Basic Concept
The Tosoh Group is working to ensure the safety of people involved in the Group's business activities with the aim of achieving zero lost work time injuries. Eliminating unstable conditions and unsafe behavior that can lead to occupational accidents means doing the following five things: educating people on basic safety behavior, assessing risks comprehensively, avoiding repeat accidents and work-related injuries, strengthening preventive maintenance, and utilizing increasingly safe new technologies.
Fiscal Year 2021 Results
Tosoh has set a target of zero lost work time injuries among employees and subcontractors, but in fiscal 2021, eight lost work time accidents occurred (eight people were injured). As a measure to prevent recurrence, we hold safety and health committee meetings at the Nanyo and Yokkaichi Complexes to share and disseminate information on occupational hazards and accidents. We will continue to reconfirm work procedures, implement hazard prediction training, and improve facilities.
In addition, 25 lost work time injuries involving 25 persons occurred at Group companies in fiscal 2021. We are striving to prevent recurrence by sharing information on accidents and occupational injuries in a database and using external safety experts from the Japan Industrial Safety & Health Association to provide guidance.
| | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 |
| Number of people involved in fatal accidents | Tosoh | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Affiliated company employees | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of people involved in industrial accidents (accidents requiring time off work) | Tosoh | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Affiliated company employees | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Industrial accident incidence rate | Tosoh | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.15 |
| Affiliated company employees | 0.31 | 0.42 | 0.28 |
| Industrial accident severity rate | Tosoh | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Affiliated company employees | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.11 |
Incidence rate = (number of casualties / total number of hours worked) x 1,000,000
Severity rate = (number of days worked / total number of hours worked) x 1,000
5S Activities and RC Committee 5S Inspections
Tosoh’s Nanyo and Yokkaichi Complexes and research facilities participate in the 5Ss —sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. This keeps work environments clean and orderly and makes it easy to detect irregularities in our complexes and equipment.
In its comprehensive patrol implementation guidelines, the Yokkaichi Complex has revised the prioritization of findings such as correction and improvement.
In addition, the RC Committee chairperson conducts 5S inspections based on the policy that it is important for management to evaluate safety measures in the field and identify issues that need to be improved to maximize safety.
Hazard Prediction Activities
The Tosoh Group’s complexes and research facilities work independently to establish hazard prediction training.
The Nanyo Complex has instituted a practical hazard prediction program to compile information on sources of danger accumulated through hazard prediction training. Meanwhile, the Yokkaichi Complex has prepared a rulebook on safety behavior—Tips for On-Site Work—and implemented an education program on hazard prediction for young employees. The Tokyo Research Center is working to establish One-Person Hazard Prediction, an activity conducted by individual workers as they prepare to start work at their complex.
Enhancing Risk Assessment
To make risk assessment more comprehensive, we are revalidating our security equipment by focusing on the multiple layers of protection proposed by Professor Emeritus Kimihide Matsuyama of Kyushu University.
The Nanyo Complex conducts verification in accordance with its own Verification Guidelines for Safety Equipment. In the verification process, the Safety Technology Office educates and instructs the manufacturing division on fault tree analysis (FTA), a method for analyzing the causes of product failures and subsequent accidents, for the purpose of evaluating failures, malfunctions, and mishandling. The Yokkaichi Complex is planning to implement safety and disaster prevention assessment from a technological perspective, which includes the verification of equipment.
Tosoh Group Initiatives
To strengthen its capabilities in disaster prevention and occupational safety and health, the Tosoh Group established the Tosoh Group Safe Work Environment Network, which improves our ability to share amendments to legislation, data on accidents, and other relevant information.
The Tosoh Group also holds Safe Work Environment Network Meetings, which bring together safety and health management representatives from Group companies for the purpose of information exchange and interaction.
In fiscal 2021, we held two environmental education sessions using written documents and the Internet, and also conducted environmental education led by external trainers. We conducted four other sessions on occupational safety and health education with external instructors. Lastly, we continued to enhance guidance by enlisting the aid of a third party to offer on-site advice that provided us with a fresh perspective on safety and health.