Introducing an Automated System and Installing Mats to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders
Coway is working hard to promote health by circulating processes, providing health care, installing massagers, and introducing production technologies. In this way, we are striving to prevent musculoskeletal disorders caused by 4 major risk factors (improper posture, excessive force, repetitive motions, and other physical burdens) arising from handling heavy objects in production sites, and simple and repetitive work at production sites.
In 2022, we introduced electric carts used to transport heavy objects at production lines as part of a pilot project, and have been conducting test operation of collaborative robots to automate the conveyor supply of heavy objects since 2023.
In addition, we are now conducting test operation of an automated system used to put in raw materials and replace simple repetitive work and are planning to complete the production technology by 2025 to gradually expand and apply the system.
Moreover, we are contributing to preventing musculoskeletal disorders by installing fatigue-relieving mats in the standing work sections at production lines for workers to alleviate their physical burdens.
Safety and Health Management System
Safety and Health Management Policy
Coway strives to create a safe and healthy working environment based on the safety and health management system. Through risk assessments, we continue to find and improve potential risk factors in high-risk workplaces like factories and R&D centers to minimize relevant risks. And we also strive to establish an efficient safety and health management system and continuously improve safety and health performance by obtaining certification for the safety and health management system (ISO 45001:2018). The safety and health management policy specifies our will and direction for safety and health and are announced to all employees and posted at each of the workplaces after reporting to the board of directors every year, if necessary, in accordance with changes in safety-related regulations. Coway prioritizes the safety of workers and stakeholders in all business and process throughout the company, and strives to improve the safety and health of all employees.
Promotional Strategies for Safety and Health
Dedicated Organization for Safety and Health
Coway‘s dedicated organization for safety and health is directly under the CEO and strives to work as a control tower for safety and health, and to unify the establishment and implementation of strategies for safety and health. In particular, we aim for the same goal of maintaining zero serious accidents. And the organization dedicated to safety and health strives to minimize risks related to safety and health reasonably and preemptively by promptly deliberating and making decisions on on-site opinions and difficulties through the Occupational Safety and Health Committee.
Organization Chart of Safety and Health Management
Operation of Occupational Safety and Health Committee
Same number of the members: From employers, from employees
Change of members: When changing, proper notifications should be made to both sides within 7 days.
Items in accordance with Article 24, Clause 2 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act
- Establishment of plans to prevent industrial accidents - Preparation and modification of safety and health management regulations - Safety and health training and medical checkups for employees - Recording and keeping statistics of industrial accidents - Investigation of serious accidents and establishment of measures to prevent recurrenceChairperson: He or she conducts a general management of the Committee and decides when to hold regular and temporary meetings.
Members: They are expected to deliberate and resolve agendas submitted to the Committee.
Assistant Administrators: They take meeting minutes, take up agendas and inspect the implementation of resolutions.
Regular meeting: It is held once in every quarter.
Special meeting: It is held when needed (when requested by the chairperson, or by the labor and the management).
Safety and Health Management System Certification
Based on the safety and health management system (ISO 45001), Coway operates and manages an integrated safety and health management system for domestic factories in Yugu, Incheon and Pocheon. In addition, we expanded the certification system even to the Environmental Technology Research Institute (R&D Center) in 2023 to eliminate and minimize serious accidents and risks related with occupational disasters. Through this, we are continuously carrying out activities to encourage workers to voluntarily join and convert their awareness of safety and health for a safety and health culture to take root in the company.
ISO 45001 Operation Strategy
Safety and Health Activities
Activities to Prevent Serious Accidents
Emergency Response Training
In order to ensure prompt on-site dissemination and response in the event of an emergency, Coway has in place an emergency contact network with each self-defense fire service at each of the HQs. In addition, we established an emergency response scenario to clearly define the roles of our members in emergency situations. Based on this, we conduct training in preparation for emergencies such as fire and explosion at least once per year.
Tool Box Meeting
Coway conducts periodic inspections to prevent occupational accidents arising from handling hazardous machines and equipment, including facilities subject to protective measures set by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, machines subject to safety certification, machines subject to voluntary safety confirmation reporting, and machines subject to safety inspections. On-site supervisors inspect each of the process lines handling hazardous machines and equipment every day before starting work. When detecting an abnormality after the inspection, we make sure that an immediate stop is made and follow-up measures are taken so as to ensure safety.
List of Machines Subject to Safety Inspection
Voluntary Safety Inspection Consulting
Coway frequently conducts voluntary safety inspection consulting based on the Serious Accident Punishment Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, and laws related to safety and health for production business sites (factories in Yugu, Incheon, and Pocheon) and R&D Center (Environmental Technology Research Institute). By doing so, we have come up with effective operation plans and improvement plans to make it mandatory to secure safety and health at our business sites. In particular, we worked hard to create a safe and pleasant working environment by identifying potential harmful and risk factors and suggesting measures that consider features and circumstances of business sites through the diagnosis of sites in relation to general mechanical safety, electrical safety, chemical safety and working environment by means of various diagnostic devices.
Safety and Health Risk Management
Inspection of Safety and Health Legal Implementation
Coway has a separate organization that supervises the overall process of complying with legal obligations set by laws related with safety and health of each business site in accordance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and conducts an inspection of the fulfillment of legal obligations as to safety and health at least once in 6 months. We strive to make sure that there are no blind spots in our business sites by inspecting safety and health systems, including regulations and procedures of safety and health, legal training, and risk assessments, checking abnormalities of machines, electricity and sites related with chemical safety, and identifying risk factors exposed when working.
Implementation Inspection Areas
Safety and Health Risk Assessment
Coway conducts regular risk assessments annually for all processes to eliminate direct and indirect risk factors arising from overall operations, including production, service, research, support activities and others in accordance with risk assessment guidelines. In addition, in the event that new harmful and risk factors may occur due to changes in the installation of structures at business sites, introduction or change of machines and equipment, or raw materials, or the occurrence of industrial accidents, we conduct assessments as necessary. Coway identifies harmful and risk factors inside our business sites through risk assessments and evaluates the likelihood and severity of facing injuries or diseases due to such factors. We establish and implement measures to reduce risks in descending order and help our employees be aware of risk factors by providing relevant training. We continue to monitor and manage the implementation to help build safe and health business sites.
Risk Assessment Process
Establishing measures to reduce risk factors and implementing relevant improvements
Conducting training for employees
Recording and keeping conducted contents and results
Process of Taking Actions for Safety and Health Accidents
Coway runs a safety and health accident process for prompt reporting on and accurate investigation of an accident. We investigate the cause of the accident in the presence of safety and health managers and supervisors from the relevant department to prevent recurrence of the accident. And the department from which the accident occurs needs to identify the cause of the accident and come up with a plan to prevent recurrence. Serious disasters and accidents are immediately reported to the management to make a quick response upon facing them and are disseminated to employees through in-house bulletin boards to prevent recurrence.
Process of Taking Actions for Accidents
Strengthening Safety and Health
Industrial Safety and Health Training
Coway conducts safety and health training on a regular basis to improve the level of safety awareness of the members. We are conducting regular training for employees, regular training for managers and supervisors to strengthen their awareness of safety and health and capabilities in managing safety for on-site members; training for newly-hired people, and job-related training for people related to handling safety and health matters to improve their capabilities and expertise. In addition, we provide training for those involved in special work when then first start working to give them information on safety and health in advance and prevent accidents.
Safety Training Status
Health of Employees
Employee Health Improvement Programs
Coway is working hard to improve physical and mental health of the employees. We operate an in-house healthcare center and others in order to prevent musculoskeletal disorders and protect and promote the health of our employees. Coway is making efforts to promote health by installing healthcare zones equipped with self-blood pressure checkers to manage blood pressure and stretching tools to prevent musculoskeletal disorders in 16 of the general branches nationwide. In addition, we operate a psychological counseling center to help employees manage their personal stress and emotions they experience while carrying out their duties. We also have established and distributed manuals for those involved in emotional labor to respond to their emotions. Coway conducts mandatory national health checkups every year and special medical checkups for those employees exposed to high risks. In 2023, we encouraged all employees to have national health checkups through in-house bulletin boards and e-mail notices, recording 100% in completing the checkups (excluding, the retired and those on leave).
Major Performance and Goals of Safety and Health
Major Performance of Safety and Health in 2023
Evaluating the compliance with safety and health laws
Voluntary safety inspection consulting
Revising accident reporting process
Expanding ISO 45001 certification (R&D center)
Revising processes and guidelines
Strengthening the capabilities of examiners (qualifications)
Establishing safety guard boxes
Conducting occasional risk assessments
Conducting customized on-site safety training
Establishing standards for safety and health evaluation
Counting up safety and health management costs
Establishing standards for event-safety management
Introducing an Automated System and Installing Mats to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders
Coway is working hard to promote health by circulating processes, providing health care, installing massagers, and introducing production technologies. In this way, we are striving to prevent musculoskeletal disorders caused by 4 major risk factors (improper posture, excessive force, repetitive motions, and other physical burdens) arising from handling heavy objects in production sites, and simple and repetitive work at production sites. In 2022, we introduced electric carts used to transport heavy objects at production lines as part of a pilot project, and have been conducting test operation of collaborative robots to automate the conveyor supply of heavy objects since 2023. In addition, we are now conducting test operation of an automated system used to put in raw materials and replace simple repetitive work and are planning to complete the production technology by 2025 to gradually expand and apply the system. Moreover, we are contributing to preventing musculoskeletal disorders by installing fatigue-relieving mats in the standing work sections at production lines for workers to alleviate their physical burdens.
Major Indicators and Goals of Safety and Health
(Performance)
serious disaster
Conducting intensive inspections through the selection of audit themes
The inspection of emergency response systems of business partners
Preemptive responses through the enhancement of trends, and the monitoring of issues
Strengthening on-site implementation of the safety and health management system
Enhancing the safety and health management system and manuals
Raising the level of safety and health management for each organization
Activating on-site communication channels (immediate reporting of risk factors)
Strengthening the discovery of risk factors through strengthened on-site patrols
Strengthening the frequent identification of risk factors and risk assessment
Intensive prevention of 3 major accidents (falls, collision, and getting stuck)
Establishing an on-site safety culture through participation and cooperation
Intensive monitoring of training targets and strengthening training promotion
Conducting visit-based customized on-site safety training (galleries, branches and others)
Diversifying on-site safety training curriculum
Strengthening capabilities of working-level people through specialized training
Raising the awareness of safety and health among employees
Conducting preliminary safety evaluations when registering and signing contracts with new companies
Revising standards for safety evaluations considering company features
Strengthening independent safety and health management
Conducting voluntary safety and health activities
Maximizing the efficiency of booking medical checkups by using an app
Establishing procedures in managing harmful factors of each job and strengthening the monitoring
Expanding job-specific health management programs
Strengthening the management of preventing occupational diseases
Establishing job-specific health management systems
In-house Business Partners’ Safety and Health
Management of In-house Business Partners' Safety Risks
Operation of A Council for In-house Business Partners’ Safety and Health
In order to ensure safety and health measures when carrying out contracted projects, Coway holds regular Safety and Health Council meetings with in-house business partners at least once a month. Though this, we are working hard to exchange various information on safety and health, listen to VOC, and create a safe and pleasant working environment. In addition, we conduct safety and health inspections of our partners‘work processes with their owners and workers so as to continuously improve risk factors and prevent industrial accidents.
Status of the Operation of the In-house Business Partners‘ Safety and Health Council
* A total of 28 cases of VOC were received through the Council in 2023. Out of them, 25 (89%) were improved and the remaining 3 are planned to be gradually improved.
In-house Business Partner Risk-Factor Management
In order to ensure safety and health measures when carrying out contracted projects, Coway conducts regular risk assessments of its in-house business partners at least once a year. Through this, we strive to identify and improve potential risk factors at business sites and create a safe and pleasant working environment.
* A total of 173 cases of risk factors were received through the risk assessment in 2023. Out of them, 163 (94%) were improved and the remaining 10 are planned to be gradually improved.
In-house Business Partner Safety Capability Evaluation
When carrying out contracted projects, Coway reviews issues related with safety and health from the very beginning, and when implementing projects, we operate a system in which we continue to develop the safety and health management for the prevention of accidents suppliers might face by implementing and evaluating the safety and health management and giving relevant feedback. When registering new and existing business partners, Coway conducts their safety and health management capability evaluations, and links the results to evaluation indicators. Among new companies, those that have scores lower than the minimum level after the evaluations are restricted in terms of registration. As for those existing companies under contract, we conduct regular evaluations at least once in 6 months. In the event that they are examined to be inappropriate, and we provide additional improvement guidelines for them to make and manage improvements.
In-house Business Partners‘ Safety Capability Evaluation Process
Business partners
Submission of a plan for
safety and health management
Coway
Regular assessment
Business partners
Continuous improvement
Coway/business partners
Maintaining contracts
Status of In-house Business Partners‘ Safety Evaluations
* Since 2023, regular assessments have been conducted for in-house business partners at least once in 6 months (twice a year).