Occupational Health and Safety / Accident Prevention

Basic Approach and Policy

Our Group believes that ensuring the occupational health and safety of employees is the cornerstone of our business activities. We established the “Safety Action Guidelines” based on the safety philosophy of “Safety is the first priority of all,” and ensuring that everyone, including our employees and subcontractors, focuses on achieving an accident- and disaster-free record to eliminate various hazardous or toxic factors from the workplace.

Occupational Health and Safety Management System

Our Group has established the “Sustainability Promotion Committee” chaired by the President. This committee determines health and safety policies along with important measures for preventing disasters and accidents, and based on these, rolls out health and safety activities across the entire company.
What is more, in October 2019 we enacted our uniform, company-wide Safety Philosophy: Safety is the First Priority of All and our three Safety Action Guidelines to promote the complete elimination of deaths and serious accidents.
Each of our business sites makes efforts closely in tune with the needs of individual workplaces within a company-wide framework and under an accountability structure involving the managers of business sites. At its monthly meetings, the Health and Safety Committee inspects health and safety management activities, ensures thorough compliance with relevant laws and ordinances, and considers capital investments to realize risk reduction, among other actions.
In 2009, our Group’s plants and main subsidiaries in Japan began pursuing ISO 45000 accreditation, followed by our Group’s overseas subsidiaries from 2010. Today, a total of 25 business sites have received accreditation, including six business sites and three subsidiaries in Japan and 16 subsidiaries overseas.

マネジメント体制図

Machinery and Equipment Risk Reduction Activities

All new machinery and equipment installed at domestic production plants and subsidiaries from 2008 and at overseas subsidiaries from 2009 have been designed in compliance with ISO 12100. We carry out risk assessments of existing facilities when changes occur, such as when the facilities are restructured or work procedures change, in an effort to make machinery and equipment fundamentally safer.

Risk Reduction Activities relating to Chemical Substances

In 2012, we introduced chemical substance risk assessments at plants in Japan and subsidiaries worldwide. We verify our evaluation results when changes occur, such as information on the risks and hazards posed by chemical substances and changes to work procedures. This is done in aiming to prevent adverse health effects to employees through exposure to chemical substances, and to prevent explosion or fire incidents caused by chemical substances.

Complaints from Authorities, Local Governments, and Local Communities

Our business sites in Japan along with subsidiaries worldwide comply with laws and ordinances and address prevention needs in order to preserve the environment.

In fiscal 2022, one incident was a noise complaint from local residents, for which a sound barrier was installed with positive effects. We will continue communicating with local residents and take appropriate actions to implement further improvements.

Health and Safety Education

We carry out measures to reduce the risks posed by machinery and chemical substances in order to ensure safety on sites where these are used. At the same time, we conduct hazard prediction training as well as initiatives, such as “pointing and calling” and making proposals for reducing near-miss accidents. We have introduced “Safety Gyms” at each production plant to allow employees to learn about the fundamentals of safety. They are able to improve their safety consciousness and learn hazard prediction skills and risk identification skills.

Health and safety activities in which plant managers take the lead and act as role models form the basis for specialized safety education for managers, education on laws and regulations for mid-level employees, and hands-on education for new employees regarding safety. In addition, we make efforts to disclose disaster and accident information, and to share information in a timely manner through the use of our Safety Portal Site, which was set up online to be accessible by every employee. In addition, education has been implemented at all business sites by creating videos that outline our approach to Safety Philosophy and Safety Action Guidelines.

新入社員教育の様子

Educating new recruits on safety

Occupational Accident Figures

Trends in the Frequency Rate and Severity Rate of Occupational Accidents at Sumitomo Bakelite and Subsidiaries Worldwide

The graph below shows the overall frequency rate and severity rate*1 of occupational accidents including those occurring at subsidiaries worldwide.

The frequency rate and severity rate increased slightly due to one occupational accident resulting in lost workdays in Japan and overseas.

*1 Frequency Rate of Occupational Accidents of Occupational Accidents = (Number of casualties due to occupational accidents resulting in lost workdays/total working hours) x 1,000,000
Severity Rate of Occupational Accidents = (Total lost working days/total working hours) x 1,000
* The period covered is from January to December of each year.
*

Total number of hours worked
Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd. only: 3,764,660 hours Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd. and subsidiaries in Japan: 7,118,073 hours
Overseas subsidiaries: 12,475,371 hours

Frequency Rate of Occupational Accidents Resulting in Lost Workdays at Sumitomo Bakelite and Subsidiaries Worldwide

graph

Severity Rate of Occupational Accidents at Sumitomo Bakelite and Subsidiaries Worldwide

graph

Trends in Occupational Accidents at Sumitomo Bakelite and Subsidiaries

Number of Employees Injured as a Result of Occupational Accidents

The graph below shows the number of employees injured as a result of occupational accidents at our company as well as subsidiaries in Japan. In 2022, there was only one occupational accident not resulting in lost workdays that occurred at a subcontractor. In 2022, there were no cases of disasters resulting in deaths, injuries requiring 6 months or more for recovery, or injuries resulting in permanent disabilities.

  • * Total working hours of subcontractors: 685,309 hours

Number of Employees Injured as a Result of Occupational Accidents (in Japan)

労働災害による負傷者数(国内)
  • * The period covered is from January to December of each year.
    Data from SB Kawasumi Laboratories (3 domestic plants) are added from 2021.

Occupational Accidents by Type

Occupational accidents in Japan categorized by type are shown in the graph below. As the majority of accidents in 2022 were those that could have been prevented by complying with the Safety Action Guidelines, ongoing efforts will be made to notify all employees of the guidelines by using a video outlining the approach to safety and utilizing our Safety Portal Site to enhance safety awareness.

In the event of an accident, risk assessment and corrective measures are conducted based on the results of investigations into the cause, and efforts are made to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents.

Occupational Accidents by Type (in Japan)

型別労働災害発生状況

Trends in Occupational Accidents at Overseas Subsidiaries

Number of Employees Injured as a Result of Occupational Accidents

The graph below shows the number of employees injured as a result of occupational accidents at our overseas subsidiaries. In 2022, there were no occupational accidents that occurred at a subcontractor. In 2022, there were no cases of disasters resulting in deaths or injuries resulting in permanent disabilities, but there was one case of injury requiring 6 months or more for recovery.

  • * Total working hours of overseas subcontractors: 676,044 hours

Number of Employees Injured as a Result of
Occupational Accidents (Overseas)

労働災害による負傷者数(海外)
  • * The period covered is from January to December of each year.
    Data from SB Kawasumi Laboratories Inc. (2 overseas plants) are added from 2021.

Occupational Accidents by Type

Occupational accidents overseas categorized by type are shown in the graph below. We will prepare safety educational materials in multiple languages (English, Chinese), make progress in spreading awareness among all employees through use of videos outlining our Safety Action Guidelines, and aim to raise awareness of safety to the same level as in Japan. In the event of an accident, risk assessment and corrective measures are conducted based on the results of investigations into the cause, and efforts are made to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents.

Number of Employees Injured by Type of
Occupational Accident (Overseas)

型別労働災害発生状況(海外)

[TOPIC]Award for Zero Accidents

The following business sites were recognized for their initiatives toward safety, for which President Fujiwara presented certificates of commendation at the online awards ceremony.

    ・P.T. Indopherin Jaya: Achieved 1 million accident-free hours

    ・Amagasaki Plant: Achieved 2 million accident-free hours

    ・Kawasumi Laboratories (Thailand) Korat Plants: Achieved 1 year and 3 million accident-free hours

We will continue to implement initiatives in line with our Group’s Safety Philosophy and Safety Action Guidelines to achieve even more accident-free operations by promoting improvements through the concerted efforts of all employees.

The Utsunomiya Plant was selected as a model site with excellent safety activities in the chemical industry at the Japan Chemical Industry Association’s award ceremony, and received the “Excellence in Safety” award.

The plant had previously received this “Excellence in Safety” award in 2016, with this marking the second time it has received the award. All employees will continue to work toward safe activities every day to achieve further accident-free operations.

 

Online award ceremony for P.T. Indopherin Jaya

Online award ceremony for P.T. Indopherin Jaya

Receiving the Utsunomiya Plant
“Excellence in Safety” award

Receiving the Utsunomiya Plant
“Excellence in Safety” award

Accident Prevention

Accident Prevention is the top priority of all our business sites. Our objective is to make our business sites safer and more secure, and thus earn the confidence of the local community, ensure employee safety, and maintain stable supplies of products to customers. The Accident Prevention Committee is convened and implements activities systematically with the aim of helping all business sites achieve an accident- and disaster-free record. It also, conducts drills and puts in place accident prevention measures to minimize damage in the event that an accident occurs.

宇都宮工場のモノづくり監査の様子

Sumitomo Bakelite Singapore Pte. Ltd.:Night-time emergency drill

静岡工場のモノづくり監査の様子

Sumitomo Bakelite (Nantong) Co., Ltd.:Plant-wide emergency drill

静岡工場のモノづくり監査の様子

Tsutsunaka Kosan Co., Ltd.:Firefighting drill

南通住友電木のモノづくり監査の様子(リモート監査)

SNC Industrial Laminates Sdn. Bhd.:Plant-wide emergency drill

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