Occupational Safety and Health Management
Initiatives

Occupational Safety and Health

Prevention of Workplace Accidents

In 2024, serious occupational accidents requiring time off work at Canon Inc. and Group companies in Japan comprised two cases relating to use of machinery (getting pinched or caught). There were no accidents caused by hazardous chemical substances. We are taking steps to prevent accidents from reoccurring, in terms of both education and equipment, such as investigating the underlying cause of any accident, retraining workplace personnel, and improving the operability of machinery. We conduct a thorough safety inspection and risk assessment to determine if similar risks exist at the site where any accident occurs. In addition, information about accidents is promptly shared with Group companies, particularly production sites, to prevent similar occurrences elsewhere.

Promoting Effective Operation of Canon Group Occupational Safety and Health Management System

We are expanding the Canon Group Occupational Safety and Health Management System in an effort to promote autonomous safety and health activities across countries and regions. System requirements are based on the Occupational Safety and Health Management System of the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association and reflect Canon Inc.’s standards and rules. We are also working to cultivate best practices across all sites based on reciprocal supervision as well as develop measures to tackle a variety of issues.

As of the end of December 2024, approximately 31% of Canon Inc. and Canon Group production companies around the world had acquired ISO 45001 certification.

Entrenchment of Risk Assessments and Promotion of Effective Use

To help prevent accidents, Canon conducts risk assessments for all installed machinery and related operations based on common Group-wide standards.
For all operations with high risk of injury, illness, or accident, we take appropriate risk mitigation measures and manage any residual risk. Recognizing the especially serious risks posed by machinery-related accidents, we review existing equipment at least once a year. For new businesses, we also identify and evaluate risks from the R&D stage and implement OHS measures based on risk assessment outcomes.

To ensure common standards are applied to risk assessment across the Canon Group, we provide online learning programs for workplace managers and employees with responsibility for equipment operations to deepen their understanding of assessment methods. In addition, if a specific risk is identified, all relevant workers are notified of the risk and given the requisite training, including steps to confirm understanding and mastery of any new work processes.

Improving Health and Safety Awareness by Enhancing Education and Training

Whenever an occupational accident occurs at Canon, we immediately brief all operational sites in Japan and overseas production sites, as well as publish the causes and countermeasures on our intranet to prevent a similar accident from occurring elsewhere.

To help eliminate workplace accidents, we also provide training to managers involved in on-site workplace risk assessment, along with online learning programs to ensure all employees involved with risk assessments have a good understanding of assessment objectives and procedures. A total of 15,234 people received such training up to and including 2024.

In addition, we are also taking steps to foster a workplace culture that is constantly aware of health and safety. For example, at Canon Inc. and Group companies in Japan, we provide health and safety training and use original awareness-raising posters and leaflets to educate employees about checking and enforcing basic safety behaviors in their work.

Canon is working to implement an occupational safety and health management system overseas, mainly at its production sites, on the same level as in Japan. For example, to help employees understand health and safety matters in their native language, we make effective use of work manuals, health and safety training materials, posters, leaflets, and other materials prepared by Canon Inc. in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Vietnamese to suit the situation of each site. At Canon Vietnam, we are making a focused effort to promote activities for early prevention of hazards by raising employees’ health and safety awareness. These include an experiential training facility called the Safety Experience Ring that enables trainees to experience the importance of safety through simulated hazard experiences, as well as risk assessment activities and a program for sharing improvement proposals based on on-site experience.

Transition to Autonomous Chemical Substances Management System

Besides working to realize full legal and regulatory compliance through proper chemical substances management, Canon has adopted measures to try to minimize worker exposure to chemicals, based on chemical substance risk assessments that place the highest priority on preventing related employee health issues. In response to the significant recent revisions to OHS laws and regulations, Canon is moving away from the traditional approach based on regulation of individual chemicals to a system of autonomous chemical substances management in which workers choose which measures to apply to prevent exposure. We have promoted improved levels of oversight with chemicals by appointing supervisors responsible for managing chemical substances at each operational site as well as staff in charge of ensuring that workers use appropriate protective equipment at each workplace.