Implementation of ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System

The Sumitomo Forestry Group promotes the implementation of ISO 45001-based occupational health and safety management systems to reduce the risk of occupational injuries and maintain safe and healthy workplaces. ISO 45001 is an international standard for occupational health and safety management systems issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in March 2018 with the aim of reducing the possibility of labor accidents and associated management risks. By utilizing the ISO 45001 scheme and systematizing occupational health and safety management, we can identify and address related problems at an early stage and implement effective preventive measures. A reduction in the number of occupational injuries leads to a reduction in associated human and economic costs.

Among Sumitomo Forestry Group companies, businesses with particularly high occupational injury risks are analyzed and prioritized for the introduction of ISO 45001-based systems.

Sumitomo Forestry supports Group companies considering the introduction of occupational health and safety management systems by providing them with seminars on the ISO and encouraging them to introduce it first based on a self-declaration of conformity to ISO 45001 and then undergo a process to obtain external certification, thereby facilitating the introduction of ISO 45001-based systems.

Our departments and divisions that have acquired ISO 45001 self-compliance or external certification are implementing their ISO 45001-based systems and making continuous improvements on them through regular internal audits and other means.

Sumitomo Forestry aims to have its consolidated subsidiaries with high occupational injury risks obtain ISO 45001 certification. In fiscal 2025, the certification rate among the targeted consolidated subsidiaries reached 33.1% (on a sales basis).

*A declaration by the company that it has established and is implementing an ISO 45001-based occupational health and safety management system

Acquisition of ISO 45001: 2018 Certification in the Domestic Forestry Business

Sumitomo Forestry's Domestic Forestry Group, Forest Resources Department of the Environment and Resources Division is responsible for the management of forests owned by the company in Japan, which collectively covers approximately 1/800 of Japan’s land area. The organization has been working with contractors to raise workers’ awareness of occupational injuries by developing its own occupational safety management manual, fostering mechanization, and introducing drones for transporting seedlings. In order to further strengthen our safety activities and raise workers’ awareness of safety, we introduced an ISO 45001-based occupational health and safety management system in fiscal 2021.

The Sumitomo Forestry's Environment and Energy Department, of the Environment and Resources Division, Japan Bio Energy, and the Quality and Occupational Safety Management Department jointly acquired ISO 45001:2018 certification in August 2021. In 2022, the Domestic Forestry Group, of the Forest Resources Department of the Environment and Resources Division, the Niihama Forestry Office, and the Motoyama Seedling Center were added to scope of certification. In 2023, the Hyuga Forestry Office, the Togo Seedling Center, and the Gifu Seedling Center were added to the scope of certification. In 2024, the Mombetsu Forestry Office and the Mombetsu Seedling Center were added to the scope. In fiscal 2025, the Osaka Forestry Office was added to the scope.

We will continue to strengthen our health and safety management systems for our forest and seedling business.

Acquisition of ISO 45001: 2018 Certification at Domestic Construction Sites

For Sumitomo Forestry's homes, traditional Japanese construction techniques for wooden buildings are used, but with the aging of craftspeople in the field, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pass on the skills to next generations.

The Sumitomo Forestry School of Professional Building Techniques is an in-house training school established in 1988 for the purpose of developing personnel for the construction of Sumitomo Forestry homes. In addition to honing their construction skills, students of the school can also develop themselves into a full-fledged member of society through group living. The school courses are divided into carpentry training, plastering training, and framework training courses, and are designed to develop technicians and engineers specializing in wooden house construction.

Those who received training at the school are working throughout Japan as carpenters, plasterers, engineers and other craftspeople involved in the construction of Sumitomo Forestry homes.

Regarding safety education for trainees, we always provide thorough training and guidance. We acquired ISO 45001: 2018 certification in September 2022. We will also focus on the training of internal auditors to maintain and improve their competence in the future.

Going forward, we will conduct a PDCA cycle as an ISO 45001-based method and make efforts to provide our staff with continuous guidance on occupational health and safety.