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With Employees
Workplace Safety
Structures for Ensuring Occupational Safety and Preventing Accidents on a Global Level
Management systems built on a basic policy of safety first
Global Conference on Work Safety and Accident Prevention
In the group's "Safety and Disaster Prevention Policy," Brother has set a "Basic Safety and Disaster Prevention Policy ," in which specifically indicates that "‘Safety first’ shall be the cornerstone of all operations. We shall try to create a comfortable working environment that allows all our associates to feel safe and work in good health. Safety culture shall be established at the same time." In accordance with this basic policy, the Central Safety Committee of Brother Industries addresses to eliminate on-the-job accidents and disease, ensuring the safety and health in the workplaces.
The Brother Group began introducing Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (OSHMS) in FY2005. In FY2006, the Hoshizaki Plant of Brother Industries obtained certification for their OSHMS from the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Management Association for the first time in Nagoya, and activities that fall in line with that qualification criteria have been diffused to manufacturing facilities and group companies in Japan.
Assisting manufacturing facilities outside Japan to promote workplace safety, health, and accident prevention activities on their own
 Fire drill
 Lifesaving seminar
FY 2007 was the inaugural year of the Brother Group's three-year project for raising the standards of workplace safety, health, and accident prevention at global manufacturing facilities up to the levels in Japan. The initiative has been taken by the Workplace Safety and Disaster Prevention Group (which serves as the Central Safety Committee) of Brother Industries' Personnel Department. Activities have been assisted by staff responsible for workplace safety, health, and accident prevention at respective manufacturing facilities.
Regarding workplace safety and health, activities included drawing up the Safety and Disaster Prevention Policy (which serves as the guiding principle of activities at respective factories), establishment of a framework, preparation of activity plans (as the basis for practicing the PDCA cycle), workplace safety and health patrols, measures to prevent the recurrence of accidents, risk assessment activities for systematically reducing potential risks in the workplace, KY (Kiken Yochi or risk prediction) activities, and distribution of the workplace safety rulebook. As a result, the number of labor accidents was reduced from 69 in FY 2006 to 20 in FY 2010.
Regarding accident prevention, activities included improvement of the accident prevention organization, accident prevention training (evacuation drills), guidance on fire drills using fire extinguishers and fire hydrants, lifesaving seminars (such as cardiac massage and artificial respiration), and inspections of fire protection facilities.
Meanwhile, the Manual for Instructing Disaster Prevention at Brother Group Overseas Factories was newly compiled, describing procedures for fire and other accidents. The manual has helped establish a framework for preventing accidents and minimizing damage caused by accidents including fire, and has facilitated drills.
From FY 2010, support activities have focused on C (check) and A (act) in the PDCA cycle so that (i) respective factories can conduct internal audits and make improvements on their own and (ii) workplace safety and health activities can progress smoothly at new factories that are to be built in the future.
Meanwhile, FY 2008 saw the start of an annual Global Conference on Safety and Accident Prevention, for which workplace safety and health staff are invited from group manufacturing facilities across the globe to Brother Industries' Mizuho Factory. The third conference in FY 2010 was highly successful, featuring commendations for factories that minimized accidents or for excellent workplace safety activities, presentations on activities at respective factories, and workplace safety and health seminars.
Maintaining and Improving Mental and Physical Health
Maintaining and improving the health of the entire group
Employee health is a major theme in building an active organization. In the Brother Group, business sites in each country and region assign physicians specialized in industrial medicine, and are working with hospitals and clinics to maintain and improve the health of employees.
Dedicating efforts to prevention and early detection of mental health issues and post-illness support structures
Brother Industries established the Brother Mental Health Plan in FY 2005 to focus on preventive measures, which included mental health education programs featuring self-care education (enabling employees to recognize stress on their own) and line-care education (enabling managers to assess the mental health of their subordinates, immediately recognize any changes, and take measures). Consultations are held with individuals who suffer mental health problems, and programs are offered to help them return to work. In this way, a framework for preventing mental health problems has been built in a five-year period.
Brother Industries will continue to offer mental health care education programs, consultations, and assistance programs to help staff return to work. However, to further reduce the number of employees who suffer mental health problems in the future, we need to build a corporate culture where employees are not likely to suffer such problems. To this end, a second five-year plan was drawn up and launched in FY 2011 based on the human assets strategy model. The plan is mainly to develop human resources, help employees develop their careers, and build a workplace where employees can feel a sense of accomplishment through their jobs.
Moreover, for employees who have suffered periods of illness, efforts are being made to strengthen support, such as by increasing the number of physicians and health nurses specialized in industrial medicine, and offering support for those returning to work. Brother Industries also provides health consultations for persons being transferred overseas and their family members as well as health seminars for persons being transferred or going on business trips.
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