The NOF Group works to promote occupational safety and health by sharing activity targets as activities related to “occupational safety” among RC activities classified into “five components of safety,” and is developing Group-wide activities, including those of affiliated companies at each works, based on the RC management system.

With the aim of eliminating occupational accidents, the NOF Group has clearly expressed its determination to make its workplaces secure and safe for all workers involved in Group activities, including outside contractors, and to realize this ideal, set forth its Occupational Safety and Health Policy in April 2006. Under this policy, each of our works, plants, and Group companies are engaged in initiatives including the establishment of an occupational health and safety management system.

The status of occupational safety activities at NOF’s works, plants, and Group companies is confirmed through regular RC audits.  Along with audits, we are working to revitalize RC activities throughout the Group, with members of labor unions and Group companies also participating in RC audits as auditors.  The results are reported to the RC Committee, as well as being shared with labor unions to develop joint labor–management activities. 
Moreover, recognizing the importance of safety education, the NOF Group strives to further enhance its occupational safety and health management system and reinforce its safety activities, including promoting safety education, in an effort to ensure the safety and health of its employees.

Since fiscal 2015, we have promoted initiatives toward achieving our target of “absolutely zero accidents.”* In fiscal 2024, we were able to prevent fatal accidents, but had 18 occupational accidents, failing to achieve our target. In particular, there were seven accidents caused by entrapment or entanglement, thus continued enhancement of our prevention efforts are required.
In fiscal 2024, we worked to eliminate unsafe behaviors and conditions as a key RC activity goal, but with eight accidents involving employees who had worked for the Company for one year or less, there is a clear need to further bolster safety education. In response to this issue, we will focus on the following initiatives in fiscal 2025.
　

• Strengthening of implementation of basic safety actions
  Rather than simply enforcing the basic safety actions, we will evolve toward “actual implementation” to enable individuals to act on their own initiative.
• Prevention of accidents caused by entrapment or entanglement
  We will review operation procedures, analyze disaster risks, and improve working environments.
• Early introduction of experience-based education targeting employees including new employees
  We will incorporate experience-based education for enhancing sensitivity to danger into our training to encourage safety actions at workplaces.
  　

Through these activities, we aim to achieve “absolutely zero accidents” and further instill a culture of safety across the Company.
　

［RC activity targets］

• Occupational accidents：absolutely zero accidents
• Traffic accidents：zero accidents causing injury to others or resulting in self-injury
  　

［Key issues］
Through the participation of all employees and risk anticipation, we aim for the followings

• Elimination of unsafe behavior and conditions (focusing on preventing accidents caused by entrapment or entanglement)
• Elimination of traffic accidents
  　

①Enhancement of sensitivity toward danger and enforcement of basic safety actions

• Provision of occupational safety education and training
• Strengthening of hazard prediction skills
  　

②Reduction of disaster risks
［Labor safety］

• Strengthening of responses based on Sangen Shugi  (the “three actuals” principle)
• Ensuring compliance with amendments to the Ordinance  on Industrial Safety and Health*
  　

［Traffic safety］

• Analysis of the causes of injury and self-caused damage
• Strengthening of education to promote awareness
  　

In fiscal 2024, we introduced traffic safety activities unique to each works and affiliated company with the aim of reducing the number of accidents during commutes and work-related traffic accidents. Specifically, we continued to distribute pamphlets during the traffic safety week, arrange safety lectures by police stations, put up banners with road safety slogans, and prepare and disseminate maps showing near-miss traffic accidents. As a result of these efforts, there were nine accidents causing injury to others or resulting in self-injury in fiscal 2024 (three less cases compared to the previous fiscal year), and a total of 22 accidents during commutes and work-related traffic accidents (seven less accidents compared to the previous fiscal year), indicating that the situation has improved. However, we failed to achieve the target, and further efforts are required.
In fiscal 2025, we will aim for zero traffic accidents through traffic safety activities involving all employees.

As part of our safety and disaster-prevention initiatives, the NOF Group has been systematically implementing facility improvement projects, including accident-prevention measures against explosions, fires, and leaks, as well as measures to enhance occupational safety and improve working environments. Further, to prepare for anticipated large-scale earthquakes, we are also systematically implementing projects to reinforce buildings against such quakes.

1. Accidents resulting in loss of functions: Accidents causing permanent disability (disability level 5 or higher) to people who have recovered
2. Lost-time injury: accidents resulting in employees being unable to work at least one day
3. All accidents, including those without lost workdays
4. Frequency rate = Total cases of labor lost / total actual hours worked × 1000

As part of our occupational safety activities, the Responsible Care & Plant Investment Department, which oversees RC activities, sends out periodic and ad-hoc alerts on occupational safety, notifications on instructions or surveys regarding safety activities, etc., and disseminates them across all Group companies. We periodically implement safety and security measures for long holidays, ensure through implementation of heat stroke prevention measures during the summer, etc. On an ad-hoc basis, we issue additional alerts and instructions on measures when a disaster occurs or a typhoon approaches or whenever necessary. The Responsible Care & Plant Investment Department collects information on the status of these alerts, and provides feedback at RC audits and other forums to strengthen safety measures and raise employee awareness.

In the event of an occupational accident, it is important to quickly investigate the causes and plan and implement emergency and permanent measures. Such information is disseminated to each Group company for horizontal deployment in an effort to prevent similar disasters. In fiscal 2024, we promoted company-wide safety activities with a focus placed on prevention of accidents caused by entrapment or entanglement. Unfortunately, however, seven such accidents occurred. Therefore, we will continue to enhance our efforts in this area in fiscal 2025.
In particular, in respect of accidents caused by entrapment or entanglement, we will carry out a detailed analysis of the circumstances of such accidents and formulate specific preventive measures for high-risk work and situations. Given that a substantial number of accidents involving employees who only worked for the Company for one year or less has occurred, we will introduce safety education and hands-on training at an early stage and promote safe actions among all employees. Through this, we aim to achieve “absolutely zero accidents.”
Moreover, in fiscal 2025, we aim to instill a culture of safety involving all employees, by utilizing the NOF Group Safety Standards Guidelines designed to promote basic safety actions. In particular, we are set to incorporate experience-based training into our training programs targeting inexperienced employees at an early stage to enhance their sensitivity toward danger and thoroughly enforce basic safety activities.
Through these initiatives, we aim to thoroughly mitigate the risk of disasters and prevent a recurrence while further deepening a safety culture throughout the entire Group.