We believe that ensuring the safety and health of our employees is the most important issue in maintaining our mission to stably produce and supply pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
With this in mind, we promote the following activities in order to maintain the health, security and safety of our employees.
| Activity type |
Description |
| Health care
|
- Health checkups (regular, specific workers, dental checkups, etc.), health consultations, etc.
|
- Mental health (stress check, consultation with occupational physician, etc.)
|
| Work safety
|
- Health and Safety Committee, etc.
|
- API hazard assessment, worker exposure measurement, work environment measurement, etc.
|
- Risk assessment, incident memos (including near-misses), inspections (patrol), etc.
|
- Non-routine operation permit system
|
| Safety education
|
- Reception training, follow-up training, mind-up training, departmental education, emergency lifesaving training, etc.
|
| Traffic safety
|
- Safety guard, establishment of traffic rules, etc.
|
| Disaster prevention / fire prevention
|
- Factory risk survey (flood hazard, seismic risk, ease of shaking, liquefaction risk, etc.)
|
- Disaster prevention evacuation drills, safety confirmation email drills, firefighting equipment operation drills, etc.
|
Examples of safety and health initiatives include "API hazard assessment", "non-routine operation permit system", "disaster prevention evacuation drills", and "workplace improvement activities based on stress check result analysis".
An explanation of these activities is provided as follows.
Hazard assessment of API
We handle numerous chemical substances in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. Some chemicals are highly active and can affect one’s health.
In order to establish and maintain the safety of our workforce, we evaluate the toxicity of the drug substance of the pharmaceutical product before starting the actual manufacture of the drug and determine the containment equipment and personal protective equipment based on the hazard classification and exposure evaluation classification.
Simple evaluation flow for drug substance evaluation
No 6 Formulation Building High-speed stirring granulator
Containment with flexible enclosure
* 1 SDS: Safety data sheet (Information on the properties and handling of chemical substances and products containing chemical substances)
* 2 OEL: Occupational exposure limit
* 3 PDE: Permitted daily exposure
Permit system for non-routine work
In order to ensure and maintain the safety and security of our employees, we carry out risk assessments for routine work, visualize risks, and continuously promote risk reduction measures.
On the other hand, non-routine work – such as operations requiring use of flames, work in confined spaces, and aerial work – that has a high risk of causing serious occupational accident requires stricter management. Therefore, for non-routine work, we have introduced and operate a system that thoroughly considers safety measures at the planning stage and carries out the work with the permission of the general safety manager.
Unsteady work permit system flow
Unsteady work
Emergency Training
While both the Kawagoe Plant and Misato Plant have a relatively small risk of earthquake sway, liquefaction, and flood, in the case a large-scale earthquake or an earthquake directly near the facilities occurs, or in the case of heavy localized rains, it is possible that the facilities will be effected.
We regularly conduct disaster prevention evacuation drills, fire extinguishing equipment operation drills (fire extinguishers, fire hydrants), etc. so that each employee can act appropriately without panic in the event of a disaster such as an earthquake or fire.
Earthquake experience training
Fire hydrant operation training
A Safe and Healthy Workplace
Workplace improvement activities based on stress check result analysis
As one of our health management efforts, Bushu Pharma focuses not only on conducting stress checks stipulated by laws and regulations, but also on workplace improvement activities based on detailed analysis results for each department.
We will continue to work to create a safer and healthier workplace for our employees.
- Based on the detailed analysis results of each group, each workplace discusses the causes behind the data and formulates improvement measures for their own workplace.
- The stress check acceptance rate in 2019 is 97.5%, which is highly interested by employees.
- We aim to create a better working environment by continuously using the PDCA process.
*1 Scope 1, 2
Support for Pediatric Cancer Patients and Understanding Breast Cancer
In cooperation with the Association for the Prevention of Pediatric Cancer and the Saitama Akebonokai, a support group for breast cancer patients, we organized an art exhibit to promote understanding of the issues that pediatric cancer patients face. The event featured the chance for participants to attend lectures and also try painting themselves, with the funds raised going to patients with intractable diseases. More than 300 Bushu Pharma employees participated in the event.
Understanding Breast Cancer
Bushu Pharma asked our industrial physician, who is also a breast cancer specialist, to give a lecture on breast cancer to help our employees better understand this intractable disease and the role of pharmaceuticals in fighting the illness.
The education helped participants feel the importance of their work, increasing their motivation to do their jobs with confidence.
Nurturing Youth in the Community
Bushu Pharma regularly organizes sports events for young children in the community in order to promote a healthy life style. The chance to encourage the local youth to be healthy is an important way we try to give back to the local community.