Occupational Safety and Health
Basic Policy
ISK’s safety and health policy is to ensure the safety, security, and health of employees and local residents by complying with safety and health-related laws, preventing accidents and disasters, building a pleasant work environment, and constantly raising the level of safety and health. Additionally, we have established “occupational safety and health, operation safety, and disaster prevention” as one of our Group’s key issues (materiality) and are promoting initiatives aimed at achieving a lost injury frequency rate and severity rate of zero.
Safety and Health Management Structures
In line with our “Basic Policies on Environmental Protection and Safety & Health Promotion,” we have established the Environment, Safety & Health Management Committee under the purview of the Office of President to deliberate on the highest level policy proposals relating to safety and health, the environment and chemical substance management. Below this is the Safety and Health Council which, in addition to the organizations that promote environmental conservation and undertake chemical substance management, promotes occupational safety and health promotion awareness.
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Safety and Health Management System
At ISK, we have established “president-directed environmental, safety and health goals” which reflect the characteristics of operation at each business location, and, in order to achieve these goals, key initiatives are set at the beginning of each fiscal year.
For the progress of activities related to the important initiatives, we ascertain the overall status of the plant, discuss countermeasures, and review measures as needed at monthly Safety and Health Committee meetings.
In addition, departmental and plant-wide reviews are conducted at the end of each fiscal year; activity summaries for each are created and provided to each other, including ISK Group companies, at the Safety & Health Council; information is shared and issues are sorted out; and then those issues are escalated to the Environment, Safety & Health Management Committee for deliberation. After reflecting on the initiatives of the current fiscal year, the Environment, Safety & Health Management Committee sets goals for the next fiscal year, and new initiatives are planned at each business location; thus a PDCA cycle is implemented to foster an upward spiral in occupational safety and health and health promotion awareness.
Occupational Safety and Health Initiatives
Heatstroke Prevention
With increasingly hot summers prompting greater risk of heatstroke, we have been requiring relevant employees to take courses in preventing heatstroke in the pre-summer period. Led by instructors from beverage manufacturers, these courses explain how to prevent heatstroke by, for example, staying hydrated and knowing the symptoms of heatstroke. These courses are also recorded on video and made available for viewing on company PCs for the education of all employees.
Daily Calisthenics
It’s not known exactly when ISK began holding daily calisthenics, but it has for sure been held every day before work since the 1950s. Daily exercise helps prevent injuries and are important in alerting employees to their physical condition on that day. Daily calisthenics are also believed to maintain good health. With average employee age increasing, calisthenics are growing in importance and ISK will continue to hold them in earnest.
Safety and Accident Prevention Initiatives
Safety control is the foundation of ISK’s business. At the Yokkaichi Plant, our target is to eliminate fires, explosions, and any kinds of leaks. We conduct risk assessments with What-If Scenario Analysis: when installing new equipment or upgrading existing ones, when updating production methods, and when doing safety assessments of existing equipment where high-risk items such as hazardous substances and high-pressure gas are handled.
Then, countermeasures are taken for the extracted potential risks. We also focus on accident case study education, and company executives conduct periodic safety patrols.
Earthquake and tsunami evacuation drills to prepare for a megathrust earthquake are held annually for all personnel and vehicles using the Yokkaichi Plant. This improves our ability to respond quickly and appropriately to such emergencies.
Hazard Simulation Classes for New Employees and Mid-Career Hires
In 2019, we added hands-on training to our classroom-centered health and safety training for new employees and mid-career hires. Using model equipment so employees can experience risks such as being exposed to liquids when operating valves, the training gives all participants firsthand experience in on-site dangers.
ISK also sends groups of employees to take danger simulation seminars at outside training facilities, where they do things like practice hanging in mid-air with safety belts and experience a simulated accident of getting pinched by or caught in equipment. This heightens their awareness of precaution and teaches them to avoid dangers in their actual work.
Safety and Disaster Preparedness Initiatives
Yokkaichi Plant
In preparation for emergencies, Yokkaichi Plant conducts annual joint drills with the plant’s Self Disaster Team and the local fire department, which are open to the local residents.
In fiscal 2020 and 2021, due to the impact of COVID-19, we cancelled the joint training with the fire department and the public was, and conducted emergency drills in-house only. But in fiscal 2022, for the first time in three years, we restarted joint drills with the local fire department. We work to improve our level of disaster preparedness each year by adding new elements (such as the use of drones) to the drills.
Central Research Institute
Comprehensive disaster drills are held for all personnel every September to raise awareness of disaster preparedness. After the drill, the fire department provides us with feedback so we can conduct more effective drills. In fiscal 2022, we erected a smoke house to simulate the fear of smoke and experience evacuation in the event of fire with the cooperation of the fire department, and participants learned how to protect themselves from smoke.