Occupational Health and Safety

Awareness education in the Company

Awareness Raising and Education on Occupational Health and Safety in the Company
Occupational Health and Safety Award
Initiatives at Construction Sites
Manufacturing Business Initiatives

Awareness Raising and Education on Occupational Health and Safety in the Company

To encourage deeper awareness and understanding among Group employees, posters were delivered to all our workplaces, branches, and offices, as well as offices and plants of Group companies in Japan and overseas, in accordance with the establishment of the “Occupational Health and Safety Policy.” The slogan posters represent the president's own opinions on occupational health and safety and quality for the Sumitomo Forestry Group as a whole. “SAFETY FIRST” means that the safety shall be put at the first place, and it applies to all of the Group's businesses and occupations. Sumitomo Forestry Group Occupational Health and Safety Policy is regularly disseminated to all employees through the Sumitomo Forestry Group Handbook and the business intranet, in addition to posting policy posters in easily visible locations.
Quality Control and Worker Safety Management Department also offers DVD educational materials on occupational health and safety. It is used for education on occupational health and safety and safety conference, including Group companies.

Sumitomo Forestry Group "SAFETY FIRST, ZERO DEFECTS" slogan poster

Occupational Health and Safety Award

The Sumitomo Forestry Group established “the Occupational Health and Safety Award” at “the Sumitomo Forestry Group Performance Awards Ceremony for December 2022”, which was held in April 2023. Based on the concept of "Safety First," the award is given to the top entity of each head office department and division that has achieved results in raising workplace safety awareness and promoting safety activities to eliminate occupational injuries. In fiscal 2022, two companies were awarded.

Purpose of the Occupational Health and Safety Award

・Raising awareness of occupational health and safety activities (especially zero occupational injury) with the participation of all employees
・Nurturing a culture of mutual respect
・Motivating employees, branches, and Group companies

Division	Award-winning companies and schools	Reason for award
Timber and Building Materials Division	Sumirin Sash Co., Ltd.	With an aim of establishing and strengthening safety system for organization and creating a safe and healthy workplace, all employees voluntarily participated in introduction of ISO45001 Occupational Safety and Health Management System for two years and promoted self-declaration of conformity. Even minor occupational injuries caused by insect bites are thoroughly dealt with and corrective countermeasures are taken. In addition, safety management has been thoroughly implemented. Self-Declaration of Conformity: This is a declaration made by company stating that an ISO-based management system has been established, is being operated and is in compliance
Housing Division	Sumitomo Forestry Landscaping Co., Ltd.	There were no serious occupational injuries (four days or more of lost worktime) in the early term. Special occupational health and education and other measure were provided to eliminate serious occupational injuries. Conducted risk assessments of all civil engineering properties and implemented ordinary housing exteriors and garden landscaping. Company-wide safety activities were carried out, including one safety and quality patrol in the first half and the second half of each year by Division of headquarter at major building contractors in each area.

*Awarded based on performance in fiscal 2022

Initiatives at Construction Sites

Commendations for Occupational Health and Safety Activities

The Housing Division presents commendations to branches and offices, and branches of the Association of Safe Building Contractors, for their proactive implementation of safety and health activities. The criteria for commendation are 1,000,2,000, and 3,000 days of no accidents or disasters of occupational injuries (excluding those with less than four days of absence from work).

Manufacturing Business Initiatives

The Sumitomo Forestry Group Manufacturing Business Safety Meeting Held

In March 2023, Sumitomo Forestry and Group domestic and overseas manufacturing companies held a safety conference with the objectives of “revitalizing occupational injury prevention activities” and “raising awareness of occupational health and safety.” A total of eight manufacturing sites in Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand were connected online, with more than 130 people participating.

The participants confirmed the activity policy for fiscal 2023, reviewed past work-related accidents and fires in the Group, shared case studies for safety initiatives at each company, and presented awards for outstanding safety initiatives at the convention. We also invited specialists on occupational health and safety from Bureau Veritas Japan, a certification organization for various kinds of ISO, to lecture and raise staff's awareness of occupational health and safety.

Moving forward, we will continue to hold safety conferences to reduce serious accidents and foster a safety culture inside the Group.

Commendations for Safety and Health Activities

At safety conference, “Safety Awards” were given to sites where occupational injuries did not cause any lost worktime during fiscal 2022. Three companies, “PT. AST Indonesia (ASTI)” (452 consecutive days), “PT. Kutai Timber Indonesia (KTI)” (393 consecutive days), and “PT. Rimba Partikel Indonesia (RPI)” (381 consecutive days), won a prize each. Regarding “Awards on Safety Works” which collect works related to safety and awards selected and determined works in the whole group, there are applications of 70 safety posters and 280 phrases of safety slogans from each company. A total of 10 works were awarded, including one gold prize, two silver prizes, and seven copper prize. Gold prize went to flooring division of PT. Sinar Rimba Pasifik (SRP). Their work shows cleaning of an adhesive application equipment. An equipment that may caught your hand by its roll, which leads to a serious occupational injury. There is a phrase in the poster, saying, “Your hand is not a replaceable part.” The award was given in recognition of safety awareness of employees who work with irreplaceable importance of life in their mind.