Sumitomo Light Metal is building systems for managing various kinds of risks.
Sumitomo Light Metal had defined avoidance or reduction measures against individual risks that were identified on a department by department basis. However, these risk by risk and department by department measures have become growingly inadequate for the recent major changes in the business environment and the diversified risk types.
To cope with this situation, we took an across-the-company inventory of risks in FY2006. Then, we built a system to share those risks among all the departments , and now we are pushing forward with development or implementation of the countermeasures against risks that are particularly high or in need of stronger measures.
SLM has a disaster restoration system which has been built to defend against typhoons, earthquakes, fires and explosions. It is designed to secure employees' safety, prevent disasters, mitigate the consequences and quicken recovery and restoration.
The main office, branches and works prepare their respective disaster prevention plans and emergency networks, holding annual disaster and fire drills. In addition, each works carries out machine and equipment maintenance and employee education for accident prevention, while developing damage mitigation plans and carrying out annual training to prepare for the case of an accident.
Estimation of disaster damage and countermeasures are determined for each equipment and facility, based on which the engineering & maintenance, production and safety & environment departments work together to develop and carry out improvement plans from the following viewpoints:
- Early detection of equipment anomaly
- Quicker extinguishing of fire at initial stage
- Damage spread prevention and environmental monitoring
The company's private firefighting teams each hold their regular drill at least once a year. During the drill, a team is separated into units covering different areas of a works, and each unit trains itself for higher efficiency of fire extinguishing at initial stage. The private firefighting teams may participate in joint training with the local fire department to build a cooperative relationship with the public firefighting force.
In accordance with the Act on Special Measures Concerning Countermeasures for Large-Scale Earthquakes, we have developed the Earthquake-disaster Prevention Manual to ensure safety of the works employees and prevent secondary disasters from spreading around the works's vicinity. The manual teaches what to do when the "Tokai Earthquake Alert", which is specified in the Fundamental Principles of Countermeasures for the Tokai Earthquake, is issued and what to do if the Tokai Earthquake strikes. We also hold a general earthquake drill once a year. To prevent an earthquake disaster and mitigate damages, a project of antiseismic reinforcement of factory buildings based on seismic diagnosis, securing of evacuation paths, installation of seismic early-warning sensors and provision of disaster supplies is now under way according to schedule.
