Ansell has announced that it is launching its trademarked lab and cleanroom range in Japan this month.
The new launch surrounds KIMTECH, which is a brand of scientific PPE for laboratory and cleanroom environments.
The protection solutions expert will begin taking orders and responding to customer inquiries in June for Japan and Asia Pacific.
This important launch follows Ansell’s acquisition of Kimberly-Clark’s Personal Protective Equipment (KCPPE) business unit in June 2024. After the acquisition, the KIMTECH brand has transitioned to Ansell’s remit.
To kick off the new launch, Ansell will be exhibiting at Interphex Week Tokyo for the first time ever in July. The company, who is making lots of moves at the moment, will have both the KIMTECH range and the cleanroom garment range, BioClean, on the stand.
This international launch also sees the expansion of the RightCycle
Does this include the RightCycle programme?
This international launch also sees the expansion of the RightCycle (trademarked) programme. This is a sustainability initiative that collects and disposes of PPE waste such as non-hazardous gloves and garments.
Sustinability is something that is coming into play more and more in the competitive PPE world.
This programme is active in the US and some other countries, and now Ansell is preparing to expand its availability to Asia Pacific, including Japan.
Japan’s regulatory landscape
One year after the revision of Japan’s Occupational Health and Safety Law, many industries—including manufacturing and cleaning—are working to comply with the updated requirements.
A key change has been the dramatic increase in chemical substances requiring risk assessment, rising from 674 to approximately 2,900.
As a result, many corporate health and safety managers are facing new challenges, such as selecting the right gloves for chemical protection and improving internal education and awareness efforts.
Since the legal revision, customer inquiries to the Guardian Chemical Service have increased more than fourfold
To support these evolving needs, Ansell offers its expertise through its Guardian Chemical Service, which provides scientific data on glove resistance to over 50,000 chemical substances—the most extensive database in the industry. This free service helps safety managers select the most appropriate protective gloves based on specific applications and usage conditions.
Since the legal revision, customer inquiries to the Guardian Chemical Service have increased more than fourfold. Demand for Ansell’s compliance-focused workshops and consultations has also surged, with many health and safety professionals seeking guidance on transparency data and appropriate product selection.
Image: Tokyo SkyTree
Image credit: Sophie Bullimore
