Safety and Health
Basic Approach: the safety and health of its employees is the foundation for Daihatsu’s corporate activities
Daihatsu believes that securing the safety and health of its employees is of the utmost importance, and this forms the foundation for its corporate activities.
The company seeks to ensure that none of the three elements that comprise safety and health—namely, people, things, and management—is lacking; to this end, it promotes “developing human resources with high safety consciousness and knowledge ,” “safety measures for facilities and materials,” and “careful safety management,” with the goal of zero accidents at its work sites.
Daihatsu also believes that the physical and mental health of its employees is extremely important, to enable them to work with energy and enthusiasm.
Consequently, the company carries out a range of support initiatives, including health checks, lifestyle guidance, health consultations, mental health training, and return-to-work programs.
Through such initiatives, Daihatsu encourages all its employees to work on managing their own health.
As part of its efforts to create work environments that promote health, the company is additionally engaged in wide-ranging measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These include educational activities for its employees, creating work environments that minimize infections, and collaborating with public health centers.
“Organization for Safety and Health Management” and “Management Systems”
Daihatsu has established “Organization for Safety and Health Management” according to internal rules, and carries out proper safety management and administration based on managers of various ranks.
The company also promotes the establishment of an occupational safety and health management system, with the goal of continually improving the level of its safety and health management.
Under this management system, Daihatsu ensures it complies with national laws and regulations as well as internal rules; it seeks to improve work safety through regular internal audits and risk assessments of dangerous work.
Daihatsu’s risk assessments fall into two categories: assessments of new facilities and processes; and assessments of existing facilities and work methods. In both these categories, the company investigates danger and hazard, and seeks to reduce risks.
A number of Daihatsu work sites have already implemented the above management systems and, in December 2008, they received Occupational Safety and Health Management System certification from TOYOYA SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT Co., Ltd.
Organization for Safety and Health Management Chart
Safety and health education
Safety and health education
Daihatsu has established internal rules regarding the safety and health education of new recruits, employees being promoted to managerial or supervisory positions, and employees engaged in work judged to be danger and hazard.
Daihatsu independently identifies some work processes as Malfunction Correction Requiring Special Permission, even if it is not defined as high-risk under the Industrial Safety and Health Act; for such work processes, the company has established a Designated Work System that only allows certified employees who have completed the relevant training to carry out such work.
Activities to eliminate risks and promote intrinsic safety
Daihatsu carries out activities that promote the three pillars of intrinsic safety*, primarily focused on its production sites, which are thought to be at high risk of accidents.
These activities comprise part of the company’s long-term safety and health initiatives, and their content is updated and expanded on an annual basis.
* Intrinsic safety measures seek to secure safety by eliminating risk at the source—such as materials and facilities risks—and by mitigating the potential harm caused by accidents.
Daihatsu carries out activities aimed at eliminating various abnormalities from its production lines.
To this end, it visualizes conditions leading to these abnormalities so that it can identify their fundamental causes, then implements measures that target the sources of the abnormalities themselves.
Daihatsu works to prevent accidents resulting from contact between its employees and work vehicles.
Forklifts are particularly prone to causing serious accidents. Consequently, the company is in the process of switching from forklift transportation to safer transportation methods, ensuring forklifts do not operate near areas in which people are working, and establishing walkway where people can walk safely.
In order to develop human resources who abide by rules, all Daihatsu employees take part in Safety Dojos that have been established throughout the company; employees receive training at these dojos, then takes tests—they are certified “Safety Persons” if they pass the test.
After receiving Safety Person certification, employees continue to receive training every year to renew their certification.
In addition, Safety Dojos and company work sites are home to “Risk experience corners,” where employees can learn about various risks, such as getting caught in equipment, and receiving electric shocks.
Personnel reading safety rules out loud (performed before work)
Training on proper use of a work trolley
Securing the safety of employees at partner companies
Daihatsu not only works to prevent work accidents involving its own employees, it also seeks to prevent accidents involving the employees of partner companies. This includes workers constructing buildings or carrying out repairs on Daihatsu grounds, and workers conducting cleaning and maintenance on Daihatsu facilities.
Daihatsu has drawn up special safety regulations for construction work that takes place in its grounds, in which workers are particularly at risk of accidents liable to cause serious injuries, such as fires or falls from high places. In these cases, Daihatsu demands that partner companies incorporate safety measures based on risk assessments from the planning stage of any construction work.
In addition, Daihatsu organizes safety patrol teams comprising construction planning staff and partner company employees; these teams undertake inspection patrols, and work to prevent construction accidents.
Work Accidents and Illnesses
Daihatsu continuously strives to eliminate industrial accidents and illnesses. In 2021, there were 12 industrial accidents, zero industrial fatal accidents, and 0.03 lost time incident rate* at business sites in Japan, and 13 industrial accidents and zero industrial fatal accidents at overseas business sites.
Health and Productivity Management
Based on its Light you up slogan, Daihatsu promotes health and productivity management that encourages each of its employees to shine, through the combined efforts of its management and labor unions.
Health and Productivity Management Declaration
Health and productivity management promotion systems
Health and Productivity Management Strategy Map
Labor and Management Mutual Confirmation Items
People-based Corporate Growth Model (Concept)
Employees who are physically and mentally healthy and highly motivated to contribute to others who work in a workplace culture that embraces diversity and values the development of others, in which they can develop and demonstrate their abilities, will continue to improve their productivity. Recognition of these activities both internally and externally will create a positive cycle that leads to company growth through recruitment and retention.
Various Achievements through Health & Productivity Management Initiatives
1. Health Checks
2. Health Indicators
3. Specific Health Guidance
4. Health Promotion Activities
Health Measures
1. Health Checks
Health checks are the base of all health activities and improve health awareness (health literacy). At Daihatsu, health checks and health guidance are performed internally, and the company has established a system for collaborating with outside healthcare facilities to promote early detection and treatment of health-related conditions.
Regular health checks are conducted every year in each employee’s birth month and include not only the testing items specified in the Industrial Safety and Health Act, but also additional screenings for cancer and other conditions such as fecal occult blood tests (colon), ABC tests (stomach), sputum tests (lung), and echo tests (cervical/abdominal).
In addition, Daihatsu has also introduced PSA tests (prostate) for men and breast and uterine cancer screening for women.
Daihatsu Health Center (exterior)
Daihatsu Health Center
(1st floor, health check floor)
2. Health Promotion
The foundation of good employee health is improved health awareness (health literacy) for each and every employee.
Daihatsu conducts a program known as “Healthy Lifestyle Challenge 8,” which seeks to improve health-related habits by focusing on eight habits that affect health. The company conducts surveys twice annually on the eight health-related habits of sleep, breakfast, snacking, appropriate weight, exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking, and stress, and implement the PDCA cycle to support voluntary and independent health promotion by employees.
In addition, Daihatsu also conducts workplace-based seminars led primarily by in-house industrial health staff and other instructors in order to support workplace-based health promotion activities.
Healthy Lifestyle Challenge 8
| □ 1. Sleep | I sleep well |
|---|---|
| □ 2. Breakfast | I eat breakfast everyday |
| □ 3. Snacks | I eat post-dinner, pre-bedtime snacks to twice a week or less |
| □ 4. Appropria te weight | I have a BMI of 25 or less |
| □ 5. Exercise | I exercise 30 minutes or more per day at least once per week |
| □ 6. Alcohol | I don't drink, or I drink two units of alcohol or less per day |
| □ 7. Smoking | I don't smoke or I am trying to give up |
| □ 8. Stress | I do not have high levels of stress |
Certified as a "Sports Yell Company 2024” by the Japan Sports Agency
Workplace-based health promotion activities
Participation in a public-private partnership program of the Japan Sports Agency
3. Second-hand Smoking Measures
Daihatsu is currently collaborating with labor and management to make worksites smoke-free in fiscal 2024 with the aim of creating work environments in which employees can continue to work healthily.
Smoking cessation seminar by industrial health staff
4. Dietary Education
Daihatsu is promoting dietary education at the employee cafeterias of each business site by providing balanced menus that satisfy certification standards (compliant with the “Smart Meal” program promoted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). Labor and management, food service providers, human resources departments, and departments responsible for promoting safety and health are working together to promote employee health through dietary education. We have developed employee cafeterias with a variety of innovations such as the provision of balanced menus, aiming to enable employees to eat healthy meals.
Furthermore, Daihatsu also conducts seminars that address breakfasts and snacking, which are key to good health.
Sample of balanced menu on display at entrance of employee cafeteria
Logo of “Smart Meal” program promoted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Dietary education seminars run by dieticians and public health nurses (web)
5. Health Education
Daihatsu incorporates health seminars into various training programs that it conducts (new employee training, training by job level, training for new supervisors, etc.) to ensure that all employees, from young to middle-aged, work in good health.
These participatory seminars are conducted based on age and include the sharing of positive internal initiatives and other information to raise health awareness.
Daihatsu also conducts health seminars for employees in their 50s to enable them to continue working energetically at 60 and beyond.
Health education run by public health nurses and clinical psychologists (at new employee training)
Health education and groupwork run by public health nurses
6. Support for Balancing Work and Medical Treatment
The number of people working while continuing medical treatment have increased in recent years, and guidelines have been established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This is because advances in diagnostic medicine and treatment methods are changing previously incurable diseases into long-lasting diseases.
Cooperation between workplaces and medical institutions is critical in order to balance work and medical treatment. Therefore, Daihatsu is working to build systems and create a comfortable work environment so that employees do not have to stop working to get medical treatment.
In addition to offering balancing support, Daihatsu actively provides support in areas such as childcare and nursing care.
Employee receiving advice from full-time occupational health physician (image)
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare character
7. Mental Health Measures
Occupational health personnel including occupational physicians, psychologists, and public health nurses provide specialized support for the development of healthier work environments and the early detection and prevention of recurrence of mental health issues.
As a preventative measure, employees who are determined to be experiencing high levels of stress through annual stress checks undergo individual interviews with an occupational physician, and feedback on the results of organizational analysis is provided to worksites.
Daihatsu also plans and conducts mental health training intended to enhance self-care and care provided by managers and supervisors.
In addition, Daihatsu created a mental health consultation desk that can be consulted any time so that employees can work with peace of mind and without bottling up their worries. The company also provides support for employees returning to work after taking leave to address mental health issues.
Occupational health staff serving as instructors to conduct training
Health consultation waiting room
Health consultation room
8. Infectious Disease Measures
Daihatsu established internal standards for preventing infection and the spread of infections and are taking measures while updating those standards.
In addition, occupational health staff collaborate with worksites to provide support with the aim of creating workplaces where employees can work with peace of mind.
In particular, Daihatsu engages in efforts to address COVID-19 by raising awareness on basic preventive measures such as handwashing and mask use. The company also continuously encourages avoiding the Three Cs (closed spaces, crowded places, close-contact settings) and ensuring effective ventilation through means including pop-ups, posters, and internal broadcasts.
For employees who test positive for COVID-19, Daihatsu collaborates with worksites and occpational health staff to provide support so that they focus on their recovery and then return to work trouble-free.
In addition, the company conducted workplace vaccinations for employees at three worksites in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. This not only prevented the spread of infection but also contributed to reducing the burden on medical institutions in the surrounding areas.
COVID-19 workplace vaccinations
Occupational health physicians and occupational health staff work together with workplaces in a joint effort