Shin-Etsu Group Key CSR Issues
Shin-Etsu Group Key CSR Issues
Key Issue1: Employees and contractor health and safety
Policy
The Group will work to create a comfortable and safe workplace whose goals are to "Zero serious accident" and to "Achieve zero lost time accident."
Occupational Safety
We annually create the Shin-Etsu Group Environmental Safety Management Plan in accordance with the Responsible Care Codes1 and set goals using numerical numbers.
Each of Group's plant clarifies every single possibility that could cause any kind of injury or illness and works hard to mitigate those risks.If it is found that there are intolerable risks in the workplace, various safety measures are taken, and examples include providing workers with individual protective tools, posting safety signs in dangerous areas, and locking out2 and tagging out3. Safety devices are attached to machinery and equipment, and other safety measures include making machinery and equipment fail-safe4 and foolproof5, interlocking6 them, and putting up protective walls. In addition, there are KY7 hazard prediction activities e.g. pointing and calling prior to work and reconfirming safety.
Furthermore, the workers are taking measures against unsafe areas by regularly collecting "close calls and other incidents of concern" from case examples of workers who have experienced close-call incidents and matters of concern. At the same time, we share our risk information and prevent similar accidents by disclosing this risk information internally and externally.
Close-calls Incidents Topics
- 2020.07.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2020.01.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2019.07.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2019.01.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2018.07.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2018.01.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2017.07.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2017.01.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2016.07.29
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2016.02.24
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2015.07.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2015.01.30
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2014.07.31
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2014.01.30
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2013.07.30
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2013.01.30
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2012.07.30
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2012.01.30
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2011.07.25
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2011.01.24
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2009.07.08
- Updated of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
- 2008.01.23
- Disclosure of Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents
Close-Call (Hiyari-Hatto) Incidents Experienced during Daily Work
- 1 Responsible Care Codes
Six principle areas are addressed when implementing Responsible Care: environmental preservation, process safety (and disaster prevention), occupational health and safety, distribution safety, chemical and product safety, and social dialogue (with the public). The codes initiatives in these areas, together with the Management System Codes required for operating all the above. - 2 Lock out
Blocking the power source by locking the switches and other units of machinery and equipment so that they cannot be operated. - 3 Tag out
Attaching tags to areas where machinery and equipment are locked out. This means that operating the machinery and equipment is prohibited until the tags are removed. - 4 Fail-safe
Controlling equipment and systems so that they always operate safely if a problem occurs due to a mistaken operation or malfunction. - 5 Foolproof
Taking measures in advance so that safety is ensured even if workers operate machinery and equipment mistakenly. - 6 Interlock
One of the concepts for safety devices and mechanisms in which machinery and equipment do not work unless certain conditions are met. - 7 KY
Hazard prediction activities. Workers learn safe working methods prior to getting into workplace in order to prevent the occurrence of possible disease or injuries.
Process Safety and Disaster Prevention Plan
Prevention of serious accidents is a top priority in the Group, and we continue to work on a variety of safety and disaster prevention activities. Countermeasures are taken against dangerous places identified through process risk assessments, and pipes and equipment that have become obsolete are maintained and managed, mainly through scheduled maintenance.
Since FY2013 we have worked to enhance safety management by performing risk evaluations and by implementing effective safety measures, particularly of envisaged abnormal plant conditions.
The Company has been participating in the Japan Society for Safety Engineering's Japan Safety Competency Center since its inauguration in FY2012. Each plant uses the Center's "Safety Evaluation System" to further improve the situation and works even harder on the Process Safety and Prevention Plan.
- 1 4M factor analysis
A method to analyze factors such as accident cases in terms of Man, Machine, Media and Management.
Results of safety management activities (Shin-Etsu Chemical)
FY2016 | FY2017 | FY2018 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number of improvements | 4,313 | 4,651 | 8,909 |
Education and Drills
To keep plant operation constantly safe, it is important for each workers working on our Group’s operation sites to improve his /her skills and knowledge and be aware of danger.
For that purpose we provide safety education on the risks of handling materials and processes and possible dangers involving processes as well as simulating possible dangers for employee and contractors. In addition, we work on handing down operation at skills for manufacturing equipment.
Furthermore, we are working to foster an awareness of safety by creating a workplace culture in which operation processes and rules are observed.
We plan and conduct emergency drills for abnormal situations such as major earthquakes or fires.
Environmental Control and Safety Audits
In order to confirm that activities such as environmental conservation, occupational safety and health, process safety and prevention plan are carried out as planned, the Group conducts an internal audit at domestic and overseas operation sites. In FY 2018, audits were conducted at 25 domestic and overseas operation sites.The results of audits are also reported to top management. In referring to cases from other companies in FY2013, we communicated revisions to "Nonroutine Work Safety Measures" within the company. As in FY2017, their implementation status in FY2018 was chosen as a special audit theme.
Health Considerations
We are working to prevent possible diseases through encouraging employees to take health checks, offering health counseling on life style diseases as well as promoting measures on mental health and activities for health promotion and fitness. In addition, we are conducting prevention of and raising awareness toward infectious diseases including new strains of influenza.
Our head office and branch offices have a Health Committee, and each plant has a Safety and Health Committee. The committee works to improve the workplace environment and to promote worker's health with advice and information from industrial physicians. We also have special programs such as physical fitness checks and seminars which help workers to maintain and improve their physical conditions.
Furthermore, we have set up Family Health Consultation with our health insurance union and an insurance company. It is available 24 hours a day. This consultation can also be used by the family members of employees.
Targets and Results
Every fiscal year, the Group creates environmental and safety management plans based on Responsible Care Code. The entire Group works on key issues such as the prevention of major disasters including explosions and fires and industrial accidents according to the management plan prepared.
Reporting of Accidents and Lost Time Accident
In FY2018, there were no serious accidents but four lost-time injuries in the Group companies in Japan. We have analyzed causes for each accident and reviewed safety on handling hazardous materials and possible hazardous operations to eliminate possible injuries and also secure equipment safety, and have implemented appropriate safety measures.
Also, we are working on revising the operation manuals to help prevent re-occurrence of the accidents.
We will continue to work on preventing work-related accidents complying with what was described above.
The occurrence of work-related accidents is reported to the Directors and division heads at monthly business report meetings.
- * Because the definition of occupational accidents differs between Japan and overseas, we do not disclose overseas Group companies’ accident statistics. If definition of occupational accident is internationally unified, we consider disclosing.