Labor Safety and Health

Labor Safety and Health Management

The Company’s safety and health management architecture adopt four-step management method of PDCA (plan–do–check–act) to achieve the goal of preventing accidents, promoting employee safety and health, and protecting company assets. In addition to its commitment to accident prevention, the Company also develops disaster emergency procedures to protect the lives of employees and contractors and the property and interests of the Company’s investors in the event of a disaster and to avoid or reduce the impact of the disaster on society and on the environment. We have also acquired the certificate of ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety Management System.

(1) Labor Safety Policy

Employees are the most precious assets of an enterprise. And ensuring the safety and health of employees is the most important responsibility of an enterprise. In order to make our commitment to labor safety and health, the Company has established an occupational safety and health management system to comply with occupational safety and health regulations and other requirements, to be in accordance with ISO45001 and to meet customers’ requirements. The goal of the system is to reduce any and all hazards and risks to our employees. We actively implement environmental and occupational safety and health policies and make sure that all employees can fully understand those policies through proper communication. We have been upholding the occupational safety and health policy of "compliance with laws and regulations, prevention first, safety first, and continuous improvement."

We commit to the following goals:

a. To provide safe working conditions and environment to protect the safety and health of employees.

b. To comply with laws, regulations and other relevant requirements and fulfill corporate social responsibilities.

c. To eliminate hazards and reduce occupational safety and health risks, and improve the working safety of all employees.

d. To continuously improve the occupational safety and health management system and improve the performance of safety and health management.

e. To enhance the communication channels, implement the consultation of workers and labor representatives, and participate in safety and health related activities.

(2) Occupational Accidents

When an employee is injured due to a disaster or an accident, his or her supervisor will immediately send the injured to the hospital for emergency treatment, and will, at the same time, immediately follow the injury notification procedure to report the injury case. The unit in charge of works’ safety and health will start the investigation on the cause of the injury after having received the accident notification and then record the analysis of the accident. And all matters concerning this accident will be handled in accordance with labor-related laws and regulations.

When the investigation on the cause of the accident is completed, the supervisor of the injured employee will be notified and is asked to submit a proposal for improving work environment and measures of injury prevention, and the effectiveness and progress of the improvement measures will be tracked continuously.

Disabling injury index (DII) in 2022:

FR=3.64

SR=98

Note 1. Disabling injury frequency rate (FR)
= number of occupational injuries × 1,000,000 / total working hours.

Note 2. Disabling injury severity rate (SR)
= total lost days × 1,000,000 / total working hours.

In order to prevent occupational accidents, We continue to educate our employees about their working attitude, to make them understand the hazards of their own work environment and the measures to deal with emergencies, etc., and to train them to master their work skills. And we also implement industrial safety audits and inspect various safety and health equipment and facilities to ensure labor safety and avoid occupational accidents.

(3) Environmental Measurement

In order to grasp the actual status of the working environment and evaluate the labor exposure status of harmful substances, to protect the workers from the hazards of harmful substances in the workplace, and to meet the legal standards of the exposure concentration, we measure the actual exposure status of the labor working environment and quantify them. Based on the measurements, we can effectively improve the working environment so that each employee can work in a healthy and safe environment. That also enhance the Company's competitiveness by providing workers with a healthy and comfortable working environment.

We continue to implement environment monitoring in the operating sites where the Company uses chemically hazardous substances and physical hazards in accordance with the relevant authorities’ regulations. The monitoring frequencies of the operating sites are as follows:

Category	Frequency	Monitored Items
Physical Factors	twice a year	Noise
Chemical Factors	twice a year	Dust, Specialized CO2, Organic Solvents…etc.
Chemical Factors	once a year	Lead…etc.

(4) Health Examination Management

In order to fulfill employee health management, we grasp the health status of workers through medical examinations and regular health examinations. And we also assist our employees to maintain or improve their health through appropriate work assignment, improvement of working environment, medical care for workers’ injuries and illnesses, timely first aid in case of emergencies, regular health education, hygiene guidance and health promotion activities..

a. When hiring employees, medical examinations should be performed. Jobs should be properly assigned by confirming whether employees are suitable for the job. Employees should be protected from harm caused by other employees who are not suitable for the jobs. The correct basic information of employees’ health should be established.

b. Frequencies of regular health examinations for different working age groups in accordance with regulations:

(a) Persons over the age of sixty-five years shall be examined once a year.

(b) Persons over the age of 40 but under the age of 65 shall be examined every three years.

c. For employees engaged in jobs that are potentially more hazardous to health, special medical examinations should be carried out for a certain period of time according to the hazards of their jobs to protect their health, which help to find out the potential risk factors and can be used to improve their working environment. The records of special medical examinations should be kept for at least 30 years.

d. Administration by different levels for employees engaged in jobs that are potentially more hazardous to health according to regulations:

(a) For employees of the third and fourth level, their health information should be filed to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

(b) For employees of the second level, medical personnel in the Company should give them health education guidance.

(c) For employees of the third level, physicians who have relevant medical expertise should trace and conduct their health examinations.

(d) For employees of the fourth level, they should take special medical examinations and shall take hazard control and related management measures.

(5) Four major plans for labor health protection

Through measures such as hazard identification and assessment of working environment, personnel composition and work activities, analysis of ergonomic hazard factors, disease risk control categorization and other measures, we can prevent and reduce the occurrence of unlawful infringement in the workplace, diseases and musculoskeletal injuries caused by abnormal workload and protect the health of female workers and infants and fetuses. We have formulate four major plans to implement those measures and promote those goals.

a. Prevention of unlawful infringement in the performance of duties

The Company expressly declares that all kinds of physical, verbal, psychological, violent and sexual harassment will not be tolerated. And the necessary safety and health measures will be taken to prevent workers from being abused by their superiors, colleagues, service recipients or other third parties while performing their duties in the workplace. unlawful infringement will cause physical or mental harm to workers. We take the following measures to prevent any abuse:

(a) Identify and assess any infringement.

(b) Appropriately configure the workplace.

(d) Establish code of conduct.

(e) Conduct training on infringement prevention and communication skills.

(f) Create proper procedures of handling the cases of infringement.

(g) Evaluate and improve their performance effectiveness.

b. Prevention of abnormal workload-triggered disorders

For the workers with a high risk of workplace fatigue and stress, who are engaging in shift work, night work and long hours, we take the following measures to prevent those workers from developing abnormal workload-triggered disorders. And their execution records should be made and kept for three years.

(a) Identify and assess the high-risk workers.

(b) Arrange for physician interviews and health guidance.

(d) Implement their health examinations, health management and health promotion.

(e) Evaluate and improve their performance effectiveness.

Workers fill in their personal and work-related overload status in the "Worker Overload Index". And they fill in the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including age, high blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density cholesterol and smoking habit, etc., in the "Overload Risk Assessment Record" with the attachment of their reports of medical examination or health examination. Based on the content recorded in the "Overload Risk Assessment Record ", physicians and nursing staff will calculate the risk index of cardiovascular disease for the worker with abnormal workload to estimate his or her risk of cardiovascular disease. The final scores of labor overload risk, which is derived from the integration of the risk of cerebrovascular disease, the risk of cardiovascular disease, his or her workload and the risk level of workload-triggered cerebrovascular disease and cardiovascular disease, is assessed and is recorded in the "Overload Risk Assessment Record". We will select high-risk workers and arranges physicians’ interviews and health guidance with them. We will take the proper measures and the necessary treatment proposed by the physicians according to their interview results, and keeps records on the whole process.

c. Prevention of ergonomic hazard

In order to ensure the safety of the workers engaged in repetitive operations and to avoid them get musculoskeletal injuries owing to human errors or accidents, which will reduce work performance, result in poor production, easily cause fatigue, seriously affect the health, safety and well-being of employees, and so on, we develop plans to maintain the health and well-being of employees, to prevent ergonomic hazards and to avoid repetitive musculoskeletal injuries. We take the following hazard prevention measures, make and keep records of their execution for three years.

(a) Analyze all work flow, their content and the actions involved.

(b) Identify ergonomic hazards.

(d) Evaluate and improve the implementation effectiveness.

(e) Other matters related to safety and health.

d. Maternal health protection in the workplace

In accordance with the " Occupational Safety and Health Act", "Regulations of the Maternity Health Protection at the Workplace" and other relevant regulations, the "Maternal Health Protection Plan" is stipulated to ensure the physical and mental health of female employees during childbearing age, pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, etc. in order to protect maternal health.

(a) Identify and assess hazards.

(b) Distinguish risk levels according to assessment results.

(d) Implement a variety of control measures by risk levels.

(e) Conduct performance evaluation and review.

(6) Education and training on safety and health

We continue to educate and train our employees at all levels in the occupational safety and health management system to possess the necessary safety and health awareness and to cultivate the ability to assess potential hazards, and to effectively implement safety and health control measures to ensure a safe and healthy working environment.

a. Orientation programs for new employees:

(a) Outline of regulations related to work safety and health.

(b) The concept of occupational safety and health and the code of practice for safety and health.

(d) Standard operating procedures.

(e) Emergency response handling.

(f) Knowledge and drills on fire and first aid.

(g) Other safety and health knowledge related to labor operations.

Safety and health education and training for newly hired workers or current workers before changing into a new job assignment (3 hours); education and training on operational safety of machinery and equipment for new personnel engaged in the use of machinery or equipment on production lines (3 hours); education and training on the use of hazardous chemicals for new personnel engaged in producing, handling or using hazardous chemicals (3 hours).

b. On-the-job education and training for current employees are aimed to implement relevant education and training according to training requirements and to provide on-the-job personnel with the necessary professional knowledge and skills and with safety and health awareness in order for them to perform their duties.

c. In line with the safety and health job category, we send relevant personnel to receive related safety and health education and training, and obtain the following certifications, such as “ Occupational Safety Management Specialist”, “ Occupational Health Nurse”, “ Specific Chemical Safety Supervisor”, “ Organic Solvent Safety Supervisor”, “Lead Safety Supervisor”, “ Oxygen Deficiency Safety Supervisor”, “ Work at Height Safety Supervisor”, “ Work in Dusty Environment Safety Supervisor”, “ Boiler Operator”, “Dwarf Operator”, “ Forklift Driver”, “Fixed Crane Operator”, “Fixed Crane Hoisting Operator”, “ Emergency Medical Technician”, “ Oxyacetylene Torch Operator”, etc. The workers doing the above-mentioned jobs shall undergo recurrent training in accordance with relevant regulations.

(7) Industrial Safety Audit

a. Inter-plant safety inspection (the inspection projects are based on the annual safety inspection plan)

According to the inspection projects of the annual safety inspection plan, inter-plant safety inspections are carried out on a monthly basis, including falling protection, chemical use, electrical safety, cutting protection, protection from person caught by machine, elevator, protective gear management, firefighting equipment, chemical tank inlets , forklifts, noise protection, emergency shower equipment and hoisting equipment, etc., in order to discover the unsafe conditions, unsafe working environment, unsafe working behavior and potential operational dangers.

b. All sites joint safety inspection

The departments in charge of safety and health will schedule all sites joint safety inspection four times each year, which held in January, April, July and October, to carry out all sites joint safety inspections. They will collaborate with the departments in charge of production equipment, utilities and equipment, environmental engineering and other personnel from all plants and all sites in order to avoid any occupational disaster.

(a) Inspection of firefighting equipment: water systems, alarm systems, fire hydrants and fire extinguishers.

(b) Safety and health inspection: with regard to chemicals and organic solvents, their storage, use, storage tank, transportation pipeline, marking, protective equipment, and locking of chemical tank inlets.

(c) Electricity safety inspection: the safety status of each distribution board, high and low voltage electrical equipment, and the safety status of wires and circuits.

(d) Equipment safety inspection: equipment operation status, operation status of automatic control system in all equipment, equipment maintenance status, equipment safety devices.

(e) Inspection of environmental protection facilities: the operation of waste water treatment equipment, the detection of waste water discharge, and the sorting of waste.

c. Inspection of the contractors' own protective equipment and machinery

We will confirm the contractors' own protective equipment and machinery to comply with laws and regulations and necessary safety and health requirements.

(a) Personal protective equipment (helmets, goggles, gloves, safety harnesses, safety shoes, etc.).

(b) The qualification certificates of inspection for hazardous machines and equipment, which are designated by the central competent authority.

● Mobile crane certificate

● Hazardous machines and equipment operator certificate

● Hoisting operator certificate

● Hoisting cage operator certificate

(The above certificates should not be expired.)

(d) The materials and structures of mobile ladders and A Type Ladders (no more than 2m) should comply with laws and regulations.

(e) The machinery, equipment and appliances which are used and designated must have Taiwan’s TS mark.

d. Contractors safety audit (on their hazardous work and their general operations)

Contractors safety audit is to effectively supervise and manage various safety and health operations of contractors who enter the premises of the Company, to ensure the safety of contractors, the Company's personnel and property, and to prevent occupational accidents and industrial disasters.

(a) Confirm whether the contractors have applied for work permits or construction permits for their hazardous work (approved by the relevant authorities in the work site), whether the contractors’ operators have acquired certificates of competency (to ensure that the personnel entering the premises of the Company have received the necessary safety and health education and training) and whether the contractors’ supervisors have acquired the relevant certificates (“Organic Solvent Safety Supervisor”, “Specific Chemical Safety Supervisor”, “Work at Height Safety Supervisor”, “Oxygen Deficiency Safety Supervisor”, “Scaffolds Assembly Supervisor”).

(b) Contractors’ operations management: pre-work inspection, inspection during the operations and post-work inspection to confirm that its operations comply with safety and health regulations.

e. Audit on the safety of tank car loading and unloading

The department in charge of safety and health will carry out the audit of the tank car loading and unloading in each plant three times a week (12 times a month). The items of the audit, such as inlet-locking control during loading and unloading, personal protection measures, safety data records, training certificates, fire extinguishers, warning signs, transportation permits, pipeline connection safety (to prevent leakage), electricity safety and electrical leakage, are checked one by one to ensure the safety of tank car loading and unloading.

f. Audit on the effectiveness of infrared thermal imaging cameras

The department in charge utilities and equipment in each plant provides the list of infrared thermal imaging cameras installed in the electric cabinets for the department in charge of safety and health to conduct the audit on their effectiveness. The audit is carried out on a monthly basis. Its report on any abnormal infrared thermal imaging cameras should be submitted to the responsible departments for correction. After the corrections are completed, the corrections should be reviewed again by the department in charge of safety and health in order to ensure the electric safety of equipment and prevent the occurrence of industrial accidents caused by equipment abnormalities.

g. Fire Extinguishers Inspection and Review

The safety and health team leader of each unit inspect the fire extinguishers in their workplaces monthly. After the items of inspection, such as their locations, the date of performance inspection, the effective range of pressure, the integrity of the positioning of the pins, whether there is oxidation damage to the hose, the appearance of the cylinder and so on, have been inspected, they should be reviewed by the department in charge of safety and health in order to ensure that the fire extinguishers maintain their functions at all times to provide effective first responses in case of emergency.

h. Consult the former inspectors of the Northern Region Inspection Office, Council of Labor Affairs, Executive Yuan (CV: the manufacturing supervisor, the supervisor in charge of hazardous machinery and equipment, the lecturer of the manufacturing risk assessment project in Formosa Plastics Enterprise Group, and the on-site diagnosis expert of the external audit) to conduct diagnosis and inspection of safety and health facilities in all plants in the third quarter of every year. The external experts who conduct safety and health inspections on site can provide a fresh perspective to identify potential risks and hazard factors, enhance the probability of predicting the occurrence of accidents and disasters, improve safety awareness and eliminate industrial safety accidents.

i. Self-inspection on fire prevention (on potential risks from fire, electrical, mechanical equipment, etc.)

The safety and health team leader of each unit will conducts self-inspection of the workplace according to the characteristics of their own area and operations in order to finds defects in equipment (facilities), electrical devices, chemical substances, etc., and report them for improvement.

(8) Hazardous equipment management

In order to ensure that personnel can understand the potential hazards when operating hazardous machinery or equipment and then take necessary preventive measures to avoid the occurrence of occupational accidents, the Company's put five boilers into the list of managed objects in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act and take the relevant preventive measures as follows:

a. Personnel engaged in machinery or equipment maintenance, regular maintenance and other operations shall notify the supervisor of the on-site unit.

b. A work permit is required for boiler maintenance.

c. Workers' personal protective equipment is available and used properly.

d. Warning signs should be set up in the working area and marked with “Prohibiting from Entering”.

e. Safety measures such as power-off and cordon-off are required for the operation.

f. Strictly abide by the relevant safety regulations and control unsafe behaviors.

g. Portable wires used inside the boiler should be double insulation winding wire or any wire with equivalent insulation. Portable electric lights should be equipped with appropriate shields.

h. If the boilers is connected by pipes, it should be isolated or blocked.

i. Personnel perform pre-operation inspection, in-operation inspection, and post-operation inspection to confirm that all operation devices and safety devices, etc. are functioning normally.

The department in charge of safety and health in accordance with the relevant regulations on occupational safety and health, schedules self-inspection programs which list the inspection items suggested by each department and mandated by the relevant competent authorities. The programs are as follows: a daily boiler operation inspection table, a monthly boiler regular inspection record and a yearly dwarf boiler regular inspection table. The self-inspection is carried out by each responsible department. When any abnormality is found, the operation will be stopped immediately. And the department in charge of utilities and equipment will be notified to carry out equipment maintenance or take necessary improvement measures to prevent occupational accidents and ensure the safety and health of employees.

Labor Safety and Health

Sustainability