ISO COPLOCO workshop held in Milano 14th May 2014 dealt with building confidence in a Business–to–Consumer relationship, roles and expectations. This is the presentation delivered by Toshimasa Yamazaki of Japan Technical Communicators Association

1. ISO/COPOLCO workshop on 14 May
elements and examples Case study presentation:
Conveying information about product durability
May 14, 2014
Toshimasa Yamazaki
Japan Technical Communicators Association

2. 1. Laws related to the durability of household
appliances
2. Industry guidelines related to the durability of
household appliances
3. Survey on household appliances use by senior
citizens
4. Toward the development of standards to
evaluate the durability of household appliances
2

3. 1. Laws related to the durability of household appliances 3
 The Consumer Product Safety Act
This act was established to assure the safety of consumer products, and was revised in April 2009.
1. The PSC (Product Safety-Consumer) mark system
Products deemed as being highly likely to cause danger particularly to the lives or bodies of
consumers are allowed to be sold only when they carry a PSC label. This label indicates that
the products conform to the safety standards.
2. System for report and publication of product accident information
If a serious product accident occurs, the manufacturer or importer of the product shall report it
to the national government within 10 days after hearing of the accident. This is done in order to
prevent the product accident from recurring or spreading.
3. Product safety inspection and labeling program for appliances in long-
term use: revised in November 2007
Every product has a limited life, and may cause an accident due to age-related deterioration
after long-term use. Aiming to prevent such accidents from occurring, this program came into
effect in April 2009.
Situation in the market:
- About 16 years after manufacture, an instant water heater caused carbon monoxide
poisoning that led to a fatal accident.
- More than 30 years after manufacture, an electric fan caught fire, leading to a fatal accident.

4. 1. Laws related to the durability of household appliances 4
 Product safety inspection and labeling program for
appliances in long-term use
 Here is an example of labeling on products and information in instruction
manuals. The labeling is stipulated in the product safety inspection
program for appliances in long-term use.
- An inspection system was established for nine types of products
deemed highly likely to cause serious danger because of lack of
reliable safety, due to deterioration caused by long-term use.
- Two of the nine types of products are household appliances:
Built-in electric dishwashers, and electric drying machines for the use
in bathrooms.
 The designed standard
length of use of this product
is XX years from the year
and month of production.

5. 1. Laws related to the durability of household appliances 5
 Product safety inspection and labeling program for appliances in
long-term use
 Here are some examples of labeling on products and information in instruction
manuals. The labeling is stipulated in the product safety labeling program for
appliances in long-term use.
- It was made compulsory to add caution labels and information about
designated standard length of use and aging deterioration for products that are
deemed unlikely to cause serious accidents due to
aging deterioration, but which have caused many
accidents.
- This applies to five types of household appliances:
Electric fans, air conditioners, ventilation fans,
washing machines and CRT-based televisions
* The flyer on the right was distributed nationwide in
2008.
[Year of production] 20XX
[Designated standard length of use] YY years

6. 2. Industry guidelines related to the durability of household
appliances
6
 Fair competition agreement on product labeling in the household-
appliance manufacturing industry
 Information that must be indicated on products (Article 8 Indication of time of
production)
 Opinions of consumer groups
- When selecting products, consumers need to:
judge sustainability of quality and performance, distinguish between old and
new products, and recognize obsolete products.
- After purchasing products, consumers need to:
check the availability of parts and accessories, know when to inspect and
replace the products, and recognize defective products.
 Target products under the administrative guidance of the Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (predecessor of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
1971: Televisions
1974: Electric refrigerators and electric washing machines
1978: Microwave ovens and vacuum cleaners
2000: Major revision (labeling required for recalled products, yearly labeling, etc.)
After a further 23 types were added, new types have been added in succession,
to a total of 43 types.

7. 2. Industry guidelines related to the durability of household
appliances
7
Televisions Video tape recorders Video cameras Stereo sets
CD players MD players Radio cassette recorders DVD players
Electric refrigerators Microwave ovens Toasters
Rice cookers and
warmers
Electric kettles Electric ovens Electric roasters Electric pans
Electric cooking plates Electric coffee makers Electric rice-cake makers
Automatic bread
machines
Electric dish dryers
Electric dishwashers
and dryers
Electric
washing machines
Electric clothes dryers
Vacuum cleaners Irons Hair dryers Hair curlers
Electric razors
(except battery-operated type)
Air conditioners Dehumidifiers Humidifiers
Air cleaners Electric fans Electric heaters Electric blankets
Electric foot warmers
Electric kotatsus
(low table with inbuilt heater)
Electric carpets Electric fan heaters
Kerosene stoves Kerosene fan heaters
Household
lighting apparatus
* The following 43 types of household appliances are specified in the Ordinance for Enforcement
* It is necessary to carefully determine the size, position and material of a label to ensure it is
clear and easy for consumers to understand.
 Products that need labeling to indicate the time of production

8. 2. Industry guidelines related to the durability of household
appliances
8
 Fair competition agreement on product labeling in the
household-appliance manufacturing industry
 Information that must be given in catalogs and instruction
manuals
Article 5 Catalogs and Article 6 Instruction Manuals specify the
minimum retention period for performance-critical repair parts.
• Performance-critical parts are the parts essential for
maintaining the functions of products.
• The minimum retention period for a performance-critical part
starts when the manufacturer discontinues manufacturing the
product that contains the performance-critical part.
* This agreement provides guidelines on the assumed durability of
products, that is, the periods for which consumers can safely use
the products before the products reach the end of their design
lives.

9. 2. Industry guidelines related to the durability of household
appliances
9
Product Years Product Years
Electric refrigerators 9 Tape recorders 6
Air conditioners 9 Electric washing machines 6
Black-and-white televisions 8 Vacuum cleaners 6
Color televisions 8 Mixers and juicers 6
Stereos 8 Electric rice cookers 6
Electric fans 8 Electric kotatsus 6
Electric well pumps 8 Electric foot-warmers 6
Water coolers 8 Electric blankets 6
Fan coolers 8 Electric heaters 6
Microwave ovens 8 Electric razors 6
Ventilation fans 6 Electric kettles 5
Electric rice warmers 6 Toasters 5
Trouser presses 6 Roasters 5
Electric panel heaters 6 Irons 5
Window fans 6 Electric cooking stoves 5
Radios 6 Hair curlers 5
Outdoor-exhaust type kerosene stoves 7 Open-type kerosene stoves 6

10. Example of information in instruction manuals 10
 Example of information for toilet seats with a warm-water
bidet
Instructions for prevention of
serious accidents
Your toilet seat with a
warm-water bidet is an
electric product which
has a limited life.
Regular inspection is
recommended.
If your toilet seat with a warm-
water bidet has been used for
10 years or more, it should be
replaced with a new one.

11. 3. Survey on household appliances use by senior citizens 11
 Report of a survey on household appliances use by
senior citizens (2009)
Shown below is data excerpted from a report issued in March 2010 by the
Association for Electric Home Appliances.
 Outline of survey design
Subjects of survey: 494 people aged 65 or over, from elderly households
Period of survey: November 2009 to December 2009
Main questions: eight questions
- Household appliances currently used and the time of replacement
- Conditions of use of household appliances owned by the subjects
- Characteristics of the subjects of the survey
Target household appliances: 40 types of household appliances
Electric fans, electric irons, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners, interior air
conditioners, etc.

12. 3. Survey on household appliances use by senior citizens 12
 Electric fans, electric irons, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners and
interior air conditioners
Product Owner-ship
rate
Reason for
replacement purchase:
Failure or malfunction
Reason for
replacement purchase:
High repair cost
Number of
years of use
Electric fan 95% 79% 7% 8.3 years
Electric iron 96% 82% 5% 11.4 years
Microwave
oven
98% 80% 13% 8.9 years
Vacuum
cleaner
98% 81% 10% 8.3 years
Interior air
conditioner
91% 68% 22% 11.8 years

13. 4. Toward the development of standards to evaluate the
durability of household appliances
13
 Product lives of household appliances in Japan
 Household appliances are classed as general consumer goods and are consumed
over a period of about 10 years at the longest.
* In the past, Japanese consumers shared a number of commonly held
assumptions:
“Household appliances last for a long period of time if they are used carefully.”
“I talk with the staff at the electric-appliance store in the neighborhood if a
household appliance is out of order.”
However, this social structure based on product safety, particularly, long-term
use, has broken down.
 Current methods of indicating product lives
- Design life: Service life of a product assumed when it is designed. This is
the limit of use specified by the manufacturer in advance. It is
based on conditions such as consumption of parts and the
limit of supply of parts required for maintaining product
performance. Design lives are indicated for some products
only.
- Warranty period: If a product gets out of order or has a fault within this period
despite being properly used in accordance with the instruction
manual, the manufacturer guarantees free-of-charge repair or
replacement of the product. A warranty period is generally 1
year.

14. 4. Toward the development of standards to evaluate the
durability of household appliances
14
◆ Indication of product lives of household appliances in Japan
(Current state)
Every product is made of materials (parts), and no material can permanently
maintain its original state. Therefore, every product has a limited life, or a life span,
and this is called the “design life.”
From the 2000s, manufacturers have systematically conducted durability evaluations
(such as acceleration tests) of materials to meet consumer expectations.
This means that most manufacturers know the life spans of materials.
If a product made of certain materials is also required by law to indicate its design life,
the designated standard length of use is also indicated in years.
[Proposals]
Designated standard length of use should also be indicated for general consumer goods.
- As a first step, standardize durability evaluation standards (in JIS).
- Develop standards with attention to energy conservation, recycling and product
safety.
- The time has come for the regulatory authorities, business enterprises and
consumers to actively exchange opinions regarding their own roles. ⇒ To build a
sustainable society

15. Thank you for your attention.
15