Japan orders quake shock absorber maker to replace parts after fake data

KYB

18/10/2018 08:01

TOKYO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Japanese officials on Thursday
ordered a company that falsified data on the quality of its
earthquake shock absorbers to replace its products in hundreds
of buildings, including a major tourist site and venues for the
2020 Olympics.
    KYB Corp, a major producer of the shock absorbers, which
reduce shaking of buildings during a quake, said on Tuesday that
data related to the quality of its products and those made by a
subsidiary, had been falsified since 2003, and possibly even
since 2000.
    Government officials said there was no risk that buildings
would collapse as a result, even in a severe quake, but they
were trying to determine how many structures were affected in
one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.
    The company said at least 900 buildings around Japan had
used products involved in the data falsification. 
    The operator of the Tokyo Skytree, a 634-metre high tower
that is one of Japan's biggest tourist attractions, said it had
installed KYB products, while Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said
the items had been used in at least seven buildings owned by the
metropolitan government.
    The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
urged KYB to take full responsibility and to determine how the
falsification happened, to take steps to replace the shock
absorbers and make sure it never occurs again.
    "This action, which has brought deep concern to building
owners and users as well as weakening public trust about safety,
is extremely regrettable," the ministry said in a statement.
    The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee said it had been told
KYB products were used at several of the venues for the Tokyo
2020 Summer Olympics but it did not identify the venues or give
any other details.
    "We are aware that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has
already requested the company to inspect the products, and we
will wait for further updates," said Masa Takaya, a spokesman
for Tokyo 2020.
    A Tokyo government official said it was possible that KYB
products had been used in the aquatics centre and an arena to be
used for volleyball that are both under construction, but
authorities were awaiting further information.
    Several kinds of shock absorbers are used in buildings, but
one of the most common involves a piston head that moves inside
a cylinder filled with silicone oil.
    Shares of KYB ended trade down by 10.92 percent.

 (Reporting by Elaine Lies, Ami Miyazaki, and Chang-ran Kim
Writing by Elaine Lies
Editing by Robert Birsel)
 ((elaine.lies@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging:
elaine.lies@thomsonreuters.com))