Canon | CSR Activities | Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Health and Safety

Policy and Management System

Policy on Occupational Health and Safety

Canon places priority on the health and safety of employees in its business activities, adhering to the principle that "management without safety is not management."
Since its establishment, Canon has made health a top priority, considering employee health pivotal to corporate and individual prosperity. Based on this consideration, we promote training for independent health management (self-care) as well as strategies to bolster employee well-being and mental health.
Canon established the Central Health and Safety Committee as its supreme health and safety organ. This Committee sets forth the health and safety policies and measures for the entire Group, and promotes the elimination of occupational accidents, the maintenance and improvement of health, traffic safety, fire prevention, and the creation of a pleasant workplace.

Fundamental ideas underlying Central Health and Safety Policy action
Management works together with employees to prevent accidents and disasters, recognizing that ensuring health and safety is a corporate management priority in line with our principle that "management without safety is not management."

Introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS)

Canon introduced OSHMS^*1 in 2000 and established an internal auditing system in 2003. Aiming to implement OSHMS at all Group production sites, we are actively promoting International Labor Organization (ILO) OSHMS guidelines and JISHA OSHMS Certification^*2 based on guidelines stipulated by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
In 2011, the Canon Finetech Ibaraki and Fukui sites acquired OSHMS certification. Also, the Canon Inc. Utsunomiya Office and two Ueno Canon Materials Plants acquired their 3-year certification renewals.
The remaining operational sites are preparing to introduce OSHMS and JISHA OSHMS Certification, with introduction or certification planned for all production sites by 2012.

*1OSHMS
Occupational Safety and Health Management System
*2JISHA OSHMS Certification
The Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association (JISHA) evaluates whether an operational site's OSHMS meets JISHA standards. Operational sites that meet this criterion are said to be OSHMS certified to JISHA standards.
As of December 31, 2011, 375 sites had acquired this certification.

Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems Introduced at Production Sites in Japan
Status	Sites / Group Companies
Certified^*	3 sites, 8 Group companies (13 operational sites)
Introduced	1 site

*"Certified" means passed inspection by the certification organization. "Introduced" means the system has been introduced. Normally inspection is conducted by the certification organization one year after introduction.

Efforts to Prevent Occupational Accidents

Occupational Accident Prevention

In recent years, latent risk of occupational accidents has increased, owing to the introduction of a wider variety of technical equipment and more frequent handling of hazardous materials within a rapidly changing environment affected by technological innovations and shorter product cycles.
We conduct risk assessments and establish safety-check systems when introducing new equipment in order to prevent accidents.
In 2011, we made efforts in line with an important theme of "eliminate accidents involving employees with less than one year experience" by promoting health and safety education and revamping the health and safety environment and awareness, with the goal of zero accidents resulting in absence from work.
Health and safety education took the form of three- and six-month post-placement follow-up training for new employees and transferees. TWI-JS training was also provided to mid-level employees so they could learn safe work methods and improve their abilities as on-the-job trainers.
Efforts to revamp the health and safety environment as well as increase awareness include the implementation of risk assessments, including assessment of non-regular work ("trouble maintenance" work), and their full application at each operational site in Japan, in addition to support for their implementation at sites where risk assessments are currently not performed.
As a result of these efforts, the number of accidents involving employees with less than one year of experience dropped to 41 from 50 in the previous year, with one resulting in absence from work.
We conduct preliminary risk assessments and establish safety-check systems when introducing new equipment in order to prevent accidents. These risk assessments have resulted in a decrease in pinching/entanglement accidents to 10 from 16 in the previous year.
Of the total number of workplace accidents in 2011, 16 resulted in absence from work, while there was no absence from work in the remaining 172 cases.
In 2012 we sought to eliminate serious equipment accidents by promoting non-regular work risk assessments during maintenance performance, as well as new chemical substance risk assessments.
Furthermore, we will also continue to conduct safety awareness training due to the fact that many occupational accidents are the result of a lack of danger awareness, education and guidance.

Occupational Accident Rate (Frequency Rate^*1)

Number of occupational accidents at Japanese Canon Group companies
	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Accidents resulting in absence from work	23	26	30	21	16
Accidents not resulting in absence from work	242	231	183	171	172

Improving Health and Safety through Safety Patrols

Canon initiated the Safety Patrol Inspection Program in 2010 for all of its production sites in Japan with the aim of helping reduce the number of workplace accidents.
These safety patrols focus on ensuring that the Equipment Pinching/Entanglement Accident Reduction Standards are being enforced in addition to seeking to improve the overall level of health and safety. Specifically, inspectors from the Headquarters Health and Safety Division visit the production sites with the goal of strengthening communication by discussing safety issues with the staff and bringing to light any existing problem areas.
Safety patrols were conducted at 17 of Canon's　productional sites in Japan in 2011. The patrols toured the plants, pointing out the dangers posed by various types of equipment and offering guidance about other health and safety matters. They also engaged in frank discussions with the plant managers about how to improve health and safety.
We will continue to conduct safety patrols in 2012, focusing on the introduction of OSHMS at sites that have not yet implemented the system.

Major Occupational Health and Safety Activities in 2011
Increasing Health and Safety Management in the Canon Group
Eliminating occupational accidents caused by being pinched by or entangled in machinery	Safety patrols were conducted at 17 Group company in Japan sites with the goal of eliminating pinching/entanglement accidents. We confirmed that the Equipment Pinching/Entanglement Accident Reduction Standards established in 2009 are being enforced, and also confirmed the safety of existing equipment. Also provided general health and safety guidance.
Improving health and safety	Examined and analyzed health and safety standards at each operational site for requirements of the Canon Group in Japan in six categories (environment and organization, safety, health, compliance, education, disaster prevention). Results confirmed steady progress toward target (80% or better) for each category since 2009.
Reinforcing management of the work environment	Conducted two Health and Safety Management Checklist surveys (in July and December) of management, including at Group companies in Japan, to monitor the workplace health and safety management situation. Performed follow-up based on results.
Establishing autonomy in workplace systems	Analysis of past occupational accidents shows that a high percentage involve workers with less than one year of experience (about 50% over the past five years). Therefore, we conducted three- and six-month post-placement follow-up training for new employees and transferees (about 1,800). TWI-JS (for safe work methods) training was also provided to approximately 800 mid-level employees to promote workplace health and safety education.
Strengthening Fire Prevention and Disaster Preparedness
Promoting rescue and lifesaving	We held general lifesaving training so more employees would be able to use the defibrillators in place at all Group operational sites in Japan, as well as perform CPR and stop bleeding. 1,290 employees attended. A more specialized training course in advanced lifesaving was also held for some employees, such as general affairs personnel, with 107 in attendance. We also prepared a rescue manual, taking the lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake into consideration, and conducted triage drills (i.e., separating casualties by seriousness of injury and urgency to determine treatment and evacuation priority).
Informing employees and working to raise awarenes	We seek to improve awareness by providing a variety of information through our General Disaster Prevention Site intranet portal site, and also during two designated Disaster Prevention Months each year. We also produced and distributed an Earthquake Response Guideline, taking into account the lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and encouraged the maintenance of a temporary evacuation site at each workplace. We also collected the opinions and desires of employees and worked to make improvements to disaster prevention structures and information dissemination.
Promoting Traffic Safety Measures
Working towards eradication of drunk driving	We continued to implement the Eradicating Drunk Driving Program for employees who commute in private vehicles. Reference: Drunk Driving Eradicating Program
Reducing accidents involving youth	We conduct regular traffic safety programs, such as Danger Recognition Training, and also seek to raise consciousness and prevent accidents by providing commuting route maps indicating danger spots.