Basic Approach to Occupational Safety and Health Initiatives
The UBE Group strives to keep occupational accidents to zero by making operations inherently safe. The Group’s efforts are designed to foster a safety-driven corporate culture and to reduce risks by enhancing safety initiatives and making continuous improvements. In the area of occupational health, each business site establishes an occupational safety and health management system to maintain and improve corporate activities. The UBE Group also endeavors to ensure the mental and physical health of employees by improving lifestyle habits through health checkups and follow-up care as well as various measures such as mental health consultations.
Initiatives to Prevent Occupational Accidents
Fostering a Safety-Driven Corporate Culture
To make existing safety activities more comprehensive and effective, in fiscal 2016 we launched initiatives aimed at fostering a safety-driven corporate culture, encompassing eight elements. These are organizational governance, positive involvement, resource management, work management, motivation, learning and knowledge transmission, risk perception, and mutual understanding. In keeping with findings from assessments based on headquarters’ evaluation standards, business sites identify issues and formulate and execute plans to cultivate a safety culture as part of ongoing improvement efforts.
Eliminating Major Disasters
We have undertaken a range of activities to prevent occupational accidents. In fiscal 2018, we initiated efforts that centered on eliminating major incidents. We conduct risk assessments of work that is highly susceptible to serious accidents. We implement systematic risk reduction measures and endeavor to make operations inherently safe. From fiscal 2020, we undertook safety activities with partner companies* adding safety education and training from fiscal 2021 as a priority item.
We investigate the causes of all incidents regardless of whether they result in lost time, striving to prevent similar incidents by assessing and rolling out measures.
* Partner companies: Including construction and other contractors
Initiatives on Safety and Health
UBE Group Safety and Health Rally
The UBE Group holds a safety and health rally every year. About 300 UBE Group officers and employees as well as business partners from across Japan participate, sharing information and fostering motivation. In addition, individuals and groups that have made particularly outstanding contributions to safety and health receive recognition from the company president. The event also features presentations from small safety groups on their experiences and special lectures from outside instructors about safety and health management, helping to raise safety awareness.
At the end of the rally, all participants, including officers, join together in reciting the Group’s safety pledge, renewing their commitment to eliminating accidents and improving work environments.
Occupational Safety and Health Council
This is a forum in which representatives of the Companywide union and UBE’s occupational safety and health officers gather to review annual occupational safety and health results and plans for the new fiscal year and discuss requests from both sides. Participants share prevailing issues and discuss ways to address them. We reflect forum results in the following year’s plans. Many major accidents have occurred among subcontractors. Labor representatives and management recognize the importance of coordinating better with those firms. Our annual plans accordingly include measures to foster safety activities with subcontractors.
Labor-Management Councils
Following Occupational Health and Safety Council discussions with Companywide union representatives, regional business sites convene gatherings to discuss local union and management requests.