The Hitachi High-Tech Group is committed to maintaining and improving health and safety management standards, such as the enhancement of health management and prevention of work-related accidents based on the Hitachi Group's health and safety policy, which assigns top priority to the health and safety of employees with the formula S (Safety) >>Q (Quality) > D (Delivery) > C (Cost).
The Hitachi Group Health and Safety Policy (excerpt)
At Hitachi High-Tech, we hold a Group Health and Safety Conference each half-year for the people responsible for the promotion of health and safety in the workplace, led by the officer responsible for health and safety (CHRO*/CRO*), so that we can improve health and safety activities and the level of health and safety throughout the Group. The officer responsible for health and safety acts as the chair of the conference. If it is determined that there have been any major accidents or that there are notable issues with safety management, the workplace in question will be designated as a priority safety management workplace, and we will ensure that reforms are implemented swiftly, in accordance with the standards related to the priority safety management designation system. To investigate and deliberate on matters relating to disaster prevention and health management at each workplace, and conduct improvements, the Hitachi High-Tech health and safety committee actively engages in risk assessments and the implementation of intrinsic safety* in production equipment at our manufacturing sites through a voluntary and structured occupational health and safety management system.
Safety Presentation
The Health and Safety Committee at each site consists of employees with experience in health and safety such as safety and health managers, representatives of trade unions, and industrial physicians. It discusses minimization of safety risks based on deliberations on establishment and revision of health and safety regulations and standards as well as on employees’ opinions.
In addition, we carry out safety-inspection patrols and have safety diagnosis and safety presentations conducted by external experts at our manufacturing sites in an effort to further strengthen our safety management initiatives through employee participation.
Hitachi High-Tech along with Group companies undertakes various safety measures with a target of zero occupational accidents. In FY2020, there were 8 accidents (five not accompanied by lost worktime and three accompanied by lost worktime; the three accompanied by lost worktime were accidents involving falls). This was a slight decrease from the previous fiscal year, where there were 13 accidents not accompanied by lost worktime. In addition to taking measures intended to prevent accidents, we implement a cross-department approval that includes comply with and requiring compliance with set rules, creating mechanisms and conducting education that allows each individual including subcontractors to act with an awareness of safety. We have been conducting a safety awareness survey since FY2019 that also covered Group companies, and based on an analysis of the results, we will continue to reinforce measures and implement thorough safety management to raise safety awareness and completely eliminate occupational accidents.
Occurrences of Occupational Accidents
(Occurrences)
| Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of fatalities | Hitachi High-Tech Group | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Whole Hitachi Group | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Lost-time incident | Hitachi High-Tech Group | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Whole Hitachi Group | 92 | 67 | 74 | 48 | |
| Accidents not accompanied by time off work | Hitachi High-Tech Group | 17 | 12 | 11 | 5 |
| Whole Hitachi Group | 263 | 246 | 283 | 163 | |
| Total | Hitachi High-Tech Group | 17 | 12 | 13 | 8 |
| Whole Hitachi Group | 355 | 313 | 358 | 211 | |
Lost-time Incident Rate
To improve the standard of health and safety activities throughout the Group, we have established the High-Tech Group Health and Safety Coordinators' Committee. This committee helps to revitalize Group-wide health and safety activities through presentations introducing examples of health and safety initiatives at each Group company and exchanges of views on these, as well as organizing special lectures by guest lecturers from outside the company, to increase members' knowledge of issues common throughout the Group.
First aid course at head office
As with our safety activities, we proactively undertake Group-wide disaster risk reduction activities. In addition to conducting regular evacuation drills, we endeavor to enhance our systems and raise awareness among our employees through initiatives such as courses to train them in the use of AEDs (automated external defibrillators), so that they can act independently in the event of an emergency.
We have also set up in-house fire brigades at each manufacturing base. These conduct regular firefighting drills to ensure that they are prepared for any unforeseen situations.
Firefighting drill at our Naka Division
Firefighting drill at our Naka Division
Vehicles that are wheelchair accessible
Mental health workshop
We are implementing health promotion measures and enhancing health education among our employees. Initiatives in this area include efforts to reduce overtime hours, encourage employees to take advantage of special health check-ups and other medical examinations, and improve awareness of health management through education focused on this subject. In addition, we believe that enhancing mental health care for employees is an important task for the Group. We are regularly conducting mental health education for "line care" (routine support provided by line managers) and training on how to cope with stress (understanding your own stress and dealing with it appropriately) with a view toward strengthening self-care. We are also developing initiatives throughout the Group, including the expansion of counseling services in partnership with external EAP bodies and the offering of referrals to specialist physicians.
The Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization logo
Hitachi High-Tech was certified as a Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization in the large enterprise category in March 2021 under a program administered by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Nippon Kenko Kaigi. This is the fourth consecutive year that the company has received certification.
The Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organizations Recognition Program is a program that commends businesses that practice particularly outstanding health-based management* based on measures tailored to regional health issues and efforts to enhance health promoted by the Nippon Kenko Kaigi.
The program was launched in 2016 with the objective of encouraging the creation of environments worthy of social recognition at companies that consider health management from a management perspective and take strategic measures by identifying and announcing businesses that conduct outstanding health management.
For this year’s certification, Hitachi High-Tech was praised for its implementation of systems and measures that assess understanding of issues relating to employee health maintenance and enhancement and responses to those issues. Within the Hitachi High-Tech Group, Hitachi High-Tech Fielding Corporation, Hitachi High-Tech Fine Systems Corporation, Hitachi High-Tech Nexus Corporation, Hitachi High-Tech Manufacturing & Service Corporation and Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation were also certified as 2021 Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization in the large enterprise category, while Hitachi High-Tech Kyushu was certified in the small to medium enterprise category.
The Hitachi High-Tech Group is developing environments compatible with various work styles that will enhance productivity and organizational capabilities and is working to maintain and improve health and safety management levels.
FY2020
| Disaster risk reduction | Disaster response drills Safety confirmation response training using the safety confirmation system |
|---|---|
| Mental health training sessions | Health management lecture Line care training Self-care training |
With regard to work methods, and handling of machinery and chemicals during assembly, production, etc., mainly at manufacturing sites, until now the company and all other Hitachi High-Tech Group companies have implemented periodic (annual) risk assessment, aimed at reducing employee health and safety risks. We also conducted prior identification of risks and dangers and assessments (estimations) of risks relating to new installation and improvement of equipment, and changes in chemical substance handling (including work safety and reduction of environmental impact) in accordance with various laws, regulations and guidelines. We established work procedure manuals for safe work and linked them to risk reduction measures including work training. In FY2019, we will set up a committee to support each worksite’s health and safety activities under the Group Health and Safety Conference, in order to further improve health and safety activities and the standard of management throughout the Group. The committee members—among whom will be experts in electronics, mechanics, chemistry, heavy equipment, etc.—will patrol each site, and evaluate the risk of accident occurrence. In addition, they will seek to improve health and safety management throughout the Group by developing and sharing good practices and examples of necessary improvements at each workplace across the Group.
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