NITE Annual Report on Product Safety(FY2005)
1. Accident Information Collection System of NITE
The National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) collects accident information on
consumer products under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
such as “Home electrical appliances”, “Combustion appliances”, “Vehicles”, “Leisure items”,“Baby products”, etc. every year in relation to:1) accidents causing human injury2) accidents causing property damage with a high probability of causing human injury3) defective products with a high probability of causing human injury

2. Accident Information Collection System and number of collected information
cases
NITE seeks to collect exhaustive accident information by receiving daily information fromsources including consumers, consumer affairs centers nationwide, administrative agencies,
manufacturers, importers and distributors, as well as by establishing a system to acquire daily
accident reports from nationwide on newspapers and the Internet.
The following chart shows the breakdown by information source in FY2005. Information fromthe press was the main source of information for our system, accounting for about 65% of the total;
a 55% increase from the previous year. The increment is attributed to the following; productsafety emerging as a social issue after a series of fatal and non-fatal accidents involving defective
automatic doors, swing rides, vehicles, etc.; increased media coverage, especially of carbon
monoxide poisoning incidents caused by kerosene fan heaters, in relation to which the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry consequently issued an emergency order based on section 82 of theConsumer Product Safety Law in November 2005; increased numbers of accidents related to snow
plows after heavy snowfalls between December 2005 and February 2006.
The second greatest information source was manufacturers, accounting for 19.4% of the total; a
47% decrease from the previous year. The decrease is attributed to the fact that there were fewer
frequent cases reported involving particular products of specific manufacturers in FY2005
compared to FY2004 when the number of accident reports from businesses rose substantially, partly
due to corporate ethics being recognized as a social problem due to manufacturers hiding accidents.
Proportions of information from other sources are; Local governments including fire departments(6.6%) and Consumer affairs centers (4.6%). The number of information cases from these twosources increased by 75% and 30% respectively from the previous year.

Manufacturers

575

Ratio
(year on year)
19.4% (-47%)

Local governments (including Fire Dep.)

194

6.6% (+75%)

Consumer affairs centers

136

4.6% (30%)

National institutions

46

1.6% (-43%)

Consumers

41

1.4% (-15%)

Others44

1.5% (-21%)

Information Source

Number of accidents

Subtotal
Press monitoring
Total

1,036

35.1% (-30%)

1,916

64.9% (+55%)

2,952

100.0% (+8%)

Note: Multiple newspaper information on the same incident is counted as one incident.

As of June 15, 2006, the net number of accidents was 2,413 when duplication and unrelated
information were excluded. The breakdown of the accident information by product category is
shown below.
Combustion appliances ranked top, accounting for about 44% of all, an 86% increase from theprevious year. The increased media exposure of accidents involving these appliances is thought toraise social awareness of product safety, and thus, urge manufacturers to report the accidents.
Such exposure includes an emergency order issued in FY2005 under Article 82 of the Consumer
Products Safety Law, in relation to accidents involving kerosene fan heaters; and carbon monoxide
poisoning incidents caused by instant gas water heaters.
“Home electrical appliances” (36%) and “Vehicles/vehicle related products” (9%) followed;
both decreased by 9% and 37% respectively.
(Table 2: FY2005 Collected accident information by product category)
Product classification
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

No. ofaccidents

Ratio (year on year)

Combustion appliancesHome electrical appliances
Vehicles/vehicle related products

1,055
860
204

43.7% (+86%)
35.7% (-9%)
8.5% (-37%)

Furniture/home products
Personal products
Leisure products
Kitchen and table appliances
Health and sanitary products
Textile products
Baby products
Others
Total

102
75
61
23
19
8
6
0
2,413

4.2% (+85%)
3.1% (-21%)
2.5% (+56%)
1.0% (-4%)
0.8% (-63%)
0.3% (100%)
0.2% (-68%)
0%100% (+14%)(*Excluding duplicated or unrelated information)

3. Further Investigation of the Accidents
I.

Accident investigation status
Investigations are conducted into all the collected accident information cases to clarify thecircumstances of accidents. NITE initially collects detailed information on accidents throughtelephone interviews with information providers or involved parties, or in writing, or by visiting
the people involved.
In addition, on-site investigations are proactively implemented into the causes for accidents withthe possibility of frequent occurrence, and accidents related to the violation of technical standards
among serious accidents that led to death, serious injury or fire.
In FY2005, NITE conducted on-site investigations for 40 serious cases including an accidental
fire caused by kerosene leaked from a kerosene water heater, and fire breaking out in the vicinityof an electric heater, etc.
NITE investigations also verified products which supposedly caused accidents in 265 cases.
Such accidents include short-circuits of hair dryers’ internal wiring; accidental burns caused by hotwater from gas-fired bath boilers; accidental fires involving electrically heated sheets for melting

snow.
Once the manufacturer and the model are identified through investigations, NITE forwards
accident information to the manufacturers, and instructs these manufacturers to submit reports on
the cause of the accident and preventive measures, and further, carries out exchanges of views withthe manufacturers when needed to prevent accidents from occurring or recurring.
The following chart shows the status of investigation conducted by NITE in FY2005.
On-site investigation /Accidental productConducted on-site investigation

40 cases

Obtained the actual product which had caused accident

265 cases

Manufacturer of product

Identified by report from manufacturer

448 cases

Identified through investigation by NITE

515 cases

II.
Further investigation of accidents requiring special attention
NITE adopts the system to check the investigation progress to take appropriate actions against
the following accident cases: serious accidents that may cause death, severe injury and fire,
frequent accidents caused by same model of products, accidents related to technical standard
violation and accidents which would require strong need for preventive measures.
The following chart indicates some of the representative cases of investigations performed by
NITE in FY2005, including fatal carbon monoxide poisoning cases caused by kerosene fanheaters, frequent product damages caused by electric heaters, a serious case caused by a dangling
switch cord for a fluorescent light, a fire caused by the residual flames of a disposable cigarette
lighter, accidental burns caused by a PET bottle fed steam humidifier, a ruptured of electric water
heater, a fire from a dishwasher/drier, and a frequently occurring case involving smoke emittingfrom the intermediate switch of an electric foot warming table (kotatsu), etc.
Name of productFF-type kerosene fanheater<Serious andfrequent case>Electric heater<frequent case>

Investigation summary
A series of carbon monoxide incidents
caused by kerosene fan heaters resulting
in 2 fatalities and 7 severe/minor injuries
were reported.
The causes were deduced as follows:
The long-term use of the heater
deteriorated the surface of the secondary
rubber-made air pipe, which was twisted
during installation, and the structure
accelerated ozone-aided oxidization in theheated environment, and eventually,
cracks developed into the openings.
Exhaust gas containing carbon monoxide
under some conditions flowed backward
and leaked through the openings.
A user of halogen heater noticed that theglass heater tube was whitened. When theuser turned off the heater, the tube
suddenly bust and burnt the carpet andfloor. The accident cause was deduced to
be a manufacturing failure of the glass
tube due to defective materials, etc. The
company could not be reached at theregistered address and were later found tohave been declared bankrupt by the
Tokyo District Court on March 22, 2004.

Remedies
The manufacturer recalled,withdrew, examined or repaired 25
models of products with identicalconfigurations, and undertook to fully
inform consumers of the risks inresponse to an emergency orderissued by METI on November 29,
2005, based on Article §82 of theConsumer Product Safety Law.

The importer placed anannouncement in newspapers issued
on February 11, 2004 and provided
inspection and repair services free ofcharge.
Currently, the voluntary inspection
and repair services have been
discontinued after the Tokyo District
Court declared the company bankrupt.
NITE urged consumers to discontinueuse of uncorrected products in NITE
Alerts issued on April 28 andDecember 1, 2005.

Lighting apparatus:
Fluorescent light<Serious case>

Disposable cigarette
lighter<Serious case>

Kerosene water
heater<Frequent case>

Steam humidifier<Accident requiring
special attention>

When a child pulled the cord of thelighting apparatus, a metal part of the cord
was stretched and snapped from its baseand hit her right eye, damaging the lens.
Investigations were conducted on thecircumstances of the accident, structure of
the attachment for the switch, design,
strength against pulling force, and thenumber of similar accidents, etc. It waspresumed that the accident was caused by
the girl playing with the cord from her
bed. A strong force was applied to thecord, and the s-shape metal ring attached
to it was torn loose and pierced thevictim’s eye.
The accident was reported as follows: auser put a disposable cigarette lighter on a
bed after using it, the lighter made aclicking sound and the bedspread andspring mattress caught fire.
The investigation revealed that theignition lever and guide area were melted,
thus the lever could not return to its
original position. When NITE checked
similar products with similar problems,
the guides were curved or were burred.
Therefore the cause of the accident was
assumed as follows; the ignition levercaught on those obstacles and wasprevented from returning to its original
position completely, and the flame was
not properly extinguished.
A fire broke out at a kerosene-fired
water heater placed outside a residence. It
was found that the O-ring, used forsealing the outer electromagnetic pumpwith regulating valve, had insufficientmargin for sealing size. The heatgenerated at the electromagnetic pump
and/or the combustion heat accelerated
shrinkage of the O-ring. As the sizes ofparts varied, some products had
inadequate sealing capability, and theleaked kerosene infiltrated the combustion
chamber from the flange part of the heatexchanger, and caught fire and burned thewater heater.
A child sustained a burnt elbow when
hot water flowed out of a PET bottle fed
steam humidifier which was tipped over.
Considering that the humidifier wasplaced next to the pillow, and that arollover test confirmed the structural
stability of the product at 10 degrees, theaccident was deduced to have been caused
when the product was tipped over when
the child rolled over, and consequently,
hot water spilled out.
The user manual indicates that infants

Although this accident might be due
to insufficient supervision by thechild’s caregivers, the manufacturer
re-designed the s-shape ring for safety
so that the ring would stay on the
body and only its cord would be
detached when it was pulled withforce.

The manufacturer discontinued
sales, as well as placed
announcements on its website andnewspapers issued on June 10, 2005,of withdrawal of the products.

The manufacturer placed
announcements in newspapers on
October 24, 2002, June 2 and July 22,
2003, and offered inspections andrepairs of the relevant products free ofcharge. As a preventive measure for
O-ring deterioration, the manufacturer
has replaced the NBR, the material of
O-rings, with fluoro-rubber, which isdeemed chemically stable, for theelectromagnetic pump attached to thecontrol valve.

The importer took no measures forthe following reasons; there was noother accident report of the kind; theimporter had already discontinued
import and sales of the concerned
products; the accident was considered
to be due to insufficient supervisionby the caregiver.
Additional alerts will be placed on
the product, warning not to use theproduct on the floor.

Electric water heater<serious case>

Dishwasher/drier<Serious case>Electric kotatsu*(Intermediate switch)<Frequent case>*Foot warming tablewith coverlet

must always be attended when using the
product, and that the product should beplaced on a flat space 0.5-1 meter above
the floor level.
An electric water heater burst, and thetank was blown vertically into the air,damaging the eaves of the first andsecond floors of a residence. The accident
cause was deduced as follows; the water
heater had not been used for four years
and had no water supply, but the electricalsupply had remained active. The residual
water in the tank was decomposed by theelectric current of the anticorrosion
circuit, producing hydrogen gas andoxygen gas. During prolonged disuse,
the volume of accumulated gas increased,
and at the same time, the water level inthe tank dropped, which resulted in sparks
discharging between the protection
electrode and the residual water, whichconsequently ignited gas and blew up thetank.
An accident was reported in which adishwasher/drier in a kitchen ignited andburned a sink and a fluorescent light.
The cause of the accident was deduced
as follows; water leakage from a feedwater valve led to the accumulation of dirt
and suds in the fan and heater area,slowing down the rotating speed of thefan. The surrounding plastics weremelted by the overheated heater, andsubsequently generated smoke andignited.
While an electric kotatsu was in use, theintermediate switch emitted smoke, and apart of the melted back side adhered to thecoverlet.
The accident cause was deduced to besome excessive grease, applied to the
movable parts of intermediate switches
that showed poor switching action during
production. The grease, reached thecontact part, triggered a contact failure,and generated heat which melted the resinat the switch part.

The manufacturer alerted consumers
to exercise caution with regards to
products that have not been used forextended periods through anannouncement placed in newspapers
on July 31, 1997.
The manufacturer has also been
conducting a door-to-door inspection
for users of the relevant products.
Since 1989, stainless steel, which
requires no electrolytic protection
system, has been used for theseproducts.

The manufacturer placed anannouncement in newspapers on July
10, 2003 as well as on its website, andconducted inspections and repairs freeof charge. The company also
reviewed the manufacturing processof the feed water valve nut, andimplemented thorough checks toensure tightening.

The manufacturer placed
announcements in newspapers dated
April 20 and December 13, 2005, andconducted inspection/repairs of theswitch free of charge.
The manufacturer also provided the
distributors with posters and leaflets
to notify consumers of the hazard.

Investigation on products
III.
NITE looks into all collected accident information and conducts accident information processing
tests or market monitoring tests to identify the causes when these accidents; require clarification of thecause of accidents; have uncertain origins; or have a high probability of frequent occurrence.
Also, NITE has been attempting to establish an appropriate environment to expedite investigations
by implementing tests to develop techniques for identifying causes of accidents when such methods
have not been developed or the necessary basic data is not fully available.
The test results are distributed to information providers, related government institutions andindustry organizations. NITE utilizes the results of investigations for technical development, andoffers these techniques to related testing organizations.
Examples of product safety tests performed in FY2005 are listed below.
Test case
Bicycle (foldable)

Outline of accident and test objectives
While riding a bicycle home fromwork, the pipe underneath the seatsuddenly broke and caused the user tohave an accident. NITE investigated thecause of the frame pipe breakage.

Kerosene fan heater

A fire broke out at the air outlet of a
fan heater when a user pressed thelighting button after cleaning a fan witha function contained in the product. The
fire was put out by a fire extinguisher.
NITE has investigated the cause.

Laminating machine

A user suffered sore throat and eyes
when laminating for the first time after
purchase in an air-conditioned 8-tatami
mat sized room with a window closed.
A Java sparrow was found dead about 2
meters away from the machine, and an
air purifier kept operating in high powermode for several hours. NITE hascollected the volatile component (VOC)
diffused when using laminatingmachine, and investigated into theaccident cause.

Gloves made of vinyl
chlorideA user suffered allergic contact
dermatitis caused by gloves made ofvinyl chloride. Chemical substanceswere extracted from the product, and theaccident cause was investigated.

Test results and remedies
Analysis using the Finite Element
Method and a fractographic study
revealed that the point of fracture, awelded part, was where the stress wasconcentrated. Cracks were formed byexternal forces that further developed thefatigue damage, and consequently
fractured the pipe in a relatively shorttime. The cause of breakage, however,
was not identified in the test for there
were no indications of defects (1) inmaterial components and strength, (2) inthe equivalent product when vibration
tested. No significant differences wereobserved in welding conditions between
the accident product and the equivalent.
Reproduction tests under various
conditions confirmed that raw gas could
come out when cleaning the heater withthe fuel tank full, and the gas penetrated
through the accumulated dust. The dust
was confirmed to ignite when lighting inthis condition, and burn with flame as in
the actual accident.
The diffused VOC was measured, and27 substances were deducted. Of thesubstances for which indicator values are
set by the Ministry of Health, Labor andWelfare (MHLW), formaldehyde, styrene
and xylene were detected in relatively
significant volumes. When compared, theestimate concentration was less than the
MHLW values assuming that the
diffusion was made evenly in a room thesame size as the scene of the accident
without considering ventilation. TVOC
concentration was 160% of the indicatorvalue. After aging for an hour, thevolumes of the diffused substances
dropped by half, and the number ofsubstances dropped to 15. It was
confirmed that the product emitted
hazardous substances including formalin;
however there was no definite indicationof adverse health effects.
Chemical substances were extracted fromthe products. After separation andrefinement of the extracted substances, apatch test was conducted to identify thechemical structure and the name of theallergen.

PVC desk pad

Following incidents in which users
suffered allergic contact dermatitis,
NITE investigated the accident cause by
extracting chemical substances from the
PVC desk pad.

FF (Forced Flue) typekerosene fan heater

After a series of fatal and serious
poisoning incident caused by carbon
monoxide leaking from kerosene fanheaters, NITE investigated the causes of
the carbon monoxide leaks.

Hair dryer

A hair dryer emitted sparks from theair outlet, which singed some of theuser’s hair. NITE has investigated theaccident cause.

Chemical substances were extracted
from the products. After separation andrefinement of the extracted substances, apatch test was conducted to identify thechemical structure and the name of theallergen.
During the prolonged use, cracks
developed to form a hole on the flexedsurface of the second air hose wherestresses remained from installation. It wasaffected by oxidized substances in theambient atmosphere such as ozone, andheat accelerated the reaction. The
combustion exhaust containing carbon
monoxide presumably flowed backward
and leaked from the combustion chamber
through the hole.
The accident cause was deduced asfollows;
1) The internal wiring contacted a heaterwire.
2) The heat from the heater wire melted
the insulator of the internal wiring tocause a short-circuit.
3) A part of the heater cord was blown
away and burned the user’s hair.

(Investigation to develop techniques for identifying causes of accidents performed in FY2005)
Theme
Investigation objectives
Summary
Verification to
The cell size method (CS method), theThe investigation verified the followings;
improve the method of estimation method that NITE developed 1) The conventional method calculates thevolume of short-circuit trace greater than
discriminating
for temperature of formation of thethe new method by specific gravity (SGshort-circuit trace ofprimary and the second short-circuit
method).
electric cord
trace of electric cords, conventionally2) The SG method can measure evencalculates the volume from thecross-section size. By this method, the irregular melting traces.
3) The temperatures obtained by SG
calculated volumes are approximate
values, thus may affect the estimation of method were roughly consistent in the
primary and the second estimates. The CS
temperature. Presented at a recent firescience and engineering conference, the method is prone to underestimate
temperatures.
accuracy would be improved by
4) The SG method is not applicable toestimating the volumes by the specificsignificantly surface-oxidized traces.
gravity. NITE has verified this new
method.

4. Analysis of the Investigation Results and Accident Trends
I.

Analysis of investigation results
The investigation results are analyzed and evaluated from a technical perspective by “Accident
cause analysis working groups (Technology groups)”. The results, together with the investigation
results by NITE, are to be reviewed by the “Accident Trend Committee” for the final results.
Further, in FY2005, a Sub-committee and the Review Group were established to thoroughly
investigate the cause of specific cases.

(1) Accident Trend Committee
NITE has established the “Accident Trend Committee” comprised of academic experts andconsumer groups to conduct fair and impartial examinations of the investigation results.
After investigating accident causes and preventive measures, the Committee implements
comprehensive discussion and analysis of the accident trend based on the technical analysis andevaluation conducted by Technology groups.
(2) Accident cause engineering analysis working groups (Technology groups)
Accidents are investigated, technically analyzed and evaluated by the following four “Accident
cause analysis working groups” composed of third parties such as academic experts andintellectuals, offering suggestions from the viewpoint of expertise.
Technology groups
Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Chemicals/Physical
Impediment

Product Misuse

Job descriptions
 Accident analysis and evaluation of investigation results /prevention measures for smoke emission and ignition accidents
caused by electric appliances including TVs, air conditioners,
refrigerators and domestic wiring.
 Advising on tests conducted by NITE and evaluating the results.
 Accident analysis and evaluation of investigation results /prevention measures for accidents caused by broken bicycles, fire
accidents caused by combustion appliances such as kerosene
heaters and bath boilers.
 Advising on tests conducted by NITE and evaluating the results.
 Accident analysis and evaluation of investigation results /prevention measures for accidents caused by personal items suchas gas lighter, and skin lesions including allergies, caused bychemicals contained in rubber gloves or clothes.
 Evaluation of investigation results conducted by manufacturers
and preventive measures. Advising on tests conducted by NITE
and evaluating the results.
 Analysis of accidents allegedly caused by misuse or negligence toverify the mechanism of occurrence, current state of the products
and future prospects, etc.
 Advising on tests conducted by NITE.

(3) Sub-committee and Review GroupIn FY2005, NITE newly established a Sub-committee and a Review Group underneath it tothoroughly investigate the causes of specific cases.
In FY2005, following a series of carbon monoxide poisoning accidents involving kerosene fanheaters, the Sub-committee and the Review Group verified the risks of equivalent products, andfurther, of other manufacturers’ products.

II.
Results of Investigations in FY2005(1) Accident Information Classified by Causes
The table below shows accident information classified by causes for which investigations werecompleted in FY 2005. Investigations for 1,756 accident information cases were completed; 38
cases collected in FY2003, 865 in FY2004, 853 in FY2005.
Causes of Accidents
Accidents Caused by ProductA : Accidents supposedly caused by problems of design,
manufacturing process, labeling, etc.

2003

2004

2005

3

205

183

3

173

144

B : Accidents supposedly caused by defective products, and affected

0

15

11

0

17

28

18

440

439

2

37

20

E : Accidents mainly due to misuse or negligence

11

376

399

F : Other accidents not caused by products

5

27

20

17

220

231

17

220

231

38

865

853

by use conditions
C : Accidents supposedly caused by performance degradation due toextended periods after manufacturing and long duration of operation
Accidents not caused by products
D : Accidents supposedly caused by improper installation, repair
work, handling during transportation, etc.

Accidents caused by unknown factors
G : Unidentified cause

Total(2) Accident Information Classified by Products and Causes
The following table shows accident information cases collected in FY2005 according to products
and accident causes. “Home electrical appliances (340 cases)” was the top accident cause. 122
cases (about 36%) accounted for “Accidents caused by product”, while 103 cases were “Accidents
not caused by products” which is about 30 percent of the total accidents related to “Home electricalappliances.” 83 cases or 81% of “Accidents not caused by products” were due to “Misuse or
negligence”, which is about 24 percent of the total accidents related to “Home electricalappliances.” There were also 115 cases, or 34%, for which accident causes were unidentified due
to lack of sufficient in-depth information.
“Combustion appliances” ranked second with 278 cases attributable to “Accidents not caused byproducts”, or about 85% of the total accidents of the kind (326 cases), while only 4 cases (about1%) were “Accidents caused by products.” “Misuse or negligence (266 cases)” is the mostfrequent cause (96%) of “Accidents not caused by products.”(Accident information classified by products and causes)
Note: Showing 853 cases completed in FY 2005 among 2,413 accident information collected in FY2005.
Caused by productNot caused by product

Unidentified

Accident cause
Product

A

B

C

Subtotal(1) Home
electricalappliances

89

10

23

122

(2) Kitchen andtable appliances

6

1

0

(3) Combustion
appliances

3

0

(4)
Furniture/home
products

3(5)
Vehicle/vehicle
related(6) Personal
products

Dsubtotal

Total

E

F

G

6

83

14

103

115

340

7

0

2

0

2

0

9

1

4

11

266

1

278

44

326

0

1

4

0

6

0

6

4

14

18

0

0

18

3

18

2

23

51

92

16

0

1

17

0

11

0

11

7

35

(7) Health andsanitary products

1

0

0

1

0

4

(8) Leisureproducts

8

0

2

10

0

9

(9) Baby
products

0

0

0

0

0

0

(10) Textile
products

0

0

0

0

0

Total

14
4

11

28

183

20

0

4

1

6

12

6

28

0

0

2

2

0

0

0

1

1

399

20

439

231

853

(3) Injuries and Damages
The table below shows the extent of damage classified by accident causes.
Among “Accidents caused by products”, 33 cases involved bodily injuries including one serious
injury but no fatalities. The serious accident involved a woman who sustained a fractured coccyx
from falling on her bottom when the “folding chair” she was sitting on broke at the connection of
the support pipe and the leg part. Meanwhile, there were 145 cases involving damaged properties(product breakage and extended damage) only.
146 cases of “Accidents not caused by products” involved bodily injuries including 48 severe
injuries (fatalities/serious injuries) while 292 cases damaged properties only. Human injuries aremostly caused by “Misuse or negligence”, which triggered 31 fatalities and 15 serious injuries.
Fatal accidents were mainly caused by; fires from “Gas cooking stoves” while cooking; fires while
using “Combustion appliances” such as “Kerosene heaters”, “Electric heaters”, “Electric
kotatsu*”, falls from “Stepladders”, while swimming with “Snorkel”, etc. Serious injuries werecaused by fires while using “Kerosene heaters”, or “Electric heaters”, unfastened drawstrings of“Lighting apparatus”, prolonged skin contact with “Foot warmers”, etc.
(*Foot warming table with coverlet)(Accident information classified by injuries or damages as of June 11, 2006)
Showing 853 cases completed in FY 2005, among 2,413 accident information collected in the same year.
Accident cause

Caused by productDamage

A

B

C

Death

0
0
29
29
65
46
111
4
144

0
0
0
0
10
0
10
1
11

0
1
3
4
12
12
24
0
28

Serious injury
Minor injury
Subtotal
Extended damage
Product breakage
Subtotal
No damage
Total

Subtotal

Unidentified
G

33
15
98
146
263
29
292
1
439

23
11
40
74
105
51
156
1
231

Not caused by productSubtotal

0
1
32
33
87
58
145
5
183

D

E

0
0
4
4
10
5
15
1
20

31
15
92
138
240
21
261
0
399

F

2
0
2
4
13
3
16
0
20

Total
56
27
170
253
455
138
593
7
853

(Categories by cause of accident)
A: Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling, etc.
B: Defective products, and affected by use conditions
C: Performance degradation due to extended periods after manufacturing and long duration of operation
D: Improper installation, repair work, handling during transportation, etc.
E: Misuse or negligence
F: Other accidents not caused by products
G: Unidentified

The table below shows the extent of damage classified by product categories.
More human injuries were observed in FY2005 compared to the previous year in the productcategories of “Combustion appliances”, “Home electrical appliances”, “Furniture/home products”,“Leisure products” and “Textile products.” Notably, the number of fatal accidents caused by“Combustion appliances” increased by 160% from the previous year. This is attributed to theincreased number of collected fire accident information cases. Human injuries caused by fires
involving “Home electrical appliances” such as “Electric heater”, “Electric kotatsu”, etc. increasedby 95%. Also, human injuries caused by “Furniture/home appliances” increased by 139%. The
increment is attributed to frequent accidents involving “Snow plows” or “Ladders” while clearing
snow due to heavy snowfall in 2006. “Leisure products” resulted in a 96% increment in human
injuries due to an increased number of snorkel accidents. “Textile products” also showed asubstantial increment of 133% in human injuries, which is due to a series of skin lesions reported
to NITE caused by “Stockings.”(Accident information classified by products and damages)
Note: Showing 2,413 accident information collected in FY2005
Human injuries

DamageProduct
Home electrical appliances
Kitchen and table appliances
Combustion appliances
Furniture/home products
Vehicle/vehicle related
Personal products
Health and sanitary products
Leisure products
Baby products
Textile products
Total

12
(50%)
0

Serious
injury26(117%)
1(▼75%)
39(70%)
45(221%)
7(▼63%)
5(▼29%)
2(0%)
11(120%)
01

0278(128%)

136
(58%)

Death
75
(150%)
0156(160%)
11(267%)
18(▼5%)
5(150%)
0Minor
injury
102
(65%)
8
(33%)
257
(90%)
30
(58%)
46
(▼36%)
33(10%)
8(▼58%)
24(118%)
3(▼79%)
6(100%)
517(39%)

No human injuries
Subtotal
203
(95%)
9
(▼10%)
452(107%)
86(139%)
71(▼35%)
43(10%)
10(▼52%)
47(96%)
3(▼79%)
7(133%)
931(61%)

Product
breakage
132(▼68%)
7(▼30%)
21(▼49%)
11(0%)
108(▼46%)
16(▼58%)
0No
damage

Total

3
(0%)
1
(▼50%)
8(▼53%)
009(▼25%)
1(▼67%)
1

3(200%)
1(▼50%)
0

1,160
(53%)

306
(▼60%)

16(▼43%)

860
(▼9%)
23
(▼4%)
1,055
(86%)
102
(85%)
204
(▼37%)
75(▼21%)
19(▼63%)
61(56%)
6(▼68%)
8(100%)
2,413(14%)

Extendeddamage522(24%)
6(200%)
574(97%)
5(▼38%)
25(79%)
16(▼11%)
9(125%)
2
(0%)
1

0
0
0

*Numbers in parentheses are year-on-year ratios.
*”Serious injury” means injury requiring one month or more to heal.
*”Extended damage” means property damage beyond product breakage.

(4) Preventive measures
The table below shows the preventive measures taken for “Accidents caused by products” out of
the 1,756 accident information cases for which investigations were completed in FY2005.
Of the 391 cases of “Accidents caused by products”, preventive measures have been taken for359 cases, or about 92 percent, by manufacturers.
The remaining 8% consist of cases for which no particular preventive measures could be
implemented because manufacturers, etc, could not be identified due to fire damage, etc, andincidents caused by deteriorated products now rarely seen in market for which no other accident
information has been collected.
As preventive measures, 58 manufacturers (total 209 cases) of the involved products placedcompany announcements in newspapers and/or on their websites, and conducted recall andreplacement programs. Other accidents are supposedly due to incidental defects, problems oflabeling or misuse, therefore, the relevant manufacturers have taken preventive measures such aspromoting consumer awareness through their websites or posters displayed in retailers, improving
manufacturing process, enhancing quality control or improving instruction manuals and labeling.
(Preventive measures taken for accidents caused by product defects)
Information
Collected in

Investigation completed
in FY2005

FY2003
FY2004
FY2005Total

III.

No. of accident information
Caused by product defectPreventive measures
taken

38
865
853
1,756

3
205
183
391

2
192
165
359

Accident Trends over the Last Three Years(1) Numbers of collected accident information by information source
The following table is the breakdown of number of the accident information casescollected by
NITE in the last three years. They were; 2,124 in FY2003, 2,721 in FY2004, and 2,952 in
FY2005.
The numbers of collected information cases have been increasing each year. In FY2005,
information from “Press monitoring” jumped up to 1,916 from 1,237, an increase of about 55% or
679 cases from the previous year. Other increased sources are; “Local government (including fire
departments)” (from 111 to 194) and “Consumer affairs centers” (from 105 to 136). On the other
hand, information from “Manufacturers” dropped to 575 from 1,084, a decrease of about 47% or
509 cases.
The significant increment of information from “Press monitoring” in FY2005 is supposedly
attributed to the increased media coverage on safety issues such as carbon monoxide poisoning
caused by kerosene fan heaters, as well as frequent accident cases involving “Snow plows” or“Ladders” during snow removal due to heavy snowfall in 2006.
The number of information cases from “Manufacturers” in FY2005 decreased from the previous
year. This is attributed to the fact that there were fewer frequent cases reported involving
particular products of specific manufacturers in FY2005 compared to FY2004, when the number ofaccidents reported from businesses rose substantially partly due to corporate ethics being
recognized as a social problem due to manufacturers hiding accidents.
(Number of collected accident information by source, as of June 15, 2006)
Information source
Manufacturers
Local governments(including Fire Dept.)
Consumer affairs
centers
National institutions
Consumers
OthersSubtotalPress monitoring
Total

FY2003
No. ofComponent
ratio
accidents

FY2004
No. ofComponent
accidents
ratio

FY2005
No. ofComponent
accidents
ratio

573

27.0%

1,084

39.8%

575

19.4%

122

5.7%

111

4.0%

194

6.6%

102

4.8%

105

3.9%

136

4.6%

140
32
81
1,050
1,074
2,124

6.6%
1.5%
3.9%
49.5%
50.5%
100.0%

80
48
56
1,484
1,237
2,721

2.9%
1.8%
2.1%
54.5%
45.5%
100.0%

46
41
44
1,036
1,916
2,952

1.6%
1.4%
1.5%
35.1%
64.9%
100.0%

The net numbers of accidents were 1,594 in FY2003, 2,124 in FY2004 and 2,413 in FY2005
when duplications and unrelated information are excluded. (as of June 15, 2006)
In FY2005, the number of reports on “Combustion appliances” ranked top followed by “Homeelectrical appliances”, which had accounted for the most until FY2004. This reversal is
supposedly due to increased media coverage of combustion appliance accidents in conjunction
with the issuance of the emergency order by the Minister in relation to such products in FY2005.
(Number of collected accident information by product category)
FY2003
No. ofComponent
ratio
accidents

Information source
Home electrical
625
39.2%
appliances
Kitchen and table24
1.5%
appliances
Combustion appliances
541
33.9%
Furniture/home
65
4.1%
products
Vehicles/vehicle
155
9.7%
related products
Personal products
77
4.8%
Health and sanitary20
1.3%
products
Leisure products
29
1.8%
Baby products
49
3.1%
Textile products
9
0.6%
Others
0
0.0%
Total
1,594
100.0%*The numbers exclude duplicated or irrelevant information.

FY2004
No. ofComponent
accidents
ratio

FY2005
No. ofComponent
accidents
ratio

944

44.4%

860

35.7%

24

1.1%

23

1.0%

567

26.7%

1,055

43.7%

55

2.6%

102

4.2%

326

15.4%

204

8.5%

95

4.5%

75

3.1%

51

2.4%

19

0.8%

39
19
4
0
2,124

1.8%
0.9%
0.2%
0.0%
100.0%

61
6
8
0
2,413

2.5%
0.2%
0.3%
0.0%
100.0%(2) The Top 10 Items in the Last Three Years
The following table indicates the top ten items causing accidents reported in the last three years
from FY2003 to FY2005. “DC (direct current) power supply equipment” was the No.1 cause of
accidents in FY2003; however the number of accidents caused by such products decreased every
year, down drastically from 163 in FY2003 to 45 in FY2005. This was due to the decreased
number of reports of fire and smoke incidents caused by battery chargers of a particular
manufacturer, whose cases accounted for 90% of accidents categorized in “DC power supply
equipment.”“Gas cooking stoves”, “Kerosene heaters”, “Electric heaters” and “Four wheel vehicles” arealways in the top 5 every year, and in particular, the number of accidents caused by “Gas cooking
stoves” and “Kerosene heaters” has doubled. This was due to substantially increased newspaper
coverage of the products in FY2005.
On the other hand, the number of accidents concerning “Electric heaters” was nearly halved in
FY2005 compared to the previous year, thanks to the reduced number of accident reports
attributable to the product defects of a particular manufacturer, which was a frequent case in
FY2004. Still, the number of accidents remains a little more than triple that of FY2003, andremains in the higher ranks on the list.
The greater part of accident information cases concerning “Four wheel vehicles” was related tovehicle fire.
New entries to the top 10 list are “Woodstoves” and “Wood-fired bath boilers.” This was due tothe increased media coverage of these products in the same way as the above mentioned “Gascooking stoves” and “Kerosene heaters.”

FY2003

FY2004

FY2005(Total: 1,594 cases)(Total: 2,124 cases)(Total: 2,413 cases)

Item

#of

Ratio

Cases

(%)

Item

#of

Ratio

Cases

(%)

#of

Ratio

Cases

(%)

Item

DC power supply
equipment

163

10.2

Electric heater

348

16.4

Gas cooking stove

407

16.9

Gas cooking stove

152

9.5

Gas cooking stove

200

9.4

Kerosene heater

266

11.0

Kerosene heater

126

7.9

Bicycle163

7.7

Electric heater

173

7.1

Four wheel vehicle

89

5.6

Kerosene heater

132

6.2

Four wheel vehicle

120

5.0

Electric heater

50

3.1

Four wheel vehicle

112

5.3

Air conditioner

50

2.1

Subtotal

580

36.3

Subtotal

955

45.0

Subtotal

1,016

42.1

47

3.0

65

3.1

Wood stove

49

2.0

Bicycle36

2.3

Air conditioner

63

2.9

Wiring device(extension cord)

49

2.0

Toy

34

2.1

Color TV41

1.9

Wood bath boiler

46

2.0

38

1.8

45

1.9

Kerosene fan heater

44

1.8

Electric kotatsu*

44

1.8

Subtotal

277

11.5

Disposable cigarette
lighter

DC power supply
equipment

Disposable cigaretteDomestic wiring

29

1.8

Wiring device

DC power supply equlighter

ipmentWiring device
29

38

1.8

(extension cord)

1.8(extension cord)

Subtotal

175

11.0

Subtotal

245

11.5

Total

755

47.3

Total

1,200

56.5

Total
1,293
53.6
*Foot warming table with a coverlet(3) Accident Information classified by causes
The table below shows accident information cases classified by causes in last three years.
Investigations for 4,491 accident information cases out of 6,131 have been completed. “Accidents
caused by products” accounts for about 32%, or 1,457 cases, while about 44% or 1,962 cases were
“Accidents not caused by products.”
Meanwhile, “Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling” accounts for about 89% of thetotal “Accidents caused by products” with 1,290 cases. Among “Accidents not caused byproducts”, “Misuse or negligence” accounts for about 86%, or 1,691 cases.
In previous years, FY2003 saw more “Accidents not caused by products” (about 48%) than“Accidents caused by products” (about 29%), while in FY2004, the proportions of “Accidents
caused by products” (about 40%) and “Accidents not caused by products” (about 37%) were almost
equal.
2003

2004

2005

Total

458

816

183

1,457

A : Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling, etc.

407

739

144

1,290

B : Defective products, and affected by use conditions

25

36

11

72

26

41

28

95

755

768

439

1,962

58

666

20

144

Accident cause
Caused by products

C : Performance degradation due to extended periods after
manufacturing and long duration of operation
Not caused by products
D : Improper installation, repair work, handling during transportation,

etc.
E : Misuse or negligence

637

655

399

1,691

F : Other accidents not caused by products

60

47

20

127

370

471

231

1,072

370

471

231

1,072

1,583

2,055

853

4,491

11

69

1,560

1,640

1.594

2,124

2,413

6,131

Caused by unknown factors
G : Unidentified

Subtotal
Under investigation
Total (*Number of cases which investigation completed as of June 15, 2006)(4) Accident causes by product category
The three tables below show accident causes by product in FY2003, 2004 and 2005.
For accident information cases collected in FY2005, investigations have been completed for
only about 35% of the total, thus in this section, accident causes are observed for those collected in
FY2003 and 2004, for which investigations have been completed.
“Combustion appliances” ranked top in FY2005. According to the tables, “Accidents notcaused by products” (FY2003: 440 cases, 2004: 441 cases) accounts for about 80% of total
combustion appliance accidents (2003: 541, 2004: 567), and about 90% of “Accident not caused
by products” was caused by “Misuse or negligence” (FY2003: 395 cases, 2004: 410 cases).
Meanwhile, “Accidents caused by products” accounts for less than 1% in both 2003 and 2004
(2003: 18 cases, 2004: 28 cases).
“Home electrical appliances” ranked second. “Accidents caused by products” accounts forabout 46% (289 cases) in FY2003 and 58% (551 cases) in 2004 of the total for “Home electricalappliances” (FY2003: 625, 2004: 944), while “Accidents not caused by products” accounts forabout 28% (173 cases) and 20% (185 cases) respectively. FY2004 saw greater number of“Accidents caused by products.” This is attributable to increased reporting from the manufacturer
for a frequent case caused by specific products of a specific manufacturer, and to corporate ethics
being recognized as a social problem due manufacturers hiding accidents.
About a half of “Vehicle/vehicle related products” accidents are due to “Unidentified” causes,with 81 cases out of 155 in FY2003, and 163 cases out of 326 in 2004.

Accidents cause by product category (collected in FY2003*) *as of June 15, 2006
Accident cause
Product category

Caused by productNot caused by product

A

B

C

subtotal(1) Home
electricalappliances

256

18

15

289

(2) Kitchen andtable appliances

10

0

0

(3) Combustion
appliances

90(4) Furniture /home products

31(5) Vehicle /vehicle related

D

Unidentified

subtotalG

Under
investigation

Total

E

F

10

129

34

173

155

8

625

10

0

7

0

7

7

0

24

9

18

37

395

8

440

82

1

541

1

0

32

1

20

2

23

9

1

65

21

4

0

25

10

33

6

49

81

0

155

(6) Personal
products

25

1

0

26

0

22

1

23

27

1

77

(7) Health and

6

0

0

6

0

12

1

13

1

0

20

sanitary products(8) Leisureproducts

5

0

2

7

0

15

2

17

5

0

29

(9) Baby
products

42

1

0

43

0

2

1

3

3

0

49

(10) Textile
products

2

0

0

2

0

2

5

7

0

0

9

Total

407

25

26

458

58

637

60

755

370

11

1,594

Accidents cause by product category (collected in FY2004*) *as of June 15, 2006
Accident cause
Product category

Caused by productNot caused by product

A

B

C

Subtotal

488

28

35

551

(2) Kitchen andtable appliances

7

2

0

(3) Combustion
appliances

220(4) Furniture /home products

17(5) Vehicle /vehicle related

subtotalG

Under
investigation

Total

E

F

36

120

29

185

176

32

944

9

0

5

0

5

6

4

24

6

28

21

410

9

441

83

16

567

1

0

18

2

23

0

25

8

4

55

97

1

0

98

7

47

4

58

163

7

325

(6) Personal
products

46

2

0

48

0

24

0

23

20

3

95

(7) Health andsanitary products

37

1

0

38

0

10

0

10

2

1

51

(8) Leisureproducts

14

1

0

15

0

15

3

18

5

1

39

(9) Baby
products

9

0

0

9

0

1

2

3

6

1

19

(10) Textile
products

2

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

2

0

4

Total

739

36

41

816

66

655

47

768

471

69

2,124

(1) Home
electricalappliances

D

Unidentified(Categories by cause of accident)

A: Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling, etc.
B: Defective products, and affected by use conditions
C: Performance degradation due to extended periods after manufacturing and long duration of operation
D: Improper installation, repair work, handling during transportation, etc.
E: Misuse or negligence
F: Other accidents not caused by products
G: Unidentified

Accidents cause by product category (collected in FY2005*) *as of June 15, 2006
Accident cause

Caused by productNot caused by product

Unidentified

Under

Product category

A

B

C

Subtotal(1) Home
electricalappliances

89

10

23

122

6

83

14

103

115

520

860

(2) Kitchen andtable appliances

6

1

0

7

0

2

0

2

0

14

23

(3) Combustion
appliances

3

0

1

4

11

266

1

278

44

729

1,055

(4) Furniture /home products

3

0

1

4

0

6

0

6

4

88

102

(5) Vehicle /vehicle related

18

0

0

18

3

18

2

23

51

112

204

(6) Personal
products

16

0

1

17

0

11

0

11

7

40

75

(7) Health andsanitary products

1

0

0

1

0

4

0

4

1

13

19

(8) Leisureproducts

8

0

2

10

0

9

3

12

6

33

61

(9) Baby
products

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

4

6

(10) Textile
products

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

7

8

Total

144

11

28

183

20

399

20

439

231

D

E

subtotalF

investigation

G

Total

1,560 2,413(Categories by cause of accident)

A: Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling, etc.
B: Defective products, and affected by use conditions
C: Performance degradation due to extended periods after manufacturing and long duration of operation
D: Improper installation, repair work, handling during transportation, etc.
E: Misuse or negligence
F: Other accidents not caused by products
G: Unidentified

The tables below show the Top 5 items for “Accidents caused by products” and “Accidents
caused by misuse or negligence.”
Many of the top 5 places for “Accidents caused by products” were filled by “Home electricalappliances.” For example, “Electric heaters”, which have been listed in the top 5 for threeconsecutive years with a particularly strong showing in FY2004 when a specific product caused anumber of accidents with as many as 292 cases reported. DC power supply equipment stands out
as the battery chargers for an electric shaver, imported by a specific importer has been causing
accidents (smoke/fire caused by faulty design) since 2000. The number totaled 731 cases as ofJuly 15, 2006. There are other products on the list including “Bicycles”, “Shoes”, “Disposable
cigarette lighters” and “Toys” among others.
(Top 5 Items of “accidents caused by products”)

Item

FY2003

FY2004

FY2005(458 cases)(816 cases)(183 cases)

#of

Ratio

Cases

(%)

Item

#of

Ratio

Cases

(%)

Item

#of

Ratio

Cases

(%)

DC power supply
equipment

160

35.0

Electric heater

292

35.7

DC power supply
equipment

42

22.9

Toy

32

7.0

Bicycle65

8.0Electric heater

11

6.0

Bicycle

18

3.9

65

8.0

Toy

8

4.4

DC power supply
equipment

Electric heater

18

3.9

Shoes

26

3.2 Electric cooking stove8

4.4

Disposal cigarette lighter

15

3.3

Tooth brush

26

3.2

Color TV set

6

3.3

Electric cooking stove

15

3.3

-

Refrigerator

6

3.3

Total

258

56.4

Total

Total

81

44.3

474

58.1

According to the Top 5 items for “Accidents caused by misuse or negligence”, shown below,“Gas cooking stoves” and “Kerosene heaters” have ranked first and second for the last three years.
The number of accident information cases on these two items in particular has increased in
FY2005 in comparison to the previous year.
(Top 5 Items of “accidents caused by misuse or negligence”)
FY2003

FY2004

FY2005(637 cases)(655 cases)(399 cases)

#of

#of

Ratio

Item

Ratio

Item
Cases

#of

Ratio

Cases

(%)

Item

(%)

Cases

(%)

Gas cooking stove

135

21.2

Gas cooking stove

180

27.5

Gas cooking stove

172

43.1

Kerosene heater

104

16.3

Kerosene heater

107

16.4

Kerosene heater

35

8.8

Electric heater

26

4.1

Electric heater

35

5.3

Electric heater

20

5.0

Four wheel vehicle

19

3.0

Four wheel vehicle

28

4.3

Four wheel vehicle

15

3.8

Domestic wiring(Extension cord)

19

3.0

Kerosene bath boiler

25

3.8

Wood fuel bath boiler

13

3.2

Total

303

47.6

Total

375

57.3

Total

255

63.9

(5) Accidents classified by injury or damage
The three tables below show accident information cases classified by injury or damage. NITE
has collected 6,131 accident information cases in the last three years of FY2003, 2004 and 2005.
Among 4,491 cases for which investigations were completed, there were 22 cases (about 0.5%)
involving fatalities or serious injuries due to “Accidents caused by products”, while 291 cases(about 6.5%) were due to “Accidents not caused by products.”
Among the 291 cases of serious “Accidents not caused by products”, 265 cases were caused by“Misuse or negligence”, which accounts for the majority of human injuries. The same trend isobserved each year.
(FY2003 Accident information classified by injury or damage)Showing 1,583 cases completed by end FY 2005, among accident information collected in FY2003.
Accident cause

Caused by productDamage

A

B

C

Death
Serious injury

1
9
91
212

0
1
0
18

0
0
2
13

Minor injury
Extended damage

Subtotal

Unidentified
G

70
50
210
354

31
21
63
163

Not caused by productSubtotal

1
10
93
243

D

E

0
4
8
26

66
40
188
300

F

4
6
14
28

Total
102
81
366
760

Product breakage
No damage
Total

82
12
407

5
1
25

9
2
26

96
15
458

17
3
58

38
5
637

7
1
60

62
9
755

85
7
370

243
31
1,583

(Categories by cause of accident)

A: Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling, etc.
B: Defective products, and affected by use conditions
C: Performance degradation due to extended periods after manufacturing and long duration of operation
D: Improper installation, repair work, handling during transportation, etc.
E: Misuse or negligence
F: Other accidents not caused by products
G: Unidentified(FY2004 Accident information classified by injuries or damages)
Showing 2,055 cases completed by end FY 2005, among accident information collected in FY2004.
Accident cause

Caused by productDamage

A

B

C

Death

0
8
74
146
499
12
739

0
1
6
27
2
0
36

0
1
1
22
17
0
41

Serious injury
Minor injury
Extended damage
Product breakage
No damage
Total

Subtotal

Unidentified
G

82
41
189
381
68
7
768

36
30
81
161
156
7
471

Not caused by produc

Subtotal

0
10
81
195
518
12
816

D

E

2
1
5
32
24
2
66

76
37
178
326
33
5
655

F

4
3
6
23
11
0
47

Total
118
81
351
737
742
26
2,055

(Categories by cause of accident)

A: Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling, etc.
B: Defective products, and affected by use conditions
C: Performance degradation due to extended periods after manufacturing and long duration of operation
D: Improper installation, repair work, handling during transportation, etc.
E: Misuse or negligence
F: Other accidents not caused by products
G: Unidentified(FY2005 Accident information classified by injuries or damages)
Showing 853cases completed by end FY 2005, among accident information collected in FY2005.
Accident cause

Caused by productDamage

A

B

C

Death
Serious injury

0
0
29
65
46
4
144

0
0
0
10
0
1
11

0
1
3
12
12
0
28

Minor injury
Extended damage
Product breakage
No damage
Total

Subtotal

Unidentified
G

33
15
98
262
30
1
439

23
11
40
105
51
1
231

Not caused by produc

Subtotal

0
1
32
87
58
5
183

D

E

0
0
4
10
5
1
20

31
15
92
240
21
0
399

F

2
0
2
13
3
0
20

Total
56
27
170
455
138
7
853

(Categories by cause of accident)

A: Problems of design, manufacturing process, labeling, etc.
B: Defective products, and affected by use conditions
C: Performance degradation due to extended periods after manufacturing and long duration of operation
D: Improper installation, repair work, handling during transportation, etc.
E: Misuse or negligence
F: Other accidents not caused by products
G: Unidentified

5. Disclosure of collected Accident Information
I.

Accident Information Collection Reports
The accident information cases collected by NITE are compiled quarterly, following thenecessary analyses or investigations of the cases, and approval by the Accident Trend Committee,
and published as the “Collection Results of Accident Information”. This information is further
compiled and published as the “Annual Report on Product Safety” to provide information to
consumers, etc.
Also, NITE broadly disseminates information concerning accidents and preventive measuresthrough its website.
II.
NITE Alert
NITE Alerts (special news) are issued for cases requiring immediate action and distributed toconsumers and related organizations, calling for their attention.
NITE Alerts are circulated to approximately 1,200 organizations including local consumer
affairs centers, local governments, fire and police departments and related industry groups inaddition to being posted on the NITE website.
The NITE Alerts circulated in FY2005 include; “Accidents caused by electric heaters” and“Electric refrigerators”, “Emergency order to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.”, etc. Briefsummaries of major alerts issued in FY2005 are shown below.
Product Safety E-mail Magazine
III.
NITE has been distributing bi-weekly e-mail magazines for product safety personnel since July
2005. The information is provided in a timely manner from the perspective of accident
prevention; and includes safety alerts based on accident information cases collected by NITE, andinformation on recalls and company announcements. In addition, extra editions are issued when
immediate attention is required. In FY2005, the extra issues NITE distributed include “Accidents
caused by electric refrigerators”, “Emergency order to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.”,“Accidents caused by electric heaters”, etc.
PR Magazine
NITE is to launch a PR magazine “Life and Safety Journal” to provide comprehensive productsafety information including efforts taken by NITE and concerned parties.
IV.

Accident Information “NITE Alert” Topics
No.66: Accidents caused by electric heaters (carbon circle heater)
Following accident reports that the glass heater tubes of electric (carbon circle) heaters imported
by Sogo Giken Co. broke due to manufacturing defects, resulting in burnt and damaged floors or
carpets; NITE conducted investigations and announced the results. The importer was offering
free inspection and repair services for the product after issuing a press announcement on February
11, 2004. However, it was discovered that the importer discontinued the voluntary inspection andrepair services after the company’s bankruptcy was declared by the Tokyo District Court.
Following the incidence of accidents presumed to be caused by products which had not yet beeninspected and repaired, NITE provided information concerning this series of accidents and alerted
consumers to discontinue use of the product in order to promote consumer protection and prevent
any further recurrence.
No.67: Accident caused by an electric refrigerator

NITE conducted investigations after receiving an accident report on an electric refrigerator(product name: “Horei Ho-onko Duo”) imported by K.K. Sunbird Auto Denki, in which PCB
conductive pattern parts caught fire due to defects in manufacturing, and made the results available
to the public. The importer issued a press announcement with the distributor, K.K. AMS
Corporation, and conducted a voluntary recall. However, the importer had discontinued the recall
because the company filed for civil rehabilitation and became insolvent. Since the products had
sections which did not meet with technical standards of electrical appliances defined under theElectrical Appliance and Material Safety Act, and in addition, there was a question on the products’safety even when using the products according to the instruction manual, NITE provided
information concerning the incident and alerted consumers in order to promote consumer
protection and prevent any further recurrence.
No.68: Emergency order issued to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
It was revealed that fan-forced heaters manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.,
between 1985 and 1992 may leak carbon monoxide. The Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry (METI) issued an emergency order to the company based on Article 82 of the Consumer
Product Safety Law to take necessary measures in relation to the subject products, including
recalls, inspection, repairs, as well as informing consumers of the risk.
No.69: Safety alert on electric heater (carbon electric heater) incidents
Accidents supposedly involving the electric fan style heaters (carbon electric heater) in relation
to which NITE issued NITE Alert No.66 in April 2005, to provide accident information and to callfor consumers’ attention, have recurred. NITE once again urged users to immediately stop using
these heaters unless they have been examined and repaired.
(Appendix) Table 1-5 Statistics of FY2005 Collected Accident Information

National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE)
Product Safety Technology Center, Product Safety Investigation Division
E-mail: ps-news@nite.go.jp