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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.
To prevent occupational accidents, we are working to create a common sense of value for safety, establish a safety management system, and improve occupational safety at key sites. Our main achievements in FY2023 are described below. Going forward, we will continue striving to prevent occupational accidents by stepping up various initiatives, such as education and awareness-raising.
Safety seminar
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 head of Human Resources, General Affairs & Legal Group 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
| FY2019 | FY2020 | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 cases | 2 cases | 2 cases | 2 cases | 5 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 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 (The business model is delivering the products not only in the urban area but also in the rural area through warungs and grosirs that are part of the traditional General Trade channel in Indonesia.) 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 Steel Group works globally across various industries, continuously engages in safety management activities. We set “safety” as top priority above all in each business to protect the lives and safety of employees and all stakeholders.
One of remarkable examples is the global zero-accident initiative in the Steel Service Centers (SSCs, steel sheet processing and sales network) in steel sheet businesses. Another is the global HSSE (Health, Safety, Security, and Environment) management in steel pipe businesses (supply chain management, wholesaling, and processing) that target to zero-accidents, including security and hygiene, and go beyond.
SSCs supply services to various industries, including automotive, electrical, electronics, and building materials, and run in more than ten countries, including Japan. Due to the varying degrees of risk associated with various products and labor conditions, the group not only sets up common safety standards but also supports tailored safety initiatives based on the specific circumstances of each country and company. These activities are led by the Safety TQM Team at Sumitomo Corporation Global Metals Co., Ltd. This team implements and promotes TQM (Total Quality Management) across SSCs, linking company safety goals with individual performance targets to enhance safety awareness and the effectiveness of safety activities. The team also conducts safety audits, setting up a safety checklist with over 150 items, verifying self-diagnosis results from companies through site visits, and following up on items that are not adequately addressed.
In 2024, Sumitomo Corporation Global Metals Co., Ltd. has set up and announced its safety policy, encouraging all employees to personally elevate their safety awareness. The policy states, “We aim for all our invaluable employees and all business partners to return home safely and healthy after work every day.”
In the steel pipe business, which primarily serves oil and gas companies, the slogan “Beyond Zero Harm” is adopted to normalize a state of zero accidents and embed HSSE as part of the organizational culture. To implement this, HSSE experts are stationed at key overseas locations to accumulate and analyze data on labor accidents and incidents, and audits are conducted, including for transport and processing contractors. The “TRIP RULES (Tubular Rules for Incident Prevention)” have been compiled to ensure safety in handling steel pipes and distributed worldwide in booklet form. Efforts are also made to set up a safe and secure working environment, including the development of a global information-sharing IT system and e-learning education programs.
Moving forward, the Steel Group will continue to strive for “zero accidents” across all businesses, including steel sheets (SSCs), steel pipes, heavy plates, special steels, railway equipment and automotive parts, as well as initiatives within Steel GX, fulfilling its social mission to create a better working environment.
The Global Construction & Mining Systems Group (G-CMSG) established the 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-CMSG 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, the office started conducting safety audits which are more detailed and comprehensive than the gap analysis and has audited seven companies by the end of FY2023, with plans to audit another four companies in FY2024. As part of safety education, it also conducts safety training for new Construction & Mining Systems SBU members and all employees who are dispatched overseas from Japan. To facilitate communications within the Group, the office has been organizing further activities such as creating a portal in March 2021 and the introduction of Safety Awards, which awarded the three companies that achieved zero accidents in 2022 at a global meeting held in September 2023, in order to increase the group companies’ motivation for safety.
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 a 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, and we also constantly reviewing and improving management system for safety and quality in order to meet even higher standards.
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 September 2024.