- HOME
- Social(S)
- Labor Practices
- Thorough Management of Occupational Health and Safety
Work in Thorough Management of Occupational Health and Safety
Policies and Basic Approach
The Taisei Group, in its “Action Guidelines for Taisei Personnel and the Taisei Group as a Whole,” emphasizes maintaining a safe and health working environment, and strive to prevent occupational accidents. Especially in construction activities, the Group commits to adhering to laws, regulations, internal standards, and safety plans. We prioritize ensuring the safety of construction personnel and give utmost importance to ensuring community safety, which includes preventing accidents that may affect third parties. This commitment is deeply ingrained, ensuring strict adherence by all the Group’s executives and employees.
Additionally, within the Group’s Medium-Term Business Plan (2021-2023), we underscore the aim to “achieve zero fatal accidents and zero serious accidents.” Our Safety and Health Policy designates the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (“TAISEI OHSMS”), executed in a systematic and organized manner, as the cornerstone of our safety and health management approach. Group executives, employees, and professional contractors collaboratively work towards these aims.
We are also pioneering the adoption and enhancement of safety management and monitoring systems leveraging ICT and AI technologies. In collaboration with professional contractors, we are establishing a safety and health management system that clearly defines “responsibility and authority.”
Our ultimate goal is to create a work environment where individuals feel secure and to be recognized as a company that earns the trust and empathy of the wider community.
Risks and Opportunities
The construction industry faces challenges, such as the aging of skilled workers, an influx of foreign labor, escalating natural disasters, and persistent severe heat. These challenges necessitate a higher level of commitment to occupational health and safety management. Inadequate attention to this critical aspect might lead to industrial mishaps, regulatory infringements, diminishing corporate value, and our reputation among our stakeholders.
Conversely, elevating our occupational health and safety standards, inclusive of our partners, aids in securing commendable partners and attracting top-tier talent. Innovative measures, like the automation of hazardous tasks and leveraging digital technologies, not only enhance safety standards but also fortify our Group’s productivity and competitive advantage.
Goals and Targets
For “Thorough Management of Occupational Health and Safety,” one of the materiality items, we have established “zero fatal accidents” as a KPI for FY 2023.
Moreover, in the Safety and Health Management Policy which is the basis of the “TAISEI OHSMS”, Taisei's occupational health and safety management system, the objectives for 2023 are “zero fatal accidents” “achievement of an frequency rate of less than 0.40” and “zero serious accidents.” The objectives of the Safety and Health Management Policy Paper are reviewed each year, and it applies to employees and the personnel of subcontractors and suppliers. Under the Safety and Health Policy, we work to ensure that all of the people involved in construction work harness their skills and passion to achieve these objectives.
KPIs
Performance
- Between January and December 2023, there were 62 accidents at Taisei Corporation on a non-consolidated basis that required time off from work (as compared to 36 in 2022), resulting in the frequency rate of 0.51 (0.32 in 2022). There were zero fatal accidents. In 2023, the number of annual fatalities from accidents were zero for the second consecutive year.
- An analysis of the accidents in 2023 reveals that the most common type of accident that required time off from work was “tumbles,” followed by “machinery-related,” “ falls under 2 meters” and “ heat stroke.” We conduct a thorough investigation of the essential causes of the accidents that occur and initiate proper measures to prevent a reoccurrence, in order to eliminate similar industrial accidents.
- In 2024, we continuously implement key measures such as the major priority for specialized contractors to eliminate fatal accidents and ensure a safe working environment under abnormal weather.
- In FY2023, a total of 1,457 employees who work for construction sites participated in various safety training programs.
Initiatives
- United Nations Global Compact, “Human Rights” and “Labor”
- ISO45001
- Safety Measures Subcommittee ([Nikkenren] Japan Federation of Construction Industry)
- Labor Committee ([Nikkenren] Japan Federation of Construction Industry)
Sustainability Governance and Oversight
TAISEI OHSMS (Occupational Health and Safety Management System)
Based on the principle of “Safety First” as stated in its Safety and Health Policy, Taisei works with subcontractors and suppliers to operate its “TAISEI OHSMS*” occupational health and safety management system in a continuous and ongoing manner, with the objective of eliminating accidents and disasters, preventing accidents to third parties, and improving the health and safety level.
Taisei has established a Central Safety Committee (chaired by the Executive Vice President) made up of members appointed by the Management Committee. The Committee discusses safety management, the prevention of environmental accidents, and issues related to the health, safety and environmental management of subcontractors and suppliers, and reports and advices issues to the Management Committee. In addition, Branch Safety Committees, composed of branch supervisory health and safety managers, employees, and employee’s union, also meet regularly to hold discussions with employee’s union.
As one part of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle based on the “TAISEI OHSMS”, we conduct risk assessments (for example, when creating construction and health and safety plans after holding review meetings when a construction project has been acquired, and when advance reviews are conducted by the branch for plans concerning priority dangerous work operations). In addition, we also have the head office and branches conduct health and safety patrols at all sites where work is being done once construction starts, in order to check the implementation and operational status of health and safety plans and to conduct a risk assessment, and improvements and corrective action are conducted as needed in order to continually improve the level of health and safety.
Conceptual Diagram of TAISEI OHSMS (Occupational Health and Safety Management System)
* Our proprietary occupational health and safety management system developed in reference to the guidelines issued by the ILO and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. As November of fy2021, none of our business sites has obtained OHSAS 18001 certification.
Activities / Efforts
Risk Assessment
Taisei Corporation implements risk management based on the “TAISEI OHSMS” occupational health and safety management system. Risk assessment is categorized as follows:
- Company-wide shared risk assessment, which is implemented comprehensively by the head office
- Branch office risk assessment, which is implemented at each branch office and
- Worksite risk assessment, which is implemented before work starts at each construction site.
These risk management initiatives are carried out at all existing and new worksites.
Moreover, for new worksites, branch offices make sure to thoroughly identify and mitigate risks as well as implement countermeasures during the construction plan review stage. By ensuring the implementation of risk assessment, dangerous and hazardous factors that may lead to accidents and disasters are eliminated or reduced, or necessary measures are taken to manage them as part of our efforts towards continuous enhancement of health and safety standards in conjunction with daily safety management PCDA cycles.
Construction Site Patrols
As one part of health and safety management based on the “TAISEI OHSMS” occupational health and safety management system, Taisei Corporation conducts patrols to confirm the safety and hygiene status at construction sites. In addition to patrols by Taisei employees at the head office and branch offices and patrols by the owners and safety personnel of subcontractors and suppliers and so on, the President himself visits and patrols construction sites during National Safety Week to make sure that each and every employee and worker shares the company's strong commitment to its “Safety First” policy. To ensure that each and every employee and worker shares the company's strong commitment to our “Safety First” policy, the President Aikawa himself visited and patrolled construction sites at the Tokyo, Kansai, Chubu, and Tohoku branches at National Safety Week FY2023. Following these patrols, the President provided instructions to business owners, contract workers, and company employees. He instructed them to conduct thorough safety management based on the situation at each construction site and to put together reliable safety processes. He then requested that employees, the Board of Managers, and the leaders of the workers, make a scrum to ensure thorough safety management. The construction site patrols by the President are conducted to impress upon all employees and subcontractors and suppliers the firm commitment to safety on the part of the company's top management.
From the left: the Roppongi 7-chome Project Worksite (tentative name) (Tokyo Branch), the Yodogawa Left Bank Line Tunnel Construction Worksite (Kansai Branch), the Chuo Shinkansen Line New Nagoya Station (Chuo- Higashi construction area) (2) Construction Worksite (Chubu Branch), and the Aomori Arena and Aoimori Central Park Development and Operation Project Worksite (tentative name) (Tohoku Branch)
Support for safety education of subcontractors and suppliers (cooperating companies)
By working closely with the Taisei Health, Safety and Environment Cooperation Association, comprising cooperative companies in Japan, we make efforts to prevent accidents and disasters. The members of the association participate in the Safety Conference held in January and Safety Promotion Conference in June every year. To prevent accidents and disasters, we utilize a bulletin, “Kyoryoku (Corporation)” and a list of disastrous cases for the education and guidance of safety and sanitation management.
Awards system
Taisei has established several awards in an effort to improve the quality of health and safety, including the President's Commendation, the President's Award (safety and hygiene category), the President's Merit Award (Safety Order of Merit), and the Safety and Hygiene Environment Cooperative Federation Chairman's Award (Special Award). In addition, each year during National Safety Week (July 1 - 7), the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare presents the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Award to workplaces for excellence in workplace health and safety and persons of merit who have made a major contribution to the long-term improvement and development of safety and hygiene standards of a region, organization or relevant workplace. At Taisei Corporation, the Taisei/Rinkai Nissan/Honma Special Joint Venture Nagoya Central Stormwater Main Line Sewerage Construction Worksite received an award for excellence.
National Safety Conference
The 2024 National Safety Conference was held on February 21, 2024. At the opening of the conference, the president expressed respect and gratitude to employees and members of the cooperative association for achieving zero fatal accidents over the past year. He also set forth this year's safety goals of a fatality frequency rate of less than 0.40 and zero serious accidents, urging a sincere effort toward achieving these safety objectives, with the company and its partners working together as one.
Soyukai Central Council Meeting
The Soyukai Central Council Meeting, attended by Taisei Corporation executives and leaders from Soyukai, an organization that aims for mutual prosperity, was held on September 29, 2023. The meeting facilitated active discussions on securing skilled labor, improving productivity, and other topics.
Data
Safety Performance
(Year)
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference) Frequency rate for all industries | 1.80 | 1.95 | 2.09 | 2.06 | - |
| Reference) Frequency rate for general construction | 1.69 | 1.30 | 1.39 | 1.47 | - |
| Frequency rate (Consolidated) | 0.64 | 0.37 | 0.56 | 0.38 | - |
| Frequency rate (Nonconsolidated) | 0.62 | 0.35 | 0.44 | 0.32 | 0.51 |
| Severity rate | 0.26 | 0.34 | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
- *Frequency rate: The number of deaths and injuries due to industrial accidents per 100 million man-hours of work represents the frequency of accidents.
- Severity rate: The number of working days lost per 1,000 man-hours of work represents the severity of the accident.
Employee safety education
Taisei Corporation provides employee training to deepen employee's understanding of accident and disaster prevention, improvement of health and safety awareness, and laws and regulations related to safety. Education is provided based on the job level of the employee according to year of enrollment and job functions in order to provide the employee with basic knowledge needed for the job. In addition, a monthly Accident and Disaster Report is distributed on the Intranet to share information including disaster analysis, case studies of disasters and ways to prevent disasters.
Starting in January 2024, we launched the Safety Academy for employees who are inexperienced in site management. This academy allows participants to simulate potential accidents and industrial disasters scenarios on construction sites.
Taisei Corporation prioritizes the creation of safe working environments for every worker. With the introduction of this academy, we are committed to enhancing employee awareness of danger and preventing accidents and industrial disasters before they occur. We plan to use this academy for training to enhance the technical skills of our group company employees and for Soyukai's safety and health managers.
(2023)
| Type of Education | No. of persons |
|---|---|
| Offsite training for head office in-house employees | 503 persons |
| Basic, intermediate and supervisory management courses | 726 persons |
| Administrator, supervisor and former manager training | 137 persons |
| Supervisor training | 57 persons |
| New employee introductory training (at time of hire) | 34 persons |
| Total | 1,457 persons |
Safety Academy overview
| Location | Taisei Rotec Corporation Konosu Training Center |
|---|---|
| Participants | Young employees and dispatched employees assigned to sites |
| Start date | January 22, 2024 |
| Capacity | 40 participants per session |
| Frequency | 15 times per year |
| Duration | 2 days |
【Main curriculum】
＜Experiencing hazards by using 10 types of equipment＞
Fall accidents, flying/falling object accidents, machinery-related accidents, electrocution, cuts/abrasions, human error
＜VR (virtual reality) simulations＞
Viewing content on five specific types of accidents: Falls and slips, flying and falling objects, machinery-related, collapse and toppling, and electrocution
＜Actual experience of equipment with mobile cranes and backhoes＞
Understanding the performance limits of heavy machinery and operator visibility as well as experiencing safety device operations
＜Other＞
Safety lectures by external experts
Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use and lifesaving courses
Group work, etc.
Social Data