Safety Issues

Under the current Medium-term Management Plan, SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group has continued to promote safety management activities centered on rebuilding audit systems, clarifying global equipment design standards, improving site qualities, and actively utilizing digital technology.
As a result of these activities, we have firmly instilled activities that help improve the intrinsic equipment safety issues identified in domestic production site safety audits within the following fiscal year. In addition, the number of workplace accidents (in particular, incidents that involve personnel falling off equipment and falling over) decreased due to the activities of key safety personnel at domestic construction sites. There were no major equipment-related accidents (fires or explosions) in Japan or overseas.
In contrast, the following issues were uncovered.
・ Identification of risks associated with equipment-related workplace injuries at production sites and a review of the method and scope of such risks
・ Development of automated detection technologies based on monitoring cameras for the purpose of reducing activities that deviate from rules at construction sites
・ Measures against heatstroke amid the increasingly severe hot summer environment
・ Efforts to ensure intrinsic equipment safety at overseas sites and the development of human resources to promote safety

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group recognizes the following safety-related risks.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group believes that creating a workplace in which employees can work safely and with peace of mind is a key corporate responsibility and one of management’s most important priorities. Based on this concept, we engage in total safety activities (zero occupational injuries, zero equipment-related accidents, zero commuting-related accidents, and zero extended sick leave) based on the five themes (1) to (5) listed below. However, no matter how safe and secure an environment is, accidents cannot be prevented if each and every employee working there does not take the necessary care. Safety is not possible without the safety endeavors of each individual. For this reason, in addition to safety education and efforts to increase sensitivity to danger, we are also focusing on creating a culture of observing and complying with established rules.

We have established the SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group Safety Policy as our basic philosophy on occupational safety and share it with all employees.
The Safety Subcommittee, established under the Sustainability Committee, formulates policies and activity guidelines for initiatives related to occupational safety and health. Each site puts into practice and promotes these initiatives under the guidance of the Safety & Environment Group at the Manufacturing Infrastructure Enhancement Center.
We have compiled a wide range of Group occupational health and safety data. This compilation includes data generated from work at production and construction sites and through research activities, as well as from partner companies outside the Group.
The Safety Subcommittee met twice in fiscal 2023, in October and March.
In the event of an actual occupational accident, information, including the employment status of the affected person, is collected. If there are any issues with management at a business site, steps are taken to secure the necessary improvements.
At SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group, the decision on whether or not to acquire ISO 45001 certification is determined on an individual business site basis. The Group then promotes activities to acquire the necessary certification. Sites that have not acquired certification also build and operate safety and health management systems that reflect ISO and OHSAS requirements. We monitor the status of activities through safety and disaster-preparedness audits, and promote efforts to maintain and revitalize safety management activities.
The percentage of ISO 45001 certified business sites (21) to the total number of the Group’s domestic and overseas production sites (91) is 23%.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group holds legally mandated Occupational Safety Committee meetings at each business site. During Occupational Safety Committee meetings, labor and management work together to conduct disaster-related investigations. Strategic proposals related to occupational health and safety are also made.
Meetings of the Central Occupational Safety Committee were held at the Company’s head office up to fiscal 2019. This Committee served as a Group-wide forum for discussion between labor and management. Despite refraining from face-to-face meetings and the hiatus attributable to such factors as the COVID-19 pandemic, deliberations in the form of Central Occupational Safety Committee meetings, at which labor and management discuss issues and measures regarding safety activities, resumed from fiscal 2022.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group recognizes that the most important aspect of safety activities is for the top management of each business site to demonstrate leadership and take the initiative. Based on this understanding, the president and leadership of each division declare their commitment to safe business practices each fiscal year and their personally written declarations are posted on the intranet.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group has identified occupational health and safety management system evaluation categories, which are employed in the self-evaluations conducted at each business site as well as safety audit evaluations by Corporate Headquarters. We review evaluation categories each year, taking into account issues related to Group-wide safety management activities.
In fiscal 2023, safety audits were conducted at 15 domestic sites. This was the first time since fiscal 2019 that all of our business sites had carried out on-site inspections. We were able to conduct document reviews including the close exchange of information, and site inspections from a broader perspective. In the future, the Group plans to make continuous improvements to its safety auditing procedures, to ensure that they are carried out appropriately in line with audit objectives and the circumstances in each case.

Article 14 of the Group's Safety Management Rules stipulates that when launching a new business, the general manager of the relevant business division is responsible for conducting a comprehensive prior assessment of occupational safety. Based on this stipulation, the relevant divisional company that is looking to launch a new business implements an assessment.
Laws and regulations at overseas sites differ depending on the region, country, and state. For this reason, external consultants (experts in local laws and regulations) conduct audits to confirm the status of legal compliance.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group provides medical examinations for employees based on the results of medical examinations in accordance with the Employment Evaluation Guidelines for High-risk Employees (for health management officers). In addition, we confirm through safety audits and other means that the following legally mandated health checkups are conducted at each business site.

Under the current Medium-term Management Plan, SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group is promoting safety activities based on the KPI of zero incidents of injuries attributable to machines and equipment with the aim of preventing serious accidents that could result in permanent disability by preventing injuries caused when caught or entangled in machinery and equipment. In FY2023, there were eight incidents of injuries attributable to machines and equipment.

To strengthen its safety activities, SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group established and has continued to promote a Safety Leader (SL) certification system since fiscal 2017. Certified SLs assist safety managers and promote safety management activities at each site.
In fiscal 2023, 27 employees (and a cumulative total of 184 since fiscal 2017) were certified under the SL certification system.
SLs are tasked with identifying and mitigating risks at their respective workplaces, holding workshops with other SLs Group-wide, upgrading and expanding the content of safety training, and promoting the rollout of best practice examples.
In addition, since fiscal 2017, we have continued to support employees in their efforts to acquire Safety Sub-assessor (SSA)^* certification, holders of which promote machine safety activities. As of March 2024, a cumulative total of 225 employees have qualified with 193 holding certification. Furthermore, 23 employees have acquired Safety Assessor (SA)^* certification, while two have acquired Safety Senior Assessor (SEA)^* certification, which rank above SSA.

The New Equipment Design Safety Standards, which summarize the safety specifications necessary for production equipment used by the Group, began undertaking Intrinsic Equipment Safety^*1 activities. At the same time, following an update to reflect ISO/JIS machine safety criteria, these Standards now serve as an important document for improving production equipment.

The New Equipment Design Safety Standards have been systematized in accordance with ISO/IEC Guide 51 and are comprised as follows.

Since fiscal 2021, the Group has conducted mutual on-site inspections among its manufacturing sites. This initiative is led by the Technology & CS Promotion departments of each divisional company, and involves employees from different manufacturing sites, who work to uncover risks at each other's sites. Previously, safety, accident-prevention, and environmental audits were only conducted once every three years making frequent audits impossible. This made it difficult to horizontally deploy best practice examples of other business sites.
Mutual on-site inspections help improve the awareness of and sensitivity to risks of participating employees, while allowing site leaders and others hosting inspections to learn from other business sites. This has made it easier to reaffirm risks at workplaces and to quickly deploy best practices horizontally.
In addition, the Safety & Environment Group prepares and distributes the Site Risk Identification Handbook as a guideline for uncovering risks on one’s own to safety officers at each business site.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group has identified the following as high risk scenarios that require particular focus with respect to prevention.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group is working to prevent occupational injuries caused by manufacturing machines and equipment through activities that ensure intrinsic equipment safety^*. At the same time, we are endeavoring to prevent occupational accidents caused by the actions of workers. Based on the lessons learned from past occupational accidents that have actually occurred at Group sites, we have formulated and are implementing the Basic Safety Principles, which summarize the rules to be observed and prohibited matters during work across six categories for each work process.
In order to ensure that these principles are quickly disseminated throughout the Group, posters with illustrations and easy-to-understand explanations were prepared and distributed to all business sites in Japan and overseas.

Fires and explosions have a significant impact on the surrounding environment and on business continuity. As a preventive measure, we invite outside disaster prevention experts to undertake disaster-preparedness audits when conducting safety audits.
We verify such items as the storage and handling status of hazardous materials as well as the recovery systems used in the event of a natural disaster, etc., to detect disaster risks at an early stage and take preventive measures.
In fiscal 2023, these was audits were conducted at 16 sites uncovering 432 items. As a result, each business site is making the necessary improvements.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group has established and deployed global safety standards to raise the level of safety activities at overseas production sites, which operate within different legal, regulatory, and cultural environments.
In fiscal 2023, auditors went directly to business sites to conduct on-site inspections. We also conducted an occupational health and safety management audit based on the Group’s evaluation standards through remote meetings for sites that had completed on-site inspections.

We hold the SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group Safety Conference every year.
In fiscal 2023, awards were bestowed by the president, and case studies presented by sites with the best safety records using an online format on May 26.

The Housing Company has organized the Sekisui Heim Cooperation Association with its partner companies (contractors) to ensure the safety of employees of partner companies (contractors) involved in the on-site construction of houses, and holds regular meetings and other events. At these meetings, the Housing Company shares the Group's safety policy, holds safety education sessions, and provides various training opportunities related to occupational safety.

Each business site conducts emergency response and notification drills to prevent environmental pollution in the event of an emergency and to prevent the spread of pollution. Training is conducted at least once a year, assuming a variety of cases depending on the characteristics of the site.