Basic Policy on Product Safety

Based on Toshiba Group Basic Policy on Product Safety, we are committed to eliminating product accidents. In order to ensure customer safety, we comply with the prevailing safety related laws and regulations and proactively disclose full information to customers.

Toshiba Group Basic Policy on Product Safety

1. We comply with the applicable laws and regulations on product safety in Japan and overseas.
2. We widely gather information on product accidents and disclose such information in a proactive manner.
3. We swiftly report product accidents to the competent authorities in accordance with laws and regulations.
4. In the event of a serious incident attributable to any of our products, we swiftly institute a product recall and notify customers without delay.
5. We issue alerts, as necessary, and employ warning labels to encourage safe use.
6. We thoroughly analyze the causes of any product accident and strive to prevent recurrence.

Organizational Structure for Product Safety

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Swift Response to Product Accidents

An employee who becomes aware of information concerning a Toshiba product accident must alert the concerned divisions in charge of dealing with safety issues concerning the product in question. The CPL Committee^Note, chaired by a senior executive, then acts upon the matter. In the event of an accident attributable to a product that is likely to recur, we inform customers of the danger and request that they cease using such product, promptly report to the competent authorities, and establish countermeasures as soon as possible.
We are developing an information system to enable swift communication with quality assurance divisions and top management regarding information on product accidents obtained by repair and service staff as well as how such incidents are being handled by Toshiba.

Note)

CPL Committee: CPL is an abbreviation combining CL (contract liability) and PL (product liability). The CPL Committee, chaired by a senior executive, promptly determines on measures to deal with product accidents and quality issues.

Response to Product Accidents

In April 2008, we announced details of inspection and recall via newspapers and our website for home laundries (drum type washer dryers) that had the possibilities of generating electric smoke or fire. In addition, for air conditioners, we once again notified of our inspection and recall via posters inside trains in the Tokyo area in August 2008 and Osaka in March 2009, for which previous announcements were made via newspaper and Toshiba website. For refrigerators, to prevent electric fires or smoke caused by long-term use and deterioration, we distributed flyers requesting customers to stop using products that had been used for more than 25 years since the purchase.

Education on Product Safety

In fiscal 2008, we particularly worked on reinforcing our management system for ensuring compliance with the Electrical Appliances and Material Safety Law in Japan (hereinafter "the Law"), since the Law has an important bearing on the Group's products. The Chief Quality Executives and the person in charge of the Law initiated a revision of the internal regulations and created common audit items related to the Law for the entire Group. We also verified the business notification status and compatibilities of the technical standards based on the Law. Furthermore, education through e-learning was provided to all concerned employees in Japan and working overseas (approx. 110,000 in total).

Safety Considerations concerning Electromagnetic Waves

Toshiba Group is involved in standardization work of the International Electrotechnical Commission through the activities at the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association (JEMA) for home appliances and the activities at the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB). These activities allow Toshiba Group to keep abreast of the latest information. We are adhering to the standards specified by these organizations to ensure safety concerning electromagnetic waves.