Safe Workplace

Kubota formulated its Basic Policies on Safety and Health in April 2013 for the purpose of creating a safer and more secure workplace. Based on these policies, Kubota is enforcing the ethic whereby all people involved in the business, including contractor employees, behave based on the philosophy that “Safety is Our First Priority.”
In addition, three specific instructions to ensure the “Safety is Our First Priority” philosophy were announced by the President.
The Kubota Group’s Mid-term Plan sets out a variety of strategies aiming to achieve a goal of zero "Class A Accidents"^*, centered on promoting inherently safe equipment, ensuring safe operations, and enhancing human resources development to support safety.

• Class-A accident is one that can lead to a serious accident, such as crushing or entanglement in machinery, due to one of the following causes:
  1) Contact, etc. with high-heat object, 2) Contact, etc. with heavy load, 3) Entrapment and entanglement by machines, 4) Fall from heights, 5) Contact, etc. and the like with forklift / vehicle, 6) Toppling of or contact with agricultural machines, construction machines or other vehicles (products), 7) Electric shock, 8) Contact with flying / falling object, 9) Contact with hazardous materials, Acute poisoning (including lack of oxygen, etc.), or 10) Occupational accident caused by explosion or fire.

Under our mid-term plan, which ends in FY2027, we are implementing the following key initiatives.

In FY2023, the entire Kubota Group, including overseas companies, implemented the following initiatives.

1. Risk identification activities
   We designated one day during Japan’s National Safety Week as“Kubota Group’s Safety Day.” On this day, production plans are adjusted to allow all employees to take part in safety activities.
   “Hazard identification” was one of the common themes implemented Groupwide for "2023 Kubota Group's Safety Day."
   Activities were used to fine-tune risk identification and other areas.
2. Implementing measures based on the Safety Control Guidelines for assessment and promotion of inherently safe equipment
   For existing equipment, we prioritized equipment measures to reduce identified risks. For new equipment, we conducted machinery risk assessments to introduce equipment with minimal residual risk.
3. Standardization of safe work practices
   For operations with risk that cannot be reduced to acceptable levels through equipment measures, we standardized safe work practices, conducted education and training, and supervisors performed daily checks and provided instructions.
4. Initiatives to help build a “Stop, Call and Wait" culture
   All work sites implemented the “Stop. Call. Wait.” safety approach in the event of troubles. They also worked to prevent the recurrence of troubles and trained human resources to handle them.
5. Maintaining and improving working environments
   We are complying with chemical substance regulations that are scheduled to be progressively revised in Japan.

Kubota has clearly set the target below for FY2024, and is promoting Company-wide efforts to create safe workplaces.

We provide safety education through messages issued by management and our workplace management and through a range of conferences.

1. Distribution of awareness-raising messages
   Messages from management (executive officers) and workplace management (foremen/project directors) around the themes of the Kubota Group Approach to Safety and Safety-Aware Employees were distributed via the company intranet to promote safety awareness throughout the organization.
   • Kubota Group Guidelines for Safety-Aware Employees/Basic Guidelines for Safety-Aware Employees
2. Safety and Health Convention
   The convention featured video presentations of case studies, including interviews with key personnel involved in safety activities at each site conducted beforehand, as well as a discussion between safety managers at overseas sites, the President and the General Manager of the Health & Safety Promotion Headquarters, which was held on the stage in the main hall at Head Office. There was also a lecture by an outside instructor to further raise the level of health and safety activities. (Streamed live to all sites; archived for viewing later)
3. Safety education initiatives
   Health and safety education, particularly for new employees but also for personnel of all ranks, was conducted online or in group format, depending on training content. We devised new learning methods, such as group work using tools that enable joint editing in real time.

• 

  Health and safety convention

• 

  Discussion between the safety manager of an overseas site (China), the President and General Manager of the Health & Safety Promotion Headquarters

• Lost Time Incident Rate (Kubota Corporation)

  

  ＜Lost time incident rate＞
  Work-related deaths and injuries requring work absence ÷ toal personnel hours × 1,000,000

• Severity Injury Rate (Kubota Corporation)

  

  ＜Injury Severity Rate＞
  Number of workdays lost ÷ total personnel hours × 1,000

With the collaboration of specialist international medical treatment and security companies, the Kubota Group is working to reduce risk for employees posted overseas and their accompanying family members and for employees on business trips overseas.
By collecting and analyzing security information at the overseas location, we provide information to Group employees in Japan and overseas. To deal with medical needs, we have rolled out a system that provides services including consultation with a doctor by telephone from overseas and arrangement of emergency medical transport.