EXAMINATION ACTIVITIES

  Summary of Examination Activities
  1. Convening of Testing Committees
    　　 Meetings of the Hazardous Materials Officers Test Committee and Fire Defense Equipment Officers Test Committee are respectively convened as required.
    　　 At these meetings, such topics as the compilation of examination questions are deliberated by committee members whom are appointed by the President.
  2. Creation of Standard Examination Forms
    　　 Examination forms are all created at the Center Headquarters for distribution to its prefectural branches. As a result, examination is administered by using identical examination questions throughout Japan.
  3. Determination of Examination Schedules
    　　 The annual examination schedule is determined by each prefectural branch at the start of the year, after which Headquarters determines the overall schedule.
  4. Administering and Scoring Tests
    　　 In prefectures besides Tokyo, tests are given several times a year at classrooms of universities, high schools, and other educational facilities. In Tokyo, one of the two types of examinations are given nearly every week at the Central Testing Center which functions as the reqular examination site.
    　　 The answer cards of examinations administered by prefectural branches are sent to Headquarters which conducts uniform computerized scoring of all the cards and then notifies the branches of the test results.
  5. Announcement of Examination Results
    　　 The prefectural branches publicly announce the names of successful applicants about three weeks after a hazardous materials officers examination and about four weeks after a fire defense equipment officers examination. In addition the Central Testing Center publicly announces the names of successful applicants on either the same day as a hazardous materials officers examination or about 10 days after a fire defense equipment officers examination.

ISSUANCE OF LICENSE CARDS
Overview of License Card Issuance

　　 Since April of 1988, hazardous materials officers licenses and fire defense equipment officers licenses have been issued by Center under commission from prefectural governors.Because of the shift to a license card system due to legal reform enacted in April 1989, a computerized processing system has been adopted to simplify and rationalize licensing activities.
　　 Licensing work includes the tasks of the "issue of a new card" to successful examination applicants;"revision of legal domicile, etc." after a change in the legal domicile(except when within the same prefecture) or name of a_licensed officer(in Tokyo, note that this task is handled by the Fire Department); "photograph renewal" of licensed officer's cards after every 10 years; and "card re-issue" if a card is lost, destroyed, or damaged.
　　 Note that the following types of licenses exist
 

  1. Hazardous Materials Officers Licenses
    　　The classes of licenses cards and hazardous materials that can be handled for each licenses are specified below.
    Class of License Item
    Class A All sorts of hazardous materials
    Class B Group 1 Oxidizing solids, chlorates, perchlorates inorganic peroxides, Hypochlories
    Group 2 Combustible Solids phosphorus sulfide, red phosphorus, Sulphur iron powders, metal powders, magnesium
    Group 3 Spontaneously Combustible Materials and water-prohibitive Materials potassium, sodium, alkyl aluminum, yellow phosphorus
    Group 4 Flammable liquids, gasoline, alcohols, kerosene, light oil, heavy oil, animal fats and vegetable oils
    Group 5 Self-reactive Materials, organic peroxides, Esten nitrates, nitro compounds
    Group 6 Oxidizing liquide, perchloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid
    Class C Gasoline, kerosene, light oil, etc.

  2. Fire Defense Equipment Officers Licenses
    　　The classes of license cards fire-fighting equipments that can be installed by engineers are specified below.
    License Class fire fighting equipment
    Class
    A or B    		 Group 1 Wall hydrant systems, sprinkler systems, water spray extinguishing systems, and outdoor fire hydrant
    Group 2 Form extinguishing systems
    Group 3 carbon dioxide extinguishing systems halogenated hydrocarbon fire extinguishing systems, dry chemical extinguishing systems
    Group 4 Automatic fire alarm systems, gas leakege fire alarm systems, fire alarm systems for notifying fire brigade
    Group 5 Metallic Escape ladders, life chutes, Automatic descending lifelines
    Class B Group 6 Fire extinguishers
    Group 7 Electric leakage alarm devices
  ●Definition of a Hazardous Materials Officer
  1. 　　Facilities where a Hazardous Materials Offier must be posted
    　　A hazardous materials officer must be posted without fail at facilities where over a given quantity of hazardous materials are stored and handled, such as chemical plants, gas stations, petroleum storage tanks, tank trucks, and so on.

  2. 　　Duties of Hazardous Materials Officer
    　　Class A hazardous materials Officer may handle, conduct periodic inspections, and conduct safety supervision of all hazardous materials, whereas Class B hazardous materials officer may perform the same for designated hazardous materials.
    　　Moreover, in the presence of such qualified officer, non qualified persons may handle or conduct periodic inspections of hazardous materials.
    　　Class C hazardous materials officer may handle and conduct periodic inspections of specific hazardous materials(such as gasoline, kerosene, and heavy oil).

  3. 　　Qualifications for taking the Hazardous Materials Officers examination
    　　・Class A :
    　　(1)Graduates that majored in chemistry or completed a chemistryrelated program at a university, junior college, or vocational high school or persons recognized to possess equal or higher scholastic ability thereto.
    　　(2)Class B hazardous materials officers with at least two years of experience in handling hazardous materials.
    　　・Class B and C:
    　　Can be taken by anyone.


●Definition of a Fire Defense Equipment Offecer
  1. 　　Installation of Fire Defense Equipment
    　　Depending on the use, scale, and human capacity of theaters, department stores, hotels and similar buildings, it is legally required to install fire defense equipment such as indoor fire hydrants, sprinkler systems, and automatic fire alarm systems.

  2. 　　Duties of a Fire Defense Equipment Officer
    　　The class A officer can install, maintain, and inspect fire defense equipment, whereas the class B officer can install and inspect fire defense equipment.

  3. 　　Qualifications for taking The Fire Defense Equipment Officers examination
    　　・Class A:
    　　(1)Graduates that majored in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial chemistry, civil engineering, or architecture at a university, junior college, or vocational school, high school.
    　　(2)Class B fire defense equipment officer with at least two years of experience in installing fire defense equipment.
    　　(3)Persons recognized to possess scholastic ability or experience equal to or higher than the preceding Items (1) or (2).
    　　・Class B:
    　　Can be taken by anyone.