Health and Safety Activities
Occupational Safety and Health Initiatives
Based on the principle that ensuring the safety of employees is the first priority in all business operations, and to promote health and productivity management, Chugai is actively working to ensure safety and prevent occupational injuries, maintain and improve health, and form comfortable workplace environments.
Support System
Health Management System
Chugai has occupational physicians, nurses, psychologists, health officers and other occupational health staffs to provide necessary support not only for employees who are unwell or on leave due to illness or injury, but for all employees who need consideration for their health condition at work, including those with abnormalities found in health checkups, those who work long hours, pregnant women, and employees with disabilities. Health staff, human resource managers and workplace supervisors cooperate as shown in the diagram below.
Basic Health Management Structure
Support for Return to Work after Mental Health Leave
Support for employees returning to work after mental health leave is conducted under the same framework as shown above, with ongoing, individualized support programs as described below. We found that with these programs, the relapse-free job attendance rate within the first year improves.*1 Chugai also conducts ongoing awareness activities including training for managers on promoting understanding of mental health problems and dealing with them appropriately.
Flow of Return-to-Work Program
- *1: Namba, K. Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi 2012, 54(6), 276-285.
Work Support Measures for Employees with Cancer
Chugai has further enhanced supportive working conditions for employees undergoing cancer treatment, to ensure they can focus on their treatment while enjoying peace of mind as they continue to work. In 2015, we prepared a Working Support Handbook for Cancer Patients, offered it to all employees, and by 2022, we had handed it to the entire Chugai Group. We continue to maintain a consultation system for carrying out measures in accordance with treatment conditions and a support system for working during outpatient treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. At the same time, we are introducing measures to promote re-examination by, for example, conducting interviews with nurses who have actual clinical experience with cancer among employees who require more cancer screenings for the purpose of early detection and early treatment.
Coordination between internal help and hotlines
Staff in charge of health, career, harassment and compliance hotlines and helplines meet regularly to cooperate and support problem-solving. We also use opportunities such as employee training to make hotlines and helplines known.
Proper Management of Chemical Substances
In order to protect employees from exposure to chemical substances and prevent health hazards, we have established voluntary rules for chemical substance management, prepare appropriate work environments based on the results of risk assessment of the substances handled and work content, and determine work content and procedures after selecting protective equipment. We have established a group-wide risk assessment system for all chemical substances handled, including regulated substances*2, in an effort to reduce the risk of occupational accidents caused by chemical substances.
We also strive to ensure the safety of our contract manufacturers and other external parties by providing handling information in SDS (Safety Data Sheets) and Yellow Cards (Emergency Contact Cards).
*2 Based on the “Act Partially Amending the Industrial Safety and Health Act” promulgated on June 25, 2014, risk assessment of 640 chemical substances became mandatory as of June 1, 2016. Due to subsequent amendments, the number of substances covered has increased to 673 as of July 1, 2018.