System Overview

This management system consists of long- and short-cycle activities.
In the long-cycle activities, which are designed for the entire group, we are making continuous improvements based on common goals and criteria by checking achievements based on reports about site audits and from sites and by reviewing the management system.
For site-specific short-cycle activities, we have an ISO 14001-compliant management system and the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) in place.

Promotion Structure

The officer in charge of safety and environmental affairs appointed by the President has overall responsibility for building and managing the promotion structure for Taiyo Yuden's Safety and Environmental Management System.
The Taiyo Yuden Group Safety and Environment Committee, the Taiyo Green Strategy (TGS) Committee, and the Energy and Resource Conservation Committee debate and decide policies and issues to be addressed. Each manager of sites then converts his/her decisions into actual plans matching the characteristics of each site, and takes charge of publicizing, enforcing and promoting these concrete targets.

TAIYO YUDEN Group is ISO 14001 certified for its production sites and development centers. The rate of ISO14001 certificated production site is 100%.
Also, as the group became ISO 45001 certified, it returned the OHSAS 18001 certificate instead of subjecting to the Validated Assessment Program (VAP) audit by the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) in line currently with the set plan.

TAIYO YUDEN Group has implemented activities to comply with the RBA (Responsible Business Alliance) Code of Conduct, which is a code of conduct related to social responsibility. We regularly have the RBA-VAP audit as third-party evaluation to enhance level of labor, ethics, health and safety, and environment continually. Subjects of the audit are 12 manufacturing sites and 2 non-manufacturing sites *.

Training Structure

Training Examples

General Training

Holding events associated with health and safety

At all sites, we hold various events associated with health and safety, providing employees with opportunities to raise their awareness and improve their skills. These events include locomotion tests to check physical capabilities such as walking and standing, safe driving classes, and health classes with a salad bar.

Locomotion test

Health class with a salad bar

External Audits

ISO14001 certification audits by certification authorities

Sites with ISO14001 certification underwent the audits required to update or maintain such certification. These audits uncovered 4 nonconformities. The root causes were analyzed and corrective action was promptly taken in response to each issue. The nonconformities were minor issues relating to our management systems, and were not directly linked with environmental pollution or occupational accidents.

Note that, RBA-VAP audits, which were already being performed at overseas production sites, began at Japanese sites in FY2018.

Number of Nonconformity Instances Found with External Audits

Nonconformity Examples

Internal Site Audits

Audits of site safety and environmental activities at regularly scheduled intervals allow us to compare sites.
(Domestic sites: Once every two years / Overseas sites: Once every three years)

In FY2018 we performed site audits to examine the implementation status of the safety, health, and environmental requirements specified by the RBA Code and the operational status of our management systems.
In each audit, auditors checked documents and while onsite examined whether notifications were being submitted to conform to certain laws and regulations, use of qualified personnel, management of fire prevention systems, accessibility of evacuation routes, emergency preparedness and responses, chemicals management, waste product and water management, and so on.
The audits revealed insufficient treatment of expecting and nursing mothers, management of evacuation routes, first-aid box management, waste product management, and so on.
Countermeasures were implemented and validated for inadequacies and nonconformities found during the internal site audits.
We aim to improve the level of the health, safety, and environmental protection activities for the whole group by incorporating societal requirements globally in a timely manner and sharing the results after benchmarking products from all sites.

Internal Audits

Audits targeting site departments on observance of safety and environment laws, target achievement, and performance.
(Once or twice every year)

All sites conducted internal audits of their departments in accordance with their management systems. Priority areas were determined for each site, and 38 non conformities were uncovered as a result of conducting internal audits (at sites in japan). Corrective action was completed in all cases without delay, and after a follow-up check, it was reported to the managers that the management system has been effective in complying with the Taiyo Yuden Group’s policies and goals.

Other Audits