April 5, 2004

Olympus' Company-wide Environmental Management System Receives ISO 14001 Environmental Management Certification

President of Olympus Corporation, Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, announces "ISO 14001" Environmental Management System certification for the promotion of environmental action across Olympus Group facilities.

Mr. Kikukawa is pleased to announce recognition from TÜV Rheinland Japan Ltd. (Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) for the current company-wide policy of promoting environmentally responsible activity.

The Olympus Corporation Environmental Management System (EMS):

This initiative represents a concerted effort to promote environmental awareness at Olympus. While headed by the company president, support is enlisted from multiple sources: the Environmental Development Department which encourages alignment between corporate policies and environmental responsibility. The Olympus Group Environmental Committee, which addresses environmental issues across the entire Olympus Group. This includes the Corporate Planning Division and Risk Management Bureau, responsible for policy-making, strategic planning, and other related corporate decision-making procedures within the company as a whole.

The main purpose of EMS is to estimate the impact of Group activities on the environment. Environmental policies are then modified and reviewed prior to implementation. Inspections, and necessary corrective measures are undertaken by senior management, who are also responsible for on-going re-assessment.

Grounds for "ISO 14001" Certification of EMS:
Olympus regards "ISO 14001" EMS certification as a preliminary step towards integrating greater environmental awareness into its corporate agenda. Since 1997, with the certification of the Ina Plant, Olympus has sought to obtain further certification for both its domestic and overseas facilities. But it was clear to Olympus that if environmental management procedures were to be systematized within the overall frame of the company, it would be necessary for all company facilities to qualify for ISO 14001 certification.
Highlights of the recent certification:
1.	In successfully establishing EMS, senior management evaluations have benefited. The positive outcomes can be seen in the yearly and half-yearly environmental plans.
2.	An environmental risk management program has been developed, involving the Risk Management Department, and has been adopted by the Olympus’ EMS.

Comments from TÜV Rheinland Japan Ltd. Certification Institute

Obtaining certification for the total of Olympus` domestic and international company facilities is not only a feat, but an active step towards the betterment of its Environmental Management System. Its most outstanding feature is that EMS involves senior level management, responsible for policy-making and outcome evaluation. Often such officials are excluded from the process of certification. In fact, the system directly complements current company-wide environmental management practices. Ideally, this is what an effective environmental management system should look like. Our audits confirm that this system has been very well designed, and that it provides a solid foundation on which to develop further.

ISO 14001 accredited facilities

14 company facilities in the Olympus Group and one company-wide environmental activity initiative have, to date, obtained "ISO 14001" certification. In addition, Olympus will seek to obtain "ISO 14001" certification for domestic and overseas sales and service divisions.

Certification Date Facility name Scope of Certification Feb., 1997 Ina Plant Production of microscopes and measuring instruments Feb., 1998 Tatsuno Plant/Okaya Olympus Corp. Production of digital cameras, semi-conductor R&D, manufacture/external sales of automation/labor-saving equipment, high-precision lens production, imaging product repair, production of opto-magnetic disk drive devices, Jul., 1998 Hinode Plant Production of medical and industrial endoscopes Oct., 1998 Aizu Olympus Co., Ltd./Opnotech Co., Ltd. Production of medical and industrial endoscopes Oct., 1998 Shirakawa Olympus Co., Ltd. Production of endoscope light source devices and attachments Nov., 1998 Aomori Olympus Co., Ltd. Production of medical instruments including medical- endoscope accessories Dec., 1998 Olympus Optotechnology Co., Ltd., Sakaki Plant Production of camera lenses, assembly units Jun., 1999 Mishima Olympus Co., Ltd. Production of blood analysis equipment Sep., 1999 Olympus(Shenzhen)Industrial Ltd. Production of digital an film cameras Mar., 2000 Technology Research Institute (Hachioji) Development of production technology, endoscopes, microscopes, information-processing equipment, and digital cameras, component technology research, development of film cameras and analysis equipment May., 2001 Olympus Winter &Ibe GmbH Development, manufacture, and sale of medical borescopes Mar., 2002 KeyMed(Medical & Industrial Equipment Limited) Manufacture of medical borescopes, sales of medical and industrial endoscopes Nov., 2003 Olympus Logitex Co., Ltd. Product storage and distribution Dec., 2003 Olympus Diagnostica GmbH (Irish Branch) Development/production of reagents for use with blood analysis equipment Jan., 2004 Olympus Corporation Company-wide environmental management strategies

Related link

The Olympus Corporation Environmental Management System (EMS)