Health management and Occupational health and safety
Health management initiatives
Recognizing the importance of managing and improving employee health in order to be an enterprise that can grow continually, in 2021, the KITZ Group established a Health Management Statement under which we aim by 2030 to be a company in which employees can work more safely, in better health, and with greater vitality, in accordance with fair and transparent rules.
Based on the above approach, the KITZ Group is implementing a variety of measures based on the KITZ Group Health Management Statement and the five policies of health management to be a more vital organization that strategically promotes improvements to employees’ physical and mental health.
1. KITZ Group Health Management Statement
We aim to be a company where individual employees can demonstrate their abilities and individuality to the maximum and work with vitality and in good health by improving employees’ physical and mental health.
2. Five pillars of the policy on health management initiatives
(1) Realizing a healthy work-life balance
(2) Improving workplace environments based on health and safety promotion
(3) Countering lifestyle-related conditions with a focus on prevention
(4) Measures for mental health and countering job stress
(5) Employee education to improve health literacy
3. Health-management promotion structure
The KITZ Group has established a Health Management Subcommittee under the umbrella of the Group Environment, Health, and Safety Committee, chaired by the director in charge of labor management. In this way, we have established a structure for promotion of health management through cooperation among the General Affairs and Human Resources Division, industrial physicians, psychological counselors, and the health insurance association, along with implementing measures to counter lifestyle-related conditions and mental-health measures.
4. Recognition as a Health and Productivity Management Outstanding Organization
As in FY 2022, KITZ has been certified again as a Health and Productivity Management Outstanding Organization by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in FY 2023 for its practice to promote health and productivity management.
Based on “Five Pillars for the policy of Health and Productivity Management initiatives,” we are implementing our efforts from the prospective of both the “Physical Health” and “Mental Health.”
As for “Physical Health,” we assign healthcare staff at each plant as well as HQ who provide employees with health support so that employees can maintain and improve their health conditions on their own. At the cafeterias, we collaborate with nutritionists to prepare and offer healthy menus.
As for “Mental Health,” we provide managers with seminars where they can learn how to take care of their subordinates’ mental health, and for general employees, including new recruits, we hold self mental care workshops.
As part of our efforts to create a better healthcare environment, we have opened a health consultation desk to help support our employees.
Occupational health and safety
The KITZ Group has established the KITZ Group Basic Principles of Health and Safety and the KITZ Group Basic Policy of Health and Safety. Recognizing efforts to secure the health and safety of all KITZ Group employees and to build comfortable workplace environments to be important topics for improving productivity and business results, since they contribute to stable employment and increased employee motivation, we are implementing a wide range of initiatives under our occupational health and safety promotion structure.
1. KITZ Group Safety and Health Fundamental Philosophy
Based on respect for employees as human beings, KITZ recognizes the fact that health and safety are of utmost importance in all activities and aims to eliminate accidents through proactive health and safety activities.
2. KITZ Group Safety and Health Fundamental Policies
(1) We will strive to realize comfortable workplaces filled with vitality and promote good mental and physical health.
(2) Together with complying with laws and regulations on occupational health and safety and other applicable laws and regulations, we will ensure the health and safety of all employees based on internal rules and standards.
(3) We will strive to raise the level of health and safety management through education and training for all employees on the knowledge and skills needed in health and safety activities.
(4) We will strive to ensure the essential safety of all equipment so that employees can work with peace of mind.
(5) We will strive to reduce risks by eliminating dangers and hazards in the workplace.
3. Promotion structure
4. Health and safety activities
Based on the KITZ Group Basic Principles of Health and Safety and the Basic Policy of Health and Safety, we are advancing efforts to eliminate all accidents.
We established Health and Safety Committees at the head office and our plants to enhance initiatives toward such objectives as health management and accident prevention in order to prevent illness and injury in the workplace, promote development of comfortable workplace environments, and prevent lifestyle-related illnesses, while also deploying activities targeting enhancement of systematic activities and their thorough implementation in individual lines, as well as increasing the vitality of autonomous activities in the workplace (through a bottom-up approach based on small-group activities), in order to raise awareness of prevention and safety and to promote groupwide health and safety activities. Through these initiatives, we aim to transform individuals’ mindsets, raise awareness of safety, and reform the workplace culture.
Other employee health and safety measures identified as priorities include development of management structures (compliance with health and safety laws and regulations), safety measures for machinery, equipment, and people (preventing accidents similar to those that have occurred in the past) and improving workplace cultures (promoting efforts to realize a level of zero accidents), all aimed at preventive safety and raising safety awareness.
5. Enhancement of health and safety management systems
In November 2019, the Group Occupational Health and Safety Committee decided on a policy of working toward ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) certification. As a result, preparations have advanced for operation of occupational health and safety management systems among Group companies, including formation of Group manuals, since 2020, and in January 2021, the Nagasaka, Ina, and Chino plants launched full-fledged activities toward certification.