Hazard Prevention Order to TDK Corporation Based on Article 39 (1) of the Consumer Product Safety Act

Forty six accidents have occurred in connection with the humidifiers that were manufactured and sold by TDK Corporation between 1998 and 1999 (product numbers: KS-500H and KS-300W) and that have been recalled since 1999. The causes of these accidents have been discovered to be manufacturing failures, causing smoke and fire emissions from the products. Furthermore, on February 8, 2013, another serious accident occurred at a nursing care home in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, which is suspected of being caused by the same type of products. Considering these facts, the products in question are defective and may cause further serious accidents. Moreover, 15,093 humidifiers of the same types of the products in question had still not been collected as of March 10, 2013. In light of this situation, METI judges that the products may cause imminent danger that could jeopardize the lives or bodies of general consumers who use the products.

To further ensure that the company collects the products, on March 13, 2013, METI issued a Hazard Prevention Order to the company to take necessary measures, such as collection of the products and alerts to consumers, based on Article 39 (1) of the Act.

Among the humidifiers manufactured by TDK Corporation, the company should take the following measures on the two types of the products, i.e., KS-500H and KS-300W (hereinafter referred to as the "products in question"):

1) Collection of the products that are still missing

Among the products in question, the company should collect those still missing as quickly as possible to prevent further occurrence of such accidents.

2) Alert to consumers

The company should alert consumers as to the collection of the products in question, by means of announcements, such as through newspapers, the television, the Internet, or direct notices to purchasers of the products in question.

3) Report of the situation after taking measures

For the next one year, the company should submit a report to METI every month on the situation of the measures it conducts, including the information on the collection of the products in question mentioned in 1) and 2) above.

Contributing to the prevention of the further occurrence of accidents, METI will make the following efforts in line with the order, aiming to facilitate the collection by the company:

1. Providing alerts to consumers through METI's press releases and website;
2. Providing alerts to consumers from the Regional Bureaus of Economy, Trade and Industry, local governments, and organizations related to the government of Japan; and
3. Requesting cooperation from related distribution and retail businesses

• Re-announcement of Recall of Humidifiers Manufactured by TDK Corporation (Collection of Products) (Press release issued on February 25, 2013)

March 13, 2013

Product Safety Division, Distribution and Industrial Safety Policy Group