Cancellation of Type Approval for Gas Extinguishing System Vessel Valves and Recall/Replacement of Release Devices

Overview of the Incident

We discovered that there was an omission in the application for type approval of vessel valves used in our gas extinguishing systems and their associated release devices, and that some release devices were shipped during an unfiled period. Under supervision of the Safety Center, samples of vessel valves fitted with release devices from the unfiled period were collected and tested. As a result, we confirmed that vessel valves equipped with release device model HPR-510 exhibited insufficient gas release during low-temperature testing. Consequently, the type approval for the affected vessel valves has been cancelled, and the affected release devices are subject to recall and replacement.

Response and Impact

We will recall and replace all release devices shipped during the unfiled period. At present, the issue has not occurred in installed products, and we judge that continued use is possible provided operators observe precautions during manual operation until recall and replacement are completed. We will prioritize recall and replacement for installations in low-temperature environments and issue advisories. Performance confirmation was completed for HPR-400 and HPR-500 units shipped during the unfiled period, so installed units of those models may continue to be used.