhance quality assurance. The Quality Assurance Managers' Conference is held four times a year to transmit and share information among the entire Asahi Kasei Group. In addition, from fscal 2019, we have started to provide an opportunity for the Executive Ofcer for Quality Assurance and the Senior General Manager of Corporate Quality Ensurance to meet directly with RC Administrators, Quality Assurance Managers, and others to discuss the enhancement of quality assurance and to exchange frank opinions through face-to-face meetings, thereby creating an environment that enables us to build a reliable quality assurance system.

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Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Diagram of quality assurance framework

Quality Assurance Meeting (held each month):

Based on the Monthly Quality Assurance Report prepared by Corporate Quality Ensurance, the Executive Ofcer for RC, the Executive Ofcer for Quality Assurance, and the Senior General Manager of Corporate Quality Ensurance hold the Quality Assurance Meeting to discuss information related to quality assurance.

Quality Assurance Managers' Conference (held four times a year):

Quality Assurance Managers, who play a central role in strengthening quality assurance, meet to transmit and share information among the entire Asahi Kasei Group.

Product safety initiatives

The Asahi Kasei Group has also formulated the Group Guidelines for Product Safety Measures in order to make the approach to product safety in the Group Quality Assurance Bylaws even more specifc.

Product safety measures are implemented at each stage of product development and product supply, to ensure product safety and to prevent product problems and complaints from emerging. In addition, we have also established appropriate measures to be taken if a serious product problem or serious accident is likely to occur or if it does occur.

Flow of product safety measures

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Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Safety assurance procedures

The procedures for realizing safe products and services are specifed by the Guidelines for Ensuring Safety of Equipment and the Guidelines for Ensuring Safety of Chemicals.

Product safety procedure for equipment

Product safety procedure for chemicals

Chemical substance management

The Asahi Kasei Group identifes the properties of chemical substances and appropriately manages each process from product development, raw material procurement, and production (including intermediates) through to use and disposal in order to ensure the safety of products and production processes. We implement the chemical substance management shown in the diagram below at each stage from the perspectives of the global environment, operational safety, workplace safety, hygiene, and health, and quality assurance (product safety).

Corporate Quality Ensurance (Product Safety Group) serves as the secretariat for the implementation of chemical substance management in each business unit let by the Group's Quality Assurance Managers.

Note: SDS stands for Safety Data Sheet.

Chemical substance management fow

Research and development

The management of chemical substances begins in the R&D stage when the applications for chemical substances are determined, and is guided throughout every stage by a commitment to developing products and process characterized by safe, environmentally sound production, handling, and use.

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Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Materials purchase

When purchasing materials, information related to the safety of chemical substances is received from the supplier. This information serves as a guide to safe storage and handling.

Production

At the production stage, we manage chemical substances, including intermediates, in an appropriate manner to suppress emissions into the environment. We also strive to prevent fres, explosions, and leaks at facilities where chemical substances are handled to ensure the safety of local communities and preserve the global environment. The health of employees is protected by performing sound risk assessment for chemical substances and preventing workplace exposure to hazardous substances.

Sale, use, and disposal

Guidance for proper use and disposal of chemical substances and chemical products is provided in Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), technical bulletins, and product brochures.

Transport Emergency Cards are issued to guide the proper environmental and safety response in the event of an accident during physical distribution.

Quality assurance and human resources development

Development of core human resources for quality assurance

We have held the Quality Assurance Forum since fscal 2017 to continue heightening awareness of quality assurance among younger and mid-level employees across the Group. In fscal 2020, 47 employees selected from throughout the Asahi Kasei Group gathered at the head ofce once per month for a period of six months for a group discussion on a certain subject each time, combined with lectures on each subject by outside experts (mainly university professors at the forefront of the Japanese Society for Quality Control). At the fnal session, participants in each business sector discuss issues in their own organizations based on what they learned, and prepare proposals to present to management. In fscal 2021, we are continuing this as a key project for in-house quality assurance training.

Fostering a quality assurance mindset among department and group managers

In fscal 2019, we held a Quality Management Seminar for Department and Group Managers, inviting lecturers who lead quality assurance at other companies to further deepen the understanding of the importance of quality assurance for department and group managers. We plan to continue to provide quality assurance training for department heads in 2021 and beyond.

Fostering a quality assurance mindset among all employees

Coinciding with Quality Month in November 2020, the President, the Executive Ofcer for RC and the Executive Ofcer for Quality Assurance issued messages for all Group employees about the importance of quality assurance. Training via e-learning was conducted as well, further raising awareness on the subject for employees. This is slated to continue in 2021 and beyond as well.

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