The Group-wide Health and Safety Conference
The Sanyo Group has established an occupational health and safety committee made up of the industrial physician and representatives from labor, management, and the employee health insurance society. The central health and safety committee determines the health and safety policies for the whole group, while the individual health and safety committees at each site implement activities that suit the features and conditions at their own locations, based on the group-wide policies.
Every year the group-wide Health and Safety Conference, attended by both top management and workplace staff, confirms the current conditions for occupational health and safety management in the Sanyo Group, and reviews the action plan for the fiscal year. The conference also raises awareness of health and safety through the reporting of activity cases from various sites.
- Establish zero-hazard workplaces
- Promote overall health
- Hold health and safety activities for all employees
The Sanyo Group has introduced a risk management approach that identifies potential workplace dangers and hazards before devising the appropriate safety measures, and the company is striving to improve awareness for safety management through group-wide morning safety meetings held each month.
When an industrial accident occurs, an accident report is immediately sent to all the health and safety managers, and measures are taken to prevent recurrence of similar accidents. In addition, when multiple accidents occur within a three-month period, or when there is a serious accident, or one resulting in an employee missing a day or more of work for medical treatment, the site in question is designated as requiring safety management measures. The occupational health and safety committee then conducts intensive workplace inspection activities and safety patrols for three months, and confirms that a reoccurrence prevention plan is being properly implemented.
In order to achieve accident-free workplaces and as part of further risk reduction measures, Sanyo implements risk assessments for large equipment operation and for chemical substances. It is also introducing safety audits in order to strengthen the system for identifying sites requiring safety management measures.
![Accident Occurrence Rates (per million labor hours)[ non-consolidated]](images/employee01-03.jpg)
Sanyo is promoting a group-wide action plan that places priority on health maintenance and improvement measures such as careful follow-up examinations for those employees identified as having a potential concern in their regular medical checkups. This is part of measures to deal with lifestyle-related diseases and prevention measures for health problem due to mental health issues or overwork. Starting in fiscal 2009, the company is further strengthening its health promotion efforts that form the basis of workplace lifestyles. Sanyo is doing this by pursuing the priority goals of reducing smoking rates, lowering the average BMI*1, and reducing the number of employees that are significantly over or under the standard BMI, as part of Health Challenge 21.
*1 The body mass index is a measure of obesity and is calculated using a person’s weight and height.
In order to prevent overwork, appropriate measures are taken in workplaces where overtime has become pervasive. Group-wide initiatives are also carried out such as encouraging employees to take their annual paid leave, and establishing certain days when no overtime is permitted.
Sanyo provides mental health materials for employees on the company intranet, including a checklist for self-evaluation of stress levels, and information on consultation offices at the company's industrial health centers. And the company is executing an individual caring and improving the workplace environment based on the result of the stress check by this system. Furthermore, in order to deepen awareness of good mental health, and to detect and help employees with mental health issues in the early stages, Sanyo offers classes for managers given by internal and outside mental health experts, as well as “active listening” training for mental health counseling, at each Sanyo site. Along with continuing these initiatives in the future, Sanyo is preparing specific manuals and practical training programs, so that appropriate recovery support can be given to employees experiencing mental health issues.
With the outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1), known as swine flu, in 2009, measures were taken based on the alert level trend and recommendations of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. When the WHO raised the influenza pandemic alert to phase 4, taskforce headquarters were set up in each site region and at the Sanyo head office. Efforts were focused on infection prevention in and outside Japan, and measures to prevent the spread of infection. In addition to encouraging employees to wash their hands, gargle, and wear masks, employees were given health checks along with appropriate instructions. Sanyo also issued restrictions concerning international travel, both for employees and their families stationed outside Japan, and for employees taking business trips. A highly detailed business continuity plan (BCP) will be implemented in preparation for the start of the upcoming flu season in the autumn.
