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| Concept: | Based on the management's principle that “no production should be operated without assurance of safety,” the AGC Group is ensuring occupational health and safety at its production sites by applying its Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OHSMS) and securing the equipment's safety. |
- To comply with the OHSAS 18001*1: 2007 version and to improve the effectiveness of the OHSMS
- To promote safety measures for equipment in compliance with international safety standards
- To foster traditional safety activities*2
Self-evaluation |
||
1. |
Completed preparation to comply with OHSAS18001:2007 by the first half of fiscal 2009 at maufacturing sites with OHSAS 18001-based standards |
A |
2. |
Implemented a plan for fiscal 2008 toward further development in 2010 (e.g., the number of qualified safety sub-assessors increased by 61) |
B*3 |
3. |
Promoting traditional safety activities through training seminars resulted in a decrease in occupational accidents from 50 to 34 at Group companies in Asia. |
A |
Criteria for self-evaluation
A:Satisfactory level, in which the intended target has been achieved
B:Almost satisfactory level, in which a part of the intended target has not yet been achieved
C:Unsatisfactory level, in which the intended target has not been achieved
- To enhance the effectiveness of risk assessment and to prepare for transition from self certification to third-party certification for the OHSMS in the AGC Group
- To make the new equipment criteria widely known among Group companies in Japan and overseas
- To improve occupational health management
*1 Standards for occupational health & safety management systems certified by a third party
*2 Traditional safety activities: promotion of the 5Ss (seiri[neatness], seiton[orderliness], seiketsu[cleanliness], seisou[cleanness], and shitsuke[discipline]), hazard prediction, near-miss management (hiyari-hatto), and safety patrols
*3 Reason for B evaluation: Delay in the revision of the new equipment criteria
AGC Group Basic Occupational Health & Safety Policy (Revised on March 28, 2008)
AGC Group will manage its occupational health and safety (“OH & S”) under the policy of “No production should be operated without assurance of safety”, and our leaders will ensure that our OH & S policy should be communicated, understood, and implemented throughout our Group and that all of our employees should be actively involved in the promotion of the health, safety and well-being in our work environment.
We will address any possible issues in occupational injuries and illnesses to achieve continuous improvement in our OH & S performance, based on the following guideline of “Five Axes of OH & S”:
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Global Safety Management
Given that machines and equipment can break down and people can make mistakes, the AGC Group is committed to identifying potential risk factors to reduce the number of occupational accidents at its manufacturing sites. We are also combining our traditional safety activities*4 with the Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OHSMS) to increase the effectiveness of the activities. In addition, we conduct safety patrols and training seminars at our manufacturing sites across the world and organize global health & safety symposiums (see Topic) to share excellent safety measures.
*4 Traditional safety activities: promotion of the 5Ss (seiri[neatness], seiton[orderliness], seiketsu[cleanliness], seisou[cleanness], and shitsuke[discipline]), hazard prediction, near-miss management (hiyari-hatto), and safety patrols
The AGC Group's Concept of Safety Management
*5 Risk assessment: Activities of the cycle to comprehensively identify risks associated with equipment and work processes, to evaluate the risk levels and to implement safety measures, prioritizing serious risks
Topic
Strengthening Health and Safety Activities across the AGC Group
Members participating in the Symposium held at the Chiba Plant
The AGC Group has been holding its Global Health & Safety Symposium every year since 2005 in order to share excellent safety measures and discuss common challenges for improving our health and safety levels. In fiscal 2008, we held this symposium in Japan with the participation of 128 employees in charge of health and safety at 16 Group companies in nine countries, who actively engaged in discussions.
Enhancing the Inherent Safety of New Equipment
To ensure manufacturing sites' safety, it is most important to enhance the inherent safety of equipment. Accordingly, the AGC Group is raising the safety level of its new equipment by responding to international safety standards such as ISO 12100, in addition to implementing safety measures for existing equipment through risk assessment. For example, Asahi Glass encourages employees to obtain qualifications as safety assessors,*6 who conduct risk assessment on the design and manufacturing stages of new equipment to be introduced to its plants with the aim of ensuring the equipment's safety.
Risk assessment has been increasingly conducted by the safety assessors on the design and manufacturing stages of new equipment since fiscal 2007, and in fiscal 2010, we will conduct such risk assessment on all new equipment before its introduction to our sites. Our next step is to expand the risk assessment target to include Group companies in Asia, thereby promoting wider activities for the introduction of safer equipment.
*6 Under the qualification system for skills on equipment safety, engineers are qualified on three different levels as “safety lead assessors,” “safety assessors,” and “safety sub-assessors.”
Occupational Accidents in Fiscal 2008
In fiscal 2008, the AGC Group (companies in Japan and other Asian countries) incurred 110 occupational accidents.*7 In particular, accidents in Group companies in Asia decreased by 16 (32%) from the previous fiscal year. This is due to the efforts to prevent cuts and other similar occupational accidents. Specifically, protectors were attached to work-in-process glass products at manufacturing sites and employees were standardized to use protective equipment. We will continue to introduce safer equipment while correcting the “unsafe behaviors” of workers that have caused occupational accidents and providing insight into the background to such behaviors in order to implement specific countermeasures.
Since fiscal 2007, we have been collecting information about occupational accidents that took place across the AGC Group, including companies in Europe and North America. Based on the tabulation results, we will foster Group-wide safety management and reduce occupational accidents globally.
Number of Occupational Accidents in Fiscal 2008*7 (AGC Group companies in Japan and other Asian countries)
| Asahi Glass |
Other domestic Group companies |
Group companies in Asia |
Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fatalities | 0(0) | 0(0) | 2(2) | 2(2) |
| Accidents requiring leave |
6(5) | 8(9) | 16(26) | 30(40) |
| Accidents not requiring leave |
11(6) | 16(10) | 16(22) | 43(38) |
| Accidents of minor injuries |
34(44) | 1(10) | Not counted | 35(54) |
| Total | 51(55) | 25(29) | 34(50) | 110(134) |
*7 The numbers of accidents of minor injuries and more serious injuries were totaled for Asahi Glass (unconsolidated) and some other domestic Group companies, and the numbers of accidents not requiring leave and more serious accidents were totaled for other Group companies in and outside Japan. Figures in parentheses are numbers of occupational accidents in fiscal 2007.
Changes in the Frequency Rate for Accidents Requiring Leave*8 (Asahi Glass*9)
*8 Number of workers involved in accidents requiring leave per one million actual working hours
*9 Asahi Glass data include employees at all operating sites (including cooperating companies).
Types of Occupational Accidents in Fiscal 2008 (AGC Group companies in Japan and other Asian countries)
Education and Training on Occupational Health and Safety
Realization of industrial safety can only be achieved when every employee always considers safety as the top priority while engaging in work. Sharing the awareness that safety is an integral part of work, we must pass down safe behavior to younger generations beyond the barrier of age or experience, and establish a corporate culture open to mutual correction.
The AGC Group provides safety training according to rank and purpose. In fiscal 2008, the Group conducted safety management training course, risk assessment training, the OHSMS internal auditor training course, safety engineering training course, safety patrol training, chemical substance manager training course, MSDS creation training, safety experience training, and industrial hygiene manager training course, thereby promoting enhancement of safety consciousness and knowledge.
In addition, since 2005, the Group has encouraged employees to obtain qualifications as safety assessors*10 with the aim of ensuring the equipment′s safety. We have held biannual in-house intensive seminars for employees who are in charge of equipment design and manufacturing and safety at domestic Group companies and other cooperating companies. As a result, out of 884 qualifies safety sub-assessors in Japan (as of the end of 2008), 107 are employees of the AGC Group and its cooperating companies.
*10 Under the qualification system for skills on equipment safety, engineers are qualified on three different levels as “safety lead assessors,” “safety assessors,” “safety sub-assessors.”
Topic
Communicating a Safety Message throughout the Group
Safety posters (in English, Japanese, and Thai from the left)
The AGC Group created a safety awareness promotion poster at the suggestion of the Group COO as of 2009. Through this poster, we aim to share the management's principle that “No production should be operated without assurance of safety” across the Group to foster safe manufacturing activities, keeping in mind the message that the COO as of 2009 wishes to communicate to employees through this principle: “We must give first priority to safety in our manufacturing activities throughout our business operations.” We created the poster in 17 languages (Japanese, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Tagalog, Korean, English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, French, Russian, Italian, German, and Czech) and began distributing approximately 7,000 copies to the plants of Group companies in November 2008. Some of these plants display the poster in several languages.
Cooperation with Business Partners
The AGC Group conducts its business in cooperation with a large number of business partners. Their cooperation is necessary to ensure occupational health and safety. In fiscal 2008, we held lectures on health and safety given by invited external speakers, and tours to the plants of other companies with excellent safety records in cooperation with our business partners. We are thus striving to ensure health and safety, strengthening ties with our business partners across the supply chain.
Health and safety trainings provided to business partners in fiscal 2008
- Safety seminars
Seminars on the AGC Group's safety management and safety activities conducted by other companies - Plant tours of other companies with excellent safety records
- Lectures on health
Lectures on mental health care and open-minded workplaces
Safety seminar
Health Management Policy
In March 2007, the AGC Group set its Health Management Policy, regarding it necessary to clearly show the Group's policy of health management to employees. Asahi Glass has been implementing measures to manage the health of employees based on this policy, which provides for health consciousness, corporate support for employee health, and self-discipline by employees.
Health Management Policy
The AGC Group has established the following health management policy to be followed by its employees in conducting their business operations, to continuously create value for the world under the Group vision “Look Beyond”
Health consciousness
Employees represent one of the most important assets for the AGC Group, and health is one of the most important elements of the daily lives of employees.
Corporate support for employee health
The AGC Group will actively implement measures to maintain and promote the physical and mental health of its employees, thereby supporting them in driving the growth of the Group by fully displaying their individual abilities, and in striving to lead meaningful lives.
Self-discipline by employees
Employees themselves must be aware of the importance of their health, and they must maintain and promote their health through self-discipline, taking responsibility for their own health.
* We aim to initially implement this policy widely in Asahi Glass (unconsolidated), and to expand its targets in the future to include its domestic and overseas affiliates.
Major health management measures
- Special health instructions against the metabolic syndrome
- Provision of free-of-charge detailed health checks to employees with findings that require further testing in regular checkups, and of half the cost of medical checkups for the early detection of cancer
- Drastic measures to prevent health damage due to excessive work
- Encouragement of physical exercise through sport and recreational events
Mental Health Care
In recent years, the number of workers with mental health problems has been increasing, and this is becoming a social concern. Accordingly, Asahi Glass has been enhancing its mental health care measures for employees.
Major mental health care measures
- Employees' support program
Under the program, employees and their family can consult external experts (counselors) about their mental problems in person or by phone. The consultation details are kept strictly confidential. - Training (e-learning) for managers
Training for managers, who play a vital role in the mental healthcare of employees, has been provided through e-learning so that managers can obtain and review necessary knowledge and information. - Mental checkups by employees themselves
For employees to understand their health situation and manage their health in a proactive manner, mental checkup sheets are distributed, to help prevent and detect their mental problems at an early stage. - Support program for employees with mental problems to return to the workplace
This is a program to support employees who have taken longterm leave due to mental problems to return to their workplaces.
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