Occupational Health and Safety
- Approach to Occupational Health and Safety
- Safety Management Initiatives
- Fire and Disaster Prevention
- Facility Safety Maintenance
Approach to Occupational Health and Safety
Safety, health, and compliance take precedence over performance at Epson. Epson believes that initiatives to promote a healthy and safe work environment and to protect physical and mental wellbeing are essential for a healthy company. We therefore run occupational health and safety knowledge that they are safe.
Epson established the New Epson Safety & Health Program (NESP) and Basic NESP Policy in FY2000. Based on an occupational safety and health management system (OSHMS) that conformed to International Labour Organization (ILO) guidelines, the program and policy covered safety, health, fire prevention, disaster management, and facilities. NESP was replaced in April 2022 with a new Basic Occupational Health and Safety Policy that better articulates Epson's occupational health and safety activities, thereby facilitating understanding among officers, employees, and partners.

Commitment
We are evolving the Epson Group's occupational health and safety programs based on the ISO 45001 international standard and will further improve the workplace health and safety environment. Understanding that safety, security, and health are the most important thing to us as a company, we observe all applicable local laws and regulations as well as company rules. We also do all that we can to maintain and promote the mental and physical wellbeing of our people, work together to eliminate serious occupational accidents and industrial incidents as well as occupational illnesses, and lay the groundwork for achieving sustainability and enriching communities.
Eiichi Abe
Executive Officer
General Administrative Manager,Human Resources Division /
Health Management Office and Overall Health and Safety Controller
Occupational Accidents
In the FY2021, we had a serious occupational accident1 in which an employee lost a foot. The accident occurred when a forklift slipped on an oily floor in an overseas warehouse and the driver's leg got caught between the forklift and a wall. Immediately after the accident, the staff examined conditions in the warehouse, performed a why-why analysis, identified risks. All other Epson sites were then instructed to inspect the way they care for and use their forklifts. Based on the lessons learned, we established rules for reporting potentially hazardous conditions, provided forklift safety training, and posted warnings to indicate hazards in work areas. These practices were shared across the Epson Group in an accident report to help prevent future accidents of this nature.
The frequency rate and severity2 of occupational accidents in the Epson Group were lower than the national average.
1 An accident that results in death, residual disability, or the equivalent
2 The frequency rate and severity of occupational accidents are indicators that are calculated in accordance with a formula provided by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan


Workdays lost are calculated based on the criteria below.
- Fatality: 7,500 days
- Permanent total disability: days of disability level 1-3 (7,500 days)
- Permanent partial disability: 50 to 5,500 days depending on disability level from 4-14
- Temporary disability: the total number of lost days, including scheduled day off, multiplied by 300/365
Number of Occupational Accidents, by Type, in FY2021
Reaction to motion and over-exertion | Cuts and scrapes | Falls | Ignition, fuming | Collision | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 41 |
* Definition of accident: In Japan, an accident resulting in one or more hospital visits.
Safety Management Initiatives
Epson's FY2022 safety targets are as follows.
- Zero serious occupational accidents and industrial incidents
- Frequency rate of less than 0.13 and severity of less than 0.003
Actions for FY2022
We analyzed occupational accidents in FY2021 and will act to prevent accidents, including repeat accidents, in FY2022 by focusing on the actions below.
- Reaction to motion and over-exertion: Raise awareness of heavy objects (e.g., post weights), analyze worker motion and lines of movement, assess risks, and take action to mitigate identified risks.
- Cuts and scrapes: Draw attention to hazards to which workers could be exposed so that they are taken seriously, analyze their causes, and develop countermeasures. Do so not only for equipment and machinery but also for general tools and fixtures.
- Falls: Continue activities to prevent falls using hazard prediction (KY), raise awareness of falls, and promote efforts to eradicate occupational accidents.
Obtaining ISO 45001 Certification
To protect employees from occupational health and safety risks, Epson will systematically acquire certification under the ISO 45001 international standard for occupational health and safety management systems, mainly at manufacturing sites, over a three-year period. As of June 2022, four of our 15 overseas manufacturing sites have acquired ISO 45001 certification, for an acquisition rate of 27%.
Global Sharing of Information on Occupational Health and Safety Activities
Epson seeks to improve its occupational health and safety activities around the world by holding regular meetings at our production sites in Japan and overseas to share information and discuss issues at the executive management and operational levels.
At the executive management level, the chief operating officers and presidents of Epson Group companies and sites in Japan gather twice a year for meetings of the general health and safety controllers to update one another about occupational health and safety activities and discuss issues to identify opportunities for improvement. Their counterparts overseas do the same.
At the operational level, managers and health and safety personnel also meet regularly to share information. In Japan, they meet every other month to discuss important topics and issues. Overseas, in China and Southeast Asia, representatives from each manufacturing affiliate meet regularly to develop a common understanding on shared issues, discuss key actions to ensure compliance with applicable local legal and regulatory requirements, and drive improvement.

Raising Employee Awareness with Accident Reports
Epson analyzes all occupational injuries and accidents in the Epson Group, identifies causes, and makes plans for preventing similar incidents. Occupational injuries and accidents are reported in the form of Safety News bulletins that describe accident causes, countermeasures, and actions that all sites are to take to prevent similar accidents in the future. These reports are placed on the intranet and discussed with employees.
Professional Development through Health and Safety Education
Epson considers health and safety education vital for protecting employees. The education curriculum is tailored to the position, roles, and responsibilities of employees. Education for non-management employees focuses on practical techniques such as risk assessment and hazard prediction. Education for managers and supervisors focuses on leadership. All Group companies use the same education curriculum.
In the FY2021, we offered an online safety course in Japan that was taken by 98.28% of managers and supervisors (2,387 people) and by 99.05% of non-management employees (15,629 people). We also planned and implemented basic education (including in safety standards) for managers and supervisors overseas. The course was taken by 100% of managers and supervisors in Greater China (717 people) and by 100% in the Southeast Asia territory (1,258 people).
Fire and Disaster Prevention
Epson is committed to fire safety and disaster management. Our independent fire brigades help to protect lives and property. We hold fire and disaster drills and practice extinguishing small fires to help minimize damage in the event of a wide-scale disaster. The actions both increase our preparedness and heighten employee awareness.
Formation of Independent Fire Brigades
Epson has had independent fire brigades in place for 68 years. The first was formed in 1955, with 15 employees dedicated to protecting their factory from fire. As our business has grown, so has the number of fire brigades. There are now approximately 900 employee firefighters active at business sites at our facilities around the world. Fire brigades train year-round to protect life and company property.

Purpose and significance of independent fire brigade initiatives
- Regular training teaches members about firefighting techniques and skills and raises their safety awareness so they can take immediate and proper action in an emergency. This is part of company safety education.
- Preserve the safety of personnel (render first aid) and extinguish fires early to limit damage to facilities and equipment in the event of an occupational accident or natural disaster.
- Employees who learn about safety and firefighting techniques and skills become key members of the workplace to instruct others there. They model fire/disaster prevention and safety for all employees, which raise workplace awareness of the same.
- Initiatives to fight fire enhance communication. Fire brigades are a good place to foster friendships between members from different departments, develop character, and cultivate human resources.
Fire Brigade Competitions
Epson has held a fire brigade competition annually in September that gives brigade members around the world a chance to demonstrate how quickly they are able to take the proper action in an emergency and to demonstrate their skills in extinguishing a small fire.
About 700 people in 43 teams, including 15 from overseas, took part in the 2019 Competition. The 43 teams consisted of 23 in the small pump division, 12 in the indoor fire hydrant division, and eight in the bugle band division. The high level of fire safety awareness was evident from the seriousness with which the teams competed in bad weather, showing that the spirit to protect lives and property under which the brigades were first formed is alive and well. The entire Epson Group will continue to improve our fire and disaster prevention and management programs.
Competitions have been canceled for the past three years due to COVID-19, but the fire brigades continue to routinely practice basic fire-fighting skills to extinguish fires early.



Facility Safety Maintenance
Epson maintains safe facilities in line with the Epson Group Basic Occupational Health and Safety Policy to prevent accidents caused by faulty buildings, equipment, and facilities.
Facility safety maintenance covers all domestic and foreign Epson Group buildings and building equipment, including but not limited to electrical equipment, air conditioning and sanitary equipment, drainage equipment, disaster management equipment, communication equipment, and equipment for supplying gas and chemicals to production machinery. Maintaining the soundness of buildings and building equipment, preventing damage from fires and earthquakes, and ensuring the safety of employees and others will help Epson to ensure business continuity and deliver products and services on time. Epson thus has in place a variety of facility safety measures.
For example, before a new building or new building equipment is constructed, installed, refurbished, or removed, a safety assessment is conducted to identify potential problems and improve designs. In addition to managing safety during construction, we also conduct post-construction safety assessments where we check whether buildings and building equipment were constructed or installed as designed. If there is a problem, we have it fixed, and if it is not fixed, the building or equipment cannot be used until the problem is resolved.
In addition to ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and codes when conducting safety assessments, we are also working to build safer buildings and building equipment by establishing our own standards and preventing the recurrence of past accidents and problems.
In many cases, we hire outside contractors to do the actual construction work. When we hire a contractor, we carefully manage safety by communicating the construction rules, controlling access to the site, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained, and providing instructions for working safely. We also try to raise safety awareness among contractors by holding safety conferences.
To encourage employees to acquire the licenses and qualifications needed for facility management and to maintain and raise the level of facility management, Epson provides employees with ongoing professional education. To help ensure electrical safety, Epson created its own program for training and qualifying electrical equipment technicians. Only qualified technicians are allowed to perform electrical work and maintenance on machinery used at Epson sites worldwide.
We at Epson will continue to try to eliminate occupational accidents through activities like these.


