At Chukoh Kasei, we contribute to our customers' businesses through the processing of high-performance plastics, including fluoroplastic.
Many of our products and services are essential to our customers' business activities, and if the supply of these products were to be disrupted, the impact on our customers would be significant. Therefore, we are working on BCP measures based on the basic policies of "product supply," "preservation of information systems," and "ensuring the safety of employees" who are responsible for these operations.
Product availability
Decentralization of manufacturing bases- Our domestic manufacturing bases are five factories in Matsuura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, and one factory in Kanuma City, Tochigi Prefecture, but both locations are considered to be places with extremely low probability of occurrence on the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's earthquake prediction map. We are currently building a backup system for manufacturing at our Chinese factory in case of unforeseen circumstances, not limited to earthquakes, that affect the operation of our domestic factories.
Diversification of raw material procurement- We are diversifying the raw materials used for some products. We are verifying whether alternative raw materials are possible to replace current products in terms of user specifications and product characteristics. We are also diversifying the purchasing routes for raw materials. This will ensure stable procurement of raw materials in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
Securing raw materials and product inventory- We are increasing our inventory of raw materials that are expected to be difficult to procure due to disasters, etc. We are also increasing our inventory of finished and semi-finished products for some products in anticipation of the possibility of manufacturing becoming difficult.
Earthquake countermeasures for manufacturing facilities- The impact of earthquakes on manufacturing facilities may lead to a decline in the precision and performance of our products. Our factories are located in areas with low earthquake risk, but we have secured and reinforced them against earthquakes just in case.
Ensuring operation of information systems
server- In preparation for the risk of power outages due to disasters, etc., we have relocated our servers to external data centers that have their own power generating facilities. In addition, we have duplicated the servers by installing separate servers as a precaution against server trouble.
Data Network- We have dual data lines, so that even if the main line is disrupted, the second line can be used to continue operating our internal systems.
Audio Network- We have a redundant network by using IP telephones and NTT lines. If a problem occurs with one line, we can use another line to ensure communication. We also provide smartphones to sales staff and managerial staff in case landlines cannot be used due to disasters, etc.
Ensuring employee safety
Office relocation
Fukuoka Office
Tokyo Office
Nagoya Branch
Osaka Branch
Starting with the Fukuoka office (headquarters and Fukuoka branch) in January 2007, the Tokyo office (headquarters and Tokyo branch) and Nagoya branch relocated to their current buildings in January 2011, and the Osaka branch in May 2012. By relocating to buildings with stronger earthquake resistance and disaster prevention measures, we aim to ensure the safety of our employees and the continuity of our business activities in the event of a disaster.
Safety confirmation system
In the Tokyo office, we have introduced a system that allows employees to check their safety by mobile phone when an earthquake occurs. This system also allows employees and their families to check their safety at the same time, which is thought to help reduce the psychological burden on employees. We plan to introduce this system to all business locations.
Preparation of emergency supplies
In preparation for the unlikely event of a disaster, our Tokyo office and other sales bases stockpile enough food and water for employees to survive for three days, as well as disaster prevention supplies such as medicines, helmets, batteries, etc. We also distribute pocket BCPs to employees working in the Tokyo office to inform them of actions to take in the event of an earthquake, evacuation sites, and contact methods.
Safety measures for fixtures
We have taken measures to prevent damage to furniture and fixtures in the event of an earthquake, such as securing cabinets and multifunction printers and preventing glass from scattering in windows and doors.
Our Tokyo office has developed a business continuity plan through the Tokyo BCP Development Support Project.
Expected risk: Earthquake directly beneath Tokyo (M7.3, seismic intensity 6+)
