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Sustainability Material Issue ７ Enhancing the Occupational Safety Management System
Objectives
Enhance systems to ensure compliance with occupational safety and health laws and regulations and to enforce safety awareness thoroughly for the safety and peace of mind of employees and outside partners working on site.
| Indicators (2030) |
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| Progress (2023 results) |
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| Globally Common Measures to 2030 |
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We are taking steps to enhance our occupational safety and health management system throughout the Lion Group.
Driven by the fundamental principle that safety is its absolute top priority, Lion has added disaster prevention items to the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS)* based on the guidelines of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to establish a unique Safety, Health and Disaster Prevention Management System. Since 2009, we have operated this system at all domestic Group companies, and since 2012 we have included internal audits in our efforts to improve the system’s effectiveness. In addition, since 2014 we have been holding the Safety, Health and Disaster Prevention Meeting (originally launched in 1992 as the Environmental Security Conference). We work in accordance with Lion’s unique OSHMS to reduce potential hazards and risks, continuously maintain work environments, create safer workplace environments and build related systems.
* A system for the systematic and organized operation and management of health and safety activities.
The Lion Group has established the All Lion (AL) Safety, Health, and Disaster Prevention Policy to define our commitment to ensuring the safety and health of all employees of the Lion Group and creating a comfortable and pleasant work environment. This policy applies to all employees of domestic Group companies and is reviewed and updated as necessary every December.
Twice a year, the Company holds the Safety, Health and Disaster Prevention Meeting. Chaired by a member of top management (Director Fumitomo Noritake), the meetings deliberate on Company-wide measures to ensure facility safety and occupational safety (including work environment improvement) as well as Health (health problem prevention and mental health maintenance), and disaster prevention (emergency response) measures and coordinate ongoing initiatives aimed at thoroughly eradicating risk. In 2018, we established a Safety and Disaster Prevention Promotion Department directly below the management level, further strengthening the Lion Group’s occupational health, safety and disaster prevention management system.
Lion Corporation and each of its domestic Group companies have established a Safety, Health and Disaster Prevention Committee based on the Industrial Safety and Health Act and while effectively utilizing this committee, reflects the opinions of all employees within each operating site to resolve issues, including problems specific to each site.
Our domestic companies actively support overseas Group companies in their safety, health and disaster prevention activities.
The Lion Group implements top safety audits of domestic production division plants, with the chair of the Safety, Health and Disaster Prevention Meeting serving as the responsible officer. These audits, conducted from an objective standpoint, mainly examine systematically whether appropriate mechanisms for safety and disaster prevention are in place, whether AL Safety, Health and Disaster Prevention Management System is being operated properly, and whether the level of safety and disaster prevention management is improving. Major disaster simulation exercises are carried out in collaboration with the public fire brigades as part of the top safety audits. Lion’s top management offers direction and advise on how to eliminate accidents and disasters, working to further increase the safety of each plant and create environments in which employees can work with peace of mind and safety. In 2023, top safety audits were undertaken at two factories, Lion Specialty Chemicals’ Ono Plant and Lion Chemicals’ Fine Chemical Plant.
The Company has created detailed manuals and plans of action on how to respond in the event of natural disasters, such as large-scale earthquakes. In addition to these plans, which differ depending on the severity and scale of the disaster as well as the extent of damage incurred, the Company conducts Company-wide and individual disaster drills at each operating site.
For larger disasters, a disaster response headquarters has been established to take action. A remote disaster response headquarters has also been established in light of the rising use of remote work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the possibility of a disaster occurring overnight or on a holiday and the challenges of maintaining a facility with all relevant members physically in attendance. Accordingly, we have been conducting joint disaster prevention drills and remote disaster response headquarters activities since 2020.Additionally, events such as COVID-19’s reclassification to a Class 5 infectious disease have brought with them even more changes in the workplace. Accordingly, we have worked to prepare for large-scale natural disasters by adapting our remote work systems into hybrid systems (designating disaster response headquarters members in our company while simultaneously working remotely with members working outside the company) and will work more closely with Disaster Management Headquarters members.
In anticipation of an increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters and the further diversification of work styles, we will further upgrade our disaster response system. At the same time, through safety confirmation drills, lifesaving courses etc., we will also continue to strengthen the emergency response efforts undertaken by each employee as well as our disaster prevention activities that contribute to local communities.
In 2023, three abnormalities*1, all leaks, occurred, an increase from 2022. All were due to human error. The causes of these abnormalities have been investigated by both the head office and the affected departments, and corrective actions have been taken, with all production plants making improvements based on investigations of similar problems.
In addition, based on lessons learned from equipment accidents in recent years, we have established new standards for equipment maintenance inspections in addition to our deterioration inspections. Furthermore, we implement level-specific education for facility operators to foster awareness and knowledge regarding change management*2 as part of efforts to reinforce management of facility safety.
Going forward, we will continue working to reinforce technological capabilities related to facility safety, including systematic human resource development, from a medium- to long-term perspective.
*1Fires, explosions, leaks, etc.
*2Management activities that prevent risks associated with changes in facilities or operating conditions.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
In 2023, the number of labor-related accidents recorded was 28, excluding cases that occurred during commutes to work (of these, five accidents led to lost work time). Analysis of the causes of these accidents categorized them as follows: falls and chemical injuries each had the most at 5 cases, and the main cause of these accidents appeared to be a lack of caution (such as taking shortcuts or deviating from rules) attributable to employees’ overfamiliarity with operations or carelessness (unsafe actions, etc.). When occupational accidents occur, the department in which the accident took place investigates the cause and takes measures to prevent recurrence, and the Safety and Disaster Prevention Department ensures that corrective actions are taken and that the entire Company is aware of the situation.
To prevent occurrences of occupational accidents, it is crucial to enhance our safety management system and heighten every members’ awareness of occupational safety. In addition to safety awareness education via Company-wide internal e-learning and implementing risk simulation training using conventional machinery, Lion uses digital technology to provide hazard sensitivity training, such as VR risk simulation training, at our plants and research institutes.
To reinforce safety culture, we also hold external safety lectures for veteran workers at all production division plants safety training development programs under the guidance of instructors in charge of the Education and Zero Accident Promotion Department of the Central Industrial Accident Prevention Association.
| Eligible employees | Participation rate |
|---|---|
| 4,373 | 96.2％ |
| Hirai Research Center | Odawara Research Center | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 138 | 54 | 192 |
| Outside Safety Lecture Participants |
|---|
| 525 |
Occupational Accidents＊1
＊1Excludes accidents that occurred during commutes to work
Production Division Occupational
Accident Frequency＊2
＊2Rate of accidents leading to death, lost work time of one day or more, or loss of bodily function without loss of work time
Production Division Occupational Accident
Severity Rate＊4
＊4Severity rate: Lost work days / Total work hours (thousands of hours)
| Research and development divisions | Production divisions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hirai | Odawara | Chiba | Odawara | Osaka | Akashi |
| 659 | 4,679 | 185 | 2,554 | 1,394 | 3,365 |
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee (Lion Corporation) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0＊3 | 0＊3 |
| Employee (Domestic Group Companies) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0＊3 | 0＊3 |
＊5Including dispatched employees and part-time employees
In 2023, representatives from Lion visited PT. Lion Wings (Indonesia) to provide direct guidance on the improvement of insecure areas and methods of safety risk identification. Furthermore, for Lion Corporation (Thailand) Ltd., we increased safety awareness among employees and supported prevention of work-related injuries and fatalities by following the guidance of outside agencies and applying regulations made to aid target industries set out by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare under the Asia Occupational Safety and Health SAKURA Project. We had been striving to provide these and other overseas Group companies with timely advice and guidance through remote meetings and internal e-mails. Going forward, we will continue to provide guidance and support according to the situation at each company and strive to reinforce the Lion Group’s safety, health and disaster prevention systems.
Overseas companies are also continuing to strengthen hygiene protocols (temperature checks, hand washing, disinfection, and wearing masks) aimed at preventing COVID-19 infection, which is having a synergistic effect with occupational safety measures.
