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View Sumitomo Corporation's Sustainability : Health & Safety
The Sumitomo Corporation Group offers a safe, hygienic and healthy working environment for its employees. The Group positions physical and mental health management as the foundation of work-life management, and encourages employees to work efficiently to create sufficient time for their private lives. The aim is to promote a work style that allows employees to maintain and enhance their health while being highly productive.
“To achieve prosperity and realize dreams through sound business activities” is a management principle upheld by Sumitomo Corporation. The Company believes that its corporate mission is to deliver financial and emotional enrichment to people around the world including its employees, shareholders, business partners and local community members, and realize their dreams. Maintaining and enhancing employee health is one of the most critical factors that underpin this pursuit. Sumitomo Corporation will continue with its diverse health management initiatives.
In recognition of these initiatives, Sumitomo Corporation has been certified, for eight consecutive years from 2017 to 2024, as an Excellent Enterprise of Health and Productivity Management―White 500 by METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) for its superior management practices that focus on promoting employee health.
In order to prepare for the incidents, accidents, and disasters that could occur anywhere in the world, each employee all over the world always needs to be aware of risks and appropriate safety measures. At the same time, each organization also needs to develop an infrastructure for safety measures to prepare for emergency. In addition, in the event of an emergency, immediate report of the incident is crucial to provide a support and promptly resume business operations.
We have therefore centralized reporting of all domestic and international emergency cases to the Disaster Response and Safety Management Dept. and ensure prompt reporting to the president and established companywide structure in order to promptly provide necessary supporting activities by appointing the executive in charge of human resources, general affairs and legal affairs as General Manager of Crisis Management Team. When a major natural disaster occurs, We will react promptly based on our fundamental policy, which is to prioritize (1) employees’ safety, (2) mutual assistance, and (3) prompt recovery of business operations. We have created manuals to inform all officers and employees of this policy.
Most recently, we have been improving the effectiveness of the business continuity plans (BCPs) of each organization by implementing a crisis management program from FY2021. This activity includes not only formulating plans but also conducting exercises, reviews, and then making improvements through PDCA cycle. Furthermore, in January 2022, we established a dedicated team within the Disaster Response and Safety Management Dept. to strengthen the work safety systems of group companies and support emergency responses and recurrence prevention measures in the event of a work-related accident. We also gather safety management-related information, gain experience, and share best practices within the entire Group.
Currently, many countries around the world are struggling with serious health issues, including HIV (AIDS), tuberculosis and malaria. The Sumitomo Corporation Group is determined to take active measures against these global health problems.
In order to ensure that officers and employees of our Group have accurate information about and protect themselves from these infectious diseases, the Company provides health checkups in advance for officers and employees who are assigned overseas and, when necessary, encourages them to be vaccinated against infectious diseases. We also provide a variety of training before their assignments.
Moreover, we started organizing e-learning and seminars on safety measures in FY2017 in response to requests by employees about to go on their first overseas business trip as well as those looking for the latest information on infectious diseases. These programs aim to enhance awareness of crisis management and disseminate accurate and up-to-date information. We make these programs available to officers and employees not only of Sumitomo Corporation but also of the entire Group within and outside Japan.
Through these activities, we support employees’ health and safety while they are overseas.
If an accident occurs, it must be immediately reported to the Disaster Response & Safety Management Dept.. The number of occupational accidents reported in Sumitomo Corporation’s Employee last 5 years are as follows:
Number of work-related accidents
| FY2018 | FY2019 | FY2020 | FY2021 | FY2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 case | 3 cases | 2 cases | 2 cases | 2 cases |
We have been holding the Work Safety information Committee that consists of persons in charge of internal control in each sales division every other month since last July. We share the occurrence situation of SC group’s occupational accident cases, and preventive countermeasures as the best practice.
Against fatal or very serious occupational accidents, our Disaster Response & Safety Management Dept. makes an immediate report to the president and authorized members. They also share the information that includes root cause analysis and temporary counter measures.
Sumitomo Corporation offers a variety of training programs and seminars in order to foster crisis awareness and to equip each employee with necessary knowledge.
As a countermeasure against natural disasters, the Tokyo Head Office has systems in place for establishing the Crisis Management Team. Each year that team conducts tabletop exercises and emergency response exercises at each floor of the Headquarters in anticipation of an earthquake under the Tokyo Metropolitan area. At the same time, we also developed impact based BCPs for the Group that can be used to respond to multiple disasters, including not just earthquakes, but also typhoons, floods, and pandemics, etc., and encourage each organization to conduct exercises as well.
As safety measures for Group employees working or travelling abroad, we have prepared safety manuals and provide information to increase awareness about safe behavior at each location. We also provide various e-learning and practical training programs with levels from beginner to advanced, depending on the experience of each employee. Further, we have built systems to provide prompt and effective supports by cooperating with regional offices in case of emergency there. We have also established systems together with overseas offices to obtain real-time information on every risk (conflicts, terrorism, riots, casualty, and natural disasters, etc.) occurring in the world, and share the information with relevant parties.
Under the slogan “protecting people‘s lives,” Fumakilla Indonesia has been working for over 30 years in the Indonesian market, where protection of people from Dengue fever, malaria and other infections is a daily concern. It has made slow but steady efforts in spreading its high-quality mosquito repellent coils to every corner of the region. As a result, it now has the largest share in the Indonesian market and contributes to addressing local social issues. In terms of social contribution, not only the product performance but also the marketing method applied there (a business model called BOP to deliver products directly to general users in emerging countries) are significant. With completion of a new research lab with the latest equipment in FY2021, the company now also has a new product development system in place for pursuing greater efficacy and safety. Since its foundation in 1991, we have been continuing our investment (current share of 20%). Our employees assigned there also support the local operation of Fumakilla.
Mosquito repellent coil of Fumakilla
The Metal Products Business Unit continues to develop globally in various industries, and in all of its business activities, the unit places the utmost importance on ensuring the health and safety of its employees, implementing several key measures in support of this philosophy. Typical examples are the global initiatives for zero accidents in Steel Service Center Business Groups(Steel products related business) and the global HSSE management system for eliminating occupational and environmental accidents in the tubular products business.
The Steel Service Center Business Groups (Steel products related business) conducts business in more than ten countries, including Japan, and in a wide variety of industries including automobiles, electrical machinery, electronics, and building materials. In each case, safety measures are tailored according to the conditions of each Steel Service Center Business Group. Central to the implementation of these safety measures, at each of the sites, is the Safety, TQM & Quality Control Team in the Division Planning & Coordination Dept, of Sumitomo Corporation Global Metals Co., Ltd., which performs that role of an internal advisor and provides support for the elimination of occupational accidents.
Specifically, we encourage the introduction of Total Quality Management (TQM) at each company in order to establish the foundations of an effective safety system and further instill a culture of safety in all aspects, from the management that leads the company to the manufacturing sites of business companies. We constantly seek to improve the quality of management and ensure consistency individual targets as well as striving to enhance awareness of safety and incentives by continuously monitoring and communicating the status of these defined targets.
An example of support activities is the support for provided periodic self-audits conducted by companies based on a 150-item safety checklist provided by the Safety, TQM & Quality Control Team responsible for visiting major customers, formulating action plans for identified areas of improvement and following up on the status of improvement (during the COVID-19 pandemic, this activity has been conducted by online conferencing).
In the tubular products related business, we have established a 12-item HSSE management system based on the slogan “Beyond Zero Harm”(Eradication od Occupational and Environmental Hazards) to promote and establish HSSE as a part of the organizational culture. In order to put this into practice, we assigned ISO 45001 experts to major overseas bases and developed an IT system, for sharing local lessons and good practices globally across the Group, and an education program including e-learning courses. In this way, we are focusing our efforts on developing environments where our employees can work safely and with peace of mind.
Going forward, we will continue to fulfill our social mission by building a better working environment, aiming for “Zero Accidents” in both the steel and tubular products business.
HSSE Management System PDCA Cycle
The Global Construction & Mining Systems Div. (G-CMSD) established the G-CMSD HSE Promotion Office in 2018. By making full use of its global human resources, the HSE Promotion Office started implementing Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) activities with the aim of eliminating serious industrial incidents and improving HSE activities at all G-CMSD Group companies.
The office formulated a vision and HSE standards, publishes a monthly Safety News report, issues Safety Alerts to share examples of incidents, and has conducted safety inspections (gap analysis) of the Group companies. From FY2022, we started conducting safety audits which are more detailed and comprehensive than the gap analysis and has audited three companies in FY2022, with plans to audit another four companies in FY2023. As part of safety education, it also conducts safety training for new division members and all employees who are dispatched overseas. To facilitate communications within the Group, the office is encouraging further activities such as creating a portal in March 2021 and the introduction of Safety Awards, which recognize excellence among the Group companies.
Safety Alerts are used to share information about findings and corrective actions of incidents.
Safety inspections are conducted at each company. Best practices are identified and shared for other Group companies to emulate. Activities are implemented by using HSE experts from Group companies.
Visiting an Group company for a safety audit
Our Group’s development of uranium mines, production and sales of uranium concentrates*1, and trading of various kinds of nuclear fuels containing radioactive materials comply with each country's laws and regulations based on the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) standards. With our highest priority on HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment), we place the utmost importance in ensuring the safety of onsite employees and local residents. Specific measures taken in production and sales of uranium concentrates include the measurement of radiation exposure of all those entering and leaving the plant, and the management and monitoring of cumulative radiation doses in employees*2. Furthermore, the uranium concentrates and various kinds of nuclear fuels we deal in are all used for peaceful purposes such as power generation. Our relevant activities comply with security trade control-related laws and regulations.
As of December 2020, 4 of 372, or 1.1% of Sumitomo Corporation consolidated companies, had been certified to OHSAS18001 Certification.
As for ISO45001, which was issued in March 2018 and is recommended for transition, we have confirmed that the following five companies have obtained ISO 45001 as of March 2023.