Occupational Safety and Health

Basic Approach

Safety is at the foundation of corporate sustainability and supersedes everything—this slogan underpins our belief that establishing a corporate culture that prioritizes safety and health for all workers, including temporary workers, contractors, and suppliers, in each workplace is indispensable for sound business activities. The Daifuku Group has obtained the occupational safety and health management system certification (ISO 45001) at all its major sites. We are committed to continuing our safety culture and striving for total safety at our workplaces by identifying all potential risks.

Group Code of Conduct (extract)

2. Safety and health

  • We will place safety as a top priority in all of our business activities.
  • We will develop and provide safe, high-quality products and services.
  • We will strive to maintain and increase the health and well-being of our employees as well as provide comfortable and clean workplaces.

Safety Policy

  • Safety slogan
    Safety is at the foundation of corporate sustainability and supersedes everything.
  • Safety target
    Implementing safety first and aiming to occupational accidents and traffic accidents "zero"
  • Safety policy
    • Establish a safety and health management system and promote participation in safety and health activities for all workers, including temporary workers, contractors, and suppliers.
    • Comply with the Industrial Safety and Health Act and other related laws and regulations.
    • Operate the PDCA cycle of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (ISO 45001) to manage risks and continuously improve safety.
    • Establish an education system for safety and health management and expand it globally.
    • Utilize new DX and IoT technologies to develop safety activities.
    • Support the autonomous safety and health management activities of our contractors and suppliers.

Supply chain management grounded in law

When embarking on product or system installation, we ensure compliance with the provision in the Construction Business Act that states “The parties to a contract for construction work shall conclude the contract fairly based on agreements made on terms of equality and shall fulfill the contract honestly and in good faith.” And we strive to ensure that both the safety and health of workers are not harmed as stipulated in the Industrial Safety and Health Act.

Further, we engage in transactions with suppliers applicable under the Subcontractor Act in the spirit of the law, while also making known and requesting cooperation with the Group’s Code of Conduct and CSR Procurement Standards to build appropriate relations with our suppliers.

Promotion System

We at the Daifuku Group place the greatest priority on the safety of all employees, contractors, and suppliers who work at our global locations. In order to eradicate industrial accidents, the Group has established the Central Safety and Health Committee under the direct control of the CEO. Subsidiaries outside of Japan also participate in the Central Safety and Health Committee and provide status reports and exchange information on a quarterly basis. Regional committees for safety and health as well as various specialized committees (installation, manufacturing, and procurement) have been set up under this Committee to ensure safety at all Group companies and establish health management systems throughout the Group.

Additionally, having experienced serious accidents in the past, we now hold the Safety Cooperation Association and the Management and Safety Policy and Production Trends Presentation for suppliers to participate in. Through these efforts to share information, we are aiming to strengthen ties with our suppliers and achieve safety based on mutual awareness and education.

Occupational Safety and Health Management Promotion System
Occupational Safety and Health Management Promotion System

Implementing audits of the safety management system

We carry out annual internal audits based on ISO 45001 standards at our main locations, and we verify the efficacy of our management system and the state of safety activities at our workplaces with inspections by the top management, including the CEO. Further, we also undergo a yearly audit by an external certifying body, as we maintain and expand the scope of our certification.

Occupational safety and health management system certification

We promote ISO 45001 certification, the international standard for occupational health and safety management systems, at all major production sites in Japan and overseas. Three of our production sites in Japan and nine of our overseas production sites have obtained this certification. The ISO certification rate for our production sites is 48%.

Certification standards Production sites
(consolidated)
Number of certified locations among total Proportion of certified locations
ISO 45001 etc. 25 12 48%

ISO Certified Locations

Major Initiatives

Safety indicatorsKPI

The Group uses accident frequency rate and severity rate as safety management indicators. We share this information and provide appropriate guidance and safety awareness training to departments that need to improve their safety measures. We are working toward zero fatal accidents.
Unfortunately, the targets for frequency rate and overseas severity rate of accidents were not met in fiscal 2022 due to one fatal accident involving a contractor at a global subsidiary and an increase from the previous year in the number of injuries that resulted in lost time. We take accidents very seriously, and we will make every effort to thoroughly implement measures to prevent accident recurrence and further strengthen safety and health training. For each accident that occurs, we analyze the cause, create and disseminate new work plans, and eliminate unsafe actions and conditions.
For the following indicators, contractors in construction are included in calculations and target management.

Frequency rate: The number of casualties per one million employee-hours worked at bases and companies. This rate indicates the frequency of accidents.
Severity rate: The number of lost work days experienced per 1,000 work hours. This rate indicates the severity of accidents.

Indicator*1 Scope FY2020 FY2021 FY2022
Frequency rate Japan 0.37 0.21 0.45
Outside of Japan 0.98 0.65 0.90
All industries in Japan*2 1.95 2.09 2.06
Severity rate Japan 0.02 0.002 0.006
Outside of Japan 0.03 0.009 0.216
Number of serious accidents*3 Japan 0 0 0
Outside of Japan 0 0 1
  • *1Data for the period from January to December. These indicators are calculated including construction contractors.
  • *2Provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
  • *3Accidental deaths occurring during work at Daifuku (labor accidents)

Risk assessment of workplace health and safety

The Group conducts risk assessments in accordance with our own standards based on ISO 45001. We identify and manage risks that have a significant impact on health and safety, and consider and implement risk mitigation measures according to the level of risk. The scope of application covers regular and irregular activities in our business operations, as well as the activities of all persons entering and leaving our premises. Risks are identified and assessed at the beginning of each fiscal year, during the construction planning stage of new projects, as well as any time circumstances change, such as when new process are introduced or new materials are used.

Disaster preparedness drills

Disaster preparedness drills

We conduct disaster preparedness drills at our major sites in Japan at least once a year to simulate a large-scale disaster. Based on the initial response manual, we conduct drills for evacuation assistance, reporting, initial firefighting, first aid, and shutting down equipment in the event of an emergency, thereby confirming procedures for a rapid response in the event of a disaster. Overseas Group sites also conduct similar disaster drills in accordance with the laws and regulations of their respective countries and regions.

Response to work accidents

We have built a BCP promotion system, and when a work accident occurs, the disaster/accident reporting route common to all of our companies is followed to report the situation to the CEO from the workplace involved. Additionally, the department involved and the Safety Promotion Department conduct a joint investigation and analysis of the accident, and report the results to the Safety and Health Committee of all companies.

Disaster/accident reporting route
Disaster/accident reporting route

Safety and health training

In addition to training at the time of employment, the Group periodically conducts the following training programs to maintain and improve the safety and health knowledge and skills of its employees.

Safety training program

Skill, awareness, and knowledge are necessary to work safely. External organizations are brought in to provide technical workshops, and special training is offered externally each year to build awareness and knowledge. We focus on in-house training that can be immediately put into practice in the workplace, and provide special training that includes crane operation, low-voltage work, full harness work, and particulate matter control.

Safety training facility

Safety training facility

At the Safety Simulation Center at Shiga Works, we cultivate human resources with a high awareness of safety and the ability to take appropriate actions through yearly programs that simulate the real-life dangers of production, installation, and operations. The training is for not only our employees, but also for temporary workers and contractors.

Simulation-based hazard training

Simulation-based hazard training

Simulation-based hazard training aims to raise the safety awareness of each employee, and make up for any lack of workplace experience, by simulating dangerous situations so that employees can viscerally experience them as a direct and real threat to their workplace safety. We have started using virtual reality (VR) to also visually recreate the dangerous processes leading to industrial accidents that were difficult to simulate using existing equipment. We are using auxiliary devices that enable employees to experience the simulated shock and sensations felt during an accident.

Safety training worldwide

Safety training worldwide

The same as in Japan, we conduct annual training for supervisors in installation departments at Group companies. This training focuses on the importance of safety management, methods, risk assessment, and work safety standards and aims to raise the standards of safety management. Training facilities that simulate dangerous situations have also been installed at some of our global subsidiaries in China, South Korea, Indonesia, and North America.

Spreading understanding of our daily safety and health standards

Spreading understanding of our daily safety and health standards

Based on the idea that understanding and practicing proper conduct every day will help prevent work and traffic accidents, we implement yearly e-learning programs to enhance employee familiarity with our daily safety and health standards. In fiscal 2022, these programs were held three times for all employees in Japan with an average participation rate of 98%. The participation rate for the third session was 100%. For those who do not complete the programs, training materials are provided individually. To facilitate understanding, supplementary explanations are provided for questions with low percentages of correct answers on the program content comprehension confirmation tests. We will continue these efforts to make sure that all employees have acquired the necessary knowledge about safety and health to prevent work and traffic accidents.

Health training (courses for emergency first aid and AEDs)

In order to properly administer first aid in the event of an emergency, it is essential to learn and acquire first aid knowledge and skills regularly. At our major locations in Japan, we are working to make sure that at least 20% of the personnel in each building or area is adequately trained.

Safety activities

Working with contractors and suppliers

The safety initiatives of our Group are not limited to our own employees, but are also developed in cooperation with our contractors and suppliers. We apply our ISO 45001-based safety standards to all workers who enter and leave our premises, and we provide assistance in advancing contractors safety activities.

Safety audits
Safety audits

We monitor the health and safety conditions at the workplaces of our contractors and suppliers through visits and surveys. Depending on the results, we visit them again to reassess the situation and provide advice on how to resolve any issues.

Information sharing

We regularly conduct safety and health training for manufacturing and installation personnel, including those from contractors and suppliers. As part of this training, we share information on any changes in laws and regulations related to health and safety, and on occupational accidents that have occurred in the workplaces of our Group and other contractors and suppliers.

Safety seminars for suppliers

Each year, we hold a Management and Safety Policy and Production Trends Presentation for the top management at our suppliers. At this presentation, we strive to foster safety awareness by informing our suppliers of the safety policies of each of our business divisions as well as presenting awards from specialized committees (installation, manufacturing, and procurement) to suppliers who have actively implemented safety and health initiatives. In fiscal 2023, we invited 311 companies to attend.

Global Safety Meeting

In line with the globalization of our business we hold a Global Safety Meeting every year to exchange safety related information throughout the Group. At this meeting, we introduce safety-focused initiatives conducted at Group companies worldwide in order to deepen the understanding of differences in working environments and to raise the standard of safety across the Group.

Preventing traffic accidents

Preventing traffic accidents

We are taking physical measures to eliminate traffic accidents in company cars. Specifically, the mandatory installation of autonomous emergency brakes (AEB), back monitors, rear corner sensors, and telematics drive recorders in our entire fleet of around 900 company cars. Moreover, when employees are approved to drive company cars, they are tested to a certain standard to determine their driving skills, thereby boosting their driving manners and safety awareness.

Safety and health patrols and exemplary workplace awards

Safety and health patrols and exemplary workplace awards

In order to improve the level of safety and health in the workplace, we conduct safety and health patrols to confirm the 5Ss* at each workplace. In addition, we have been expanding positive examples to other workplaces through the Safety and Health Committee, and in fiscal 2022 we recognized two workplaces as exemplary. These activities will foster a culture of safety and create safe and pleasant workplaces throughout the company.

  • *Sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain

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