In keeping with the corporate philosophy that “safety & health are the most valuable factors that take precedence over all other things and they are the basis that supports business development,” Nippon Steel adheres to its manufacturing values, in which priority comes first on safety, environment, and disaster prevention, second on quality, and third on production. We seek to improve our occupational safety & health management system (OSHMS) and to make a safe and secure workplace. Our safety & health policy applies to Nippon Steel and all related companies. As for the OSHMS, the safety & health policy, targets, and plan are prepared and the management cycle of PDCA cycle is followed in order to make continual improvement. We are considering to applying for ISO (JIS) 45001 certification, to be announced in the near future. About 40% of our offices and works have acquired the OSHMS accreditation from a third party.

Creation of a workplace which is disciplined but has a comfortable and friendly atmosphere with the company, business partners, and group companies working with a sense of unity

We strive to create a disciplined but comfortable and friendly workplace atmosphere through open communications, enhanced education programs on safety and health, and support for the safety activities of group companies and our business partners.

Reducing disaster risks to zero

We make a risk assessment when planning a new project and regularly conduct safety and risk assessment for existing projects, to prevent accidents and reduce risks. We also seek for greater safety of equipment even when such equipment is essentially safe, and take countermeasures against human error.

Group-wide sharing of effective measures

We are sharing effective examples of accident-preventive measures and those based on analysis of actual accidents.

Making work and workplace environments more comfortable and improving the physical and mental health of our employees

Regarding health management, besides improving healthcare counseling for employees, we make efforts for early detection and appropriate actions in the area of mental health. As to measures against asbestos, we have taken steps in accordance with laws and regulations, and completed the shift from asbestos to alternatives, except for those areas without the risk of exposure, by the end of fiscal 2009. Moreover, we offer consultation services to our current and former employees so that they can discuss their health concerns and deal with asbestos issues in an appropriate manner. As we are developing business in Thailand, Vietnam, India, and other countries, we proactively deal with global health issues such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, for employees who are located or are newly assigned in these countries and for their families, through immunization, seminars and other measures. We will continue to appropriately respond to health issues.

Safety Promotion Committee and Safety & Health Committee

Initiatives to deal with risk management and other issues related to labor safety & health risk management (i.e., ascertaining progress status of horizontal development of safety initiatives for abolishing similar disasters) are led by the Safety Promotion Committee chaired by an executive officer in charge of labor safety. The Committee regularly reports to the Board of Directors which supervises its activities.

The Safety & Health Committee, participants of which include representatives of the labor union and each workplace, has a scope of its activities in all offices and works. Representatives from the management team, including officers in charge of safety & health, and from the labor union, meet regularly to exchange opinions. Through such dialogues between management and labor, we seek to ensure the safer labor environment.

Presentation by small groups on safety and health management

We make efforts to improve training for accident prevention. The safety training programs are attended by all newly-appointed managers of manufacturing worksites (42 managers in fiscal 2019, 81 in fiscal 2020 and 80 in fiscal 2021). Our Taikan Program (an experience-based safety education program) allows employees to experience worksite risk through simulation, so as to better prepare them in anticipating and managing risk.