Efforts and Status

Preventing accidents while responding to equipment trouble or a short stoppage requires preventing equipment trouble, the underlying cause. We therefore strive to reduce equipment trouble with mechanical monitoring and analysis at each production step to identify equipment areas requiring inspection and maintenance and then conduct regularly scheduled maintenance on them.
The major earthquake that hit northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011 caused power outages at some sites, but the equipment safety features (failsafes) prevented injuries from occurring. This event reinforced the importance of failsafes, so we will periodically check to ensure that all failsafe features are working.

Since FY2005, facility safety standards have attempted to make new production facilities inherently safe by evaluating risks and incorporating appropriate countermeasures from the design and development stages. In FY2010 we carried out a sustained training program for managers/supervisors and personnel in charge of operational departments to promote a better understanding of current trends and standards in facility safety. Going forward, we will create safe facilities by exchanging opinions with operational managers, revising standards so they are easy to understand, and fully administering the standards.

We continue to improve operating methods and other measures to prevent workers from coming into contact with chemicals or at least reduce the likelihood thereof. We also validate the capacity of local ventilation equipment, modifying it as necessary. In FY2010 we received a notification from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare regarding preventive measures against exposure to nanomaterials. We then identified pertinent workplace sites, carried out inspections of those sites, validated the capacity of local ventilation equipment and dust removal equipment and investigated suitable technology requirements.
We are in the process of formulating in-house standards that we will promote along with a plan to implement safety measures in this regard.

Our chemical fire prevention efforts took a comprehensive approach with such measures as managing concentrations, making facilities explosion proof, and removing static electricity from jigs and personnel.
In FY2010 we focused on measures to prevent static electricity ignition and implemented those measures.

To prevent unsafe behavior by workers, TAIYO YUDEN has drawn up operating procedures for both normal and irregular tasks and standardized key points requiring strict observance for health and safety reasons.
In FY2010, we objectively checked and evaluated the maintenance and management situation for each risk at work sites with a high risk level, and took action to improve the situation. As part of this, we checked compliance with procedures to ensure safety when safety equipment has been disabled. Going forward, we will conduct objective evaluation as well as self-checking, and make efforts to achieve continuous improvement.

When an accident occurs, it is essential to prevent similar accidents from occurring at other sites. In FY2010, a database was created of past accidents throughout the TAIYO YUDEN Group. This database was made available on our internal website, viewable to every business site in the Group, including overseas subsidiaries. The database can be searched by type of accident (e.g. getting stuck or pulled into machinery), by cause, by countermeasures, etc. It is used by the health and safety committee at each business site to provide accident updates, explain causes, provide training on accident prevention, and set up safety measures when designing facilities. Going forward, this database will be further enhanced for effective use to prevent the recurrence of accidents.

In the TAIYO YUDEN Group, we are making efforts to minimize the impact on our business sites in case there is an outbreak of a new influenza virus. In FY2010, an audit was conducted to check on the stockpiles of supplies such as masks and transmission prevention kits for countering flu outbreaks at each business site. Checks were also performed on storage conditions, storage amounts, etc. The stockpiling of essential supplies was completed according to the stockpiling plan.

Starting in FY2008 the TAIYO YUDEN Group began taking specific measures to protect lives in the event of a major earthquake. This involves four particular targets: (1) Ensuring evacuation routes; (2) Keeping objects from falling; (3) Preventing secondary accidents; and (4) Earthquake-proofing buildings. These measures are being carried out in more detail based on the conditions at each business site, and targets (1) and (2) have largely been met.
Even though our plants were in operation on the day of the earthquake in northeastern Japan, evacuation routes remained clear thanks to the measures in place already to prevent lockers and shoe lockers from falling over and pipes from falling from their storage locations, and everyone was evacuated without injury. However, some lack of preparation was observed in inadequate evacuation orders and roll calls, so these areas will be remedied.