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Safety, Industrial Hygiene

The Bridgestone Safety Mission Statement applies equally to employees, contractors, and visitors to our facilities. In all workplaces Bridgestone operates around the world, the Safety Mission Statement is prominently displayed for all to see. Together with the display, Bridgestone maintains programs to ensure all employees embody the Safety Mission Statement.

This mission serves as a blueprint for protecting the health and safety of Bridgestone’s employees and contractors. These standards must continue to evolve as Bridgestone continuously addresses ergonomic risks that increase with the aging of populations, regulations change, aging machinery and equipment, and the introduction of new technologies on-site. Bridgestone is also proactively promoting the highest levels of safety culture within the new businesses it develops or acquires.

Bridgestone also adheres to the Bridgestone Health and Safety Management Policy (guidelines for safety, industrial hygiene, and disaster prevention activities in Bridgestone), which has been approved by the Global Quality Management Committee (GQMC) chaired by the GQMC leader, the Global Chief Quality Management Officer (Global CQMO). The policy summarizes Bridgestone’s safety activities based on the Safety Mission Statement in order to inform decision-making when implementing the health and safety management system. The policy covers compliance with health- and safety-related laws and regulations, risk assessments to identify and mitigate risks in the workplace, investigation and implementation of countermeasures to prevent recurrence based on various procedures, training and education for safety awareness and safe behavior, and continuous improvement through internal and external audits.

Bridgestone Health and Safety Management Policy (1.9MB)

Under the oversight of Global CTO and Global CAO・Global CSO together with Global Executive Committee (G-EXCO) members, Bridgestone’s Fundamental Area Safety Group within the Global Quality Management Committee (GQMC) manages and responds to common global risks, challenges, and opportunities related to health and safety.

The Fundamental Area Safety Group has established five task forces^*

• Task Force #0: Analyze common global issues and manage all task forces
• Task Force #2: Create and update global standards for health and safety, disaster prevention
• Task Force #3: Create and update KPIs and assessment tools, including safety maturity assessments
• Task Force #4: Plan and promote health and safety, disaster prevention activities for retail stores and warehouses
• Task Force #5: Create tools for raising health and safety, disaster prevention awareness

* Task Force 1 has been dissolved after completing activities.

Bridgestone exchanges examples of best practices with the strategic business units (SBUs) and Global Business Support (GBS) through regular safety meetings, and promotes related activities in consultation with other global committees to create more synergies.

Task Force 0 collects information on the prevention of occupational health and safety accidents and prepares a quarterly report for the working group’s use. Each task force regularly reports occupational health and safety (OHS)-related risk assessment activities to the Audit Committee, which is made up of Board members and Global EXCO members.

Bridgestone’s Safety, Disaster Prevention and Environmental Division and the SBUs share information on accidents and recurrence prevention measures, identifying issues and deciding on workplace policies. In order to share these policies and detailed measures with the rest of the Group, Bridgestone holds meetings with OHS personnel at Group company locations and exchanges information with business managers and safety personnel at the SBUs. At the plant level, periodic health and safety committee meetings are held between labor representatives and management to discuss safety enhancement and risk mitigation.

To track progress towards our aim of achieving “Perfect safety” as outlined in its Safety Mission Statement, Bridgestone annually evaluates its safety performance and monitors global best practices. The overall goal is to continuously enhance the safety culture with the aim of achieving the best results in the industry. Since 2022, Bridgestone has established four KPIs and monitors the results on the digital platform as follows.

Bridgestone has established the Global Criteria for Occupational Injury to classify injuries occurring at Group production sites and distribution and sales facilities, as well as warehouses. It compiles injury statistics on a quarterly basis and uses any findings to help prevent similar injuries. Bridgestone has collected data on the lost-time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) for employees and contractors globally since 2019 and data on the occupational illness frequency rate (OIFR) since 2020.

In 2024, across the Group, there were 23 serious injuries^*1 and one fatality among employees at its 4,399 production and logistics sites and retail shops.

Bridgestone conducts investigations and shares findings with related departments when a serious work-related accident occurs within Bridgestone, including contractor accidents. It introduces countermeasures based on root cause analyses to prevent recurrence. This includes identifying priority equipment or machines to be addressed based on past accidents and creating standards. Bridgestone has also introduced procedures to investigate and analyze work-related injuries, health issues, and diseases based on severity.

Bridgestone will continue to promote safety activities centered on the Bridgestone Fundamental Safety Activities without compromise, deviation, or exception, with the aim of reducing the total number of injuries and preventing the occurrence of fatalities and serious injuries.

In 2023, the LTIFR and severity rate for operations in Japan was below the average for both the Japanese manufacturing industry as a whole and the rubber product manufacturing industry.

Bridgestone’s safety-related data is verified by LRQA Group Limited, a third-party institution, to ensure the accuracy and transparency of this information.

Independent Assurance Statement (229KB)

The analysis of serious injuries from 2012–2016 showed that approximately 85% of all serious injuries were related to five major risks: body caught by equipment, mobile equipment, work at height, heavy object handling, and high-pressure tire inflation.

To reduce injuries associated with these risks, Bridgestone has established global safety standards that include provisions for risk assessment, lockout-tagout (LOTO), mobile equipment, work in high places, hoist/crane operation, and handling large/heavy tires and tire inflation. In 2024, serious injuries related to the five major risks were 29% of all serious injuries.

*1 Bridgestone defines serious injuries as amputation (except some first joints of fingers or toes), complete loss of vision, bone fracture (excluding fingers, toes, feet, hands, or infractions), or hospitalization exceeding one month.
*2 Numbers may vary due to the decision of workers' compensation.
*3 Includes South Africa and Turkey.
*4 Includes Liberia.
*5 The incident rate for rubber product manufacturing in the U.S. is 4.0 per million hours (2023 incident rate from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
*6 Severity rate = (Total number of working days lost ÷ Total number of working hours) × 1,000
*7 Occupational illness frequency rate = (Number of occupational illnesses ÷ Total working hours) × 1,000,000

Bridgestone has established a global health and safety management system in conformance with ISO 45001 and national standards/regulations and other established global standards. As of March 2024, 54 manufacturing plants have obtained ISO 45001 certification (51% of a total 105 plants), seven manufacturing plants have obtained the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) certification and other certifications (8% of a total 105 plants) in various countries, and all facilities are working to implement Bridgestone’s global standards.

Bridgestone’s manufacturing sites plan and conduct internal audits in order to monitor compliance with applicable laws and regulations, as well as its own global safety standard requirements, and evaluate safety-related performance at least every three years.

Bridgestone has established 44 global-level standards for occupational health and safety and disaster prevention in line with ISO 45001 (OHS management system standards) as well as national standards and regulations. Compliance with these standards by all sites throughout the organization helps prevent the occurrence of accidents in groups that have similar production equipment and similar operations on a global basis.

In 2024, Bridgestone formulated new standards related to engineering control. It is also formulating global standards for logistics sites and retail stores as well as production sites.

Bridgestone implements Bridgestone Safety Fundamental Activities (BSFA) at all worksites. These activities stipulate basic safety practices, including:

• 3S: Seiri (select and remove), seiton (sort), and seiso (keep clean)
• KY: Kiken-yochi: Identify the potential of incidents occurring in a task before starting it and take feasible actions at the time to avoid the identified potential incidents.
• Risk assessment: A series of steps to create low risk workplaces by identifying and evaluating risks and promoting risk mitigation measures.
• Safety rules: Rules to prevent fatal/serious injuries, based on past injuries within Bridgestone Japan

All of these basic safety practices are conducted uniformly at all worksites and by all employees as ongoing initiatives.

The activities are common safety activities to be performed by employees working at all global locations with the goal of protecting themselves and their colleagues.

In 2024, all Group employees (approximately 125,000) received additional safety training and 118 instructors were newly trained to promote BSFA.

In addition to assigning instructors to provide training in each region, Bridgestone updated its shared global training materials (texts and videos) for BSFA in 2024 to ensure that all teammates working in the value chain apprehend the importance of safety and share the same understanding of the Bridgestone Safety Fundamental Activities, and to further instill these activities. Textbook materials have now been translated into more than 13 languages and are used for on-site safety training.

Creating video materials, which were not previously available, made it possible to provide training in the absence of trainers and contributed to ensuring a shared understanding of the globalization of business and the expansion of the value chain.

Bridgestone also conducts level-based safety training for managers and supervisors at each worksite.

Bridgestone conducts risk assessments to better promote the overall safety of new operations, projects, and equipment, and sets targets for equipment safety.

Bridgestone is also in the process of expanding safety-risk assessments beyond equipment to include work performed at production facilities, logistics sites, and retail stores.

Risk assessments are also being conducted at motorsport sites (e.g., setting up tents, tire and wheel assembly, etc.) to address any risks that are identified.

To further advance its safety culture, in August 2021, Bridgestone began focusing on the uniform implementation of safety measures for 12 types of machines. In 2022, it added safety requirements for equipment for smarter factories, as a measure to accelerate Bridgestone’s transformation in manufacturing toward becoming a sustainable solutions company. Bridgestone will do this by applying global standards to machinery and equipment and actively introducing new technologies that incorporate digital technologies, sensing, and AI control, such as the detection of human presence in hazardous areas.

The safety maturity assessment introduced in 2021 indicates the level of realization of the Bridgestone Safety Mission Statement. Bridgestone has developed a safety maturity assessment tool based on its common global safety standards. Assessments are conducted in an interview style with a focus on four “pillars”: [1] Leadership, [2] Teammate Engagement, [3] Organization, and [4] Systems. Monitoring the progress of assessment contributes to identifying common global issues, confirming the effectiveness of the PDCA cycle on safety activities and making sure continuous improvement activities are being implemented.

Image of assessment sheet

On-site interview (Left: South Africa, Right: United States)

Based on the results of the assessments, Bridgestone is identifying potential issues and making improvements company-wide as well as at each site and SBU. It is also preparing to implement assessments at non-production-related facilities, such as logistics sites and retail shops. Assessment results, such as for safety maturity, will yield strengths that can be best leveraged globally as well as points needing improvement that can be addressed to continue to enhance the safety culture. In 2023, Bridgestone also started to create a maturity assessment check sheet focused on fire risk.

Under the new global program, master assessors and assessors who conduct safety maturity assessments are being certified. Over time, Bridgestone’s goal is to improve awareness and implementation levels worldwide.

To raise safety awareness and cultivate knowledge about creating safe workplaces, in addition to safety training offered locally at every Bridgestone location in accordance with legal requirements and internal requirements, Bridgestone provided Group-wide safety training as follows.

Ongoing safety training is also conducted throughout Bridgestone to meet both its own standards and local regulatory requirements wherever Bridgestone operates.

The Fundamental Area Safety Group will continue to work on the design of a global framework of best practices to enhance the awareness and behavior of all employees through dedicated communication, educational tools, and full support from leadership.

Bridgestone is working to lower risks by pursuing occupational safety in manufacturing locations, stores, and warehouses according to ISO 45001-based global risk assessment standards. It also conducts risk assessments when any new equipment is introduced, or when any new or revised work practices are determined. Efforts involve conducting assessments to identify risks and establish engineering controls and implementing appropriate work procedures to reduce the risks of serious injury.

Bridgestone actively implements measures to mitigate residual risks identified through risk assessments, including the integration of AI and other new technologies to address potential operational risks.

Pilot projects:

• AI-based safety support device for mill rolls: A camera monitors the roller, and if a hand enters the hazardous area of the roller, AI detects it and stops the roller. It identifies the hand and rubber, and the machine stops only when it identifies the hand. This system helps resolve the issue that a sensor could not be installed due to material that was in the way.

• AI-based safety support device for cranes: A camera monitors the operator, and if AI detects that the operator moves under the suspended load of the crane, activates an alert.
• Tire burst prediction device: A sensor is activated when a tire is inflated, and if it detects an abnormal vibration, air is automatically released safely.
• Reduction of ergonomic risk: AI-based digital applications are being used. Please refer to the “Industrial hygiene initiatives” section on this page for detailed information.

Bridgestone continues to assign and train safety engineers as experts in equipment safety. Based on the results of risk assessments for existing operations and equipment and for new or modified projects, it identifies any equipment that carries a high injury risk and puts safety measures in place.

Bridgestone established a global standard, the “Management of Near Misses and Hidden Dangers,” to report incidents and unforeseen circumstances that did not lead to an accident but might occur again. In case of an incident, Bridgestone strives to prevent recurrence by taking measures based on this standard.

As part of its efforts to manage work environments, Bridgestone issued a global standard on ergonomics to identify improvement opportunities and mitigate workload.

Through the risk assessment of musculoskeletal workload, Bridgestone is quantitatively assessing risks and making improvements. Bridgestone has begun a trial of a digital application that uses AI to assess musculoskeletal risk based on the operator's posture.

In addition, as a measure to prevent heat stroke, Bridgestone has installed equipment to circulate cool air throughout plants, and by 2024 will establish a global standard based on heat stroke prevention guidelines being developed in Japan. By implementing both engineering and administrative measures, Bridgestone will continue to realize smarter and more comfortable work environments.

Disaster prevention is another key safety value for Bridgestone. Based on lessons learned from past incidents, Bridgestone created the Disaster Prevention Global Guidelines, which focus on emergency drills, including firefighting drills, and electrical wiring inspections. As with injuries, Bridgestone shares information on accidents involving fire and any subsequent measures taken to prevent similar accidents throughout the Group. Bridgestone also designated September 8 as Bridgestone Group Disaster Prevention Day. All company worksites conduct emergency drills every year on that day.

Moving forward, Bridgestone will continue to work on improving fire prevention in the workplace by including fire risk mitigation in the new safety policy. Bridgestone established fire risk assessments as part of the Bridgestone Global Safety Management System Standards, which are being implemented at SBU and worksite levels. The assessments will enable each site to identify and mitigate fire risks from both internal and external sources.

In 2024, Bridgestone created a video to raise awareness of disaster prevention and deployed it to all global bases. The video is designed to convey lessons learned from past fires and their impact on society and business in a way that is easy to understand for employees who are unfamiliar with the fires that occurred. The video helps encourage employees to take a personal stake in engaging in disaster prevention activities.

Excerpt from the video

Training using the video (Thailand)

The goal at Bridgestone Corporation is “to maintain a sound labor force and create a comfortable workplace,” and the company conducts occupational health management, including healthcare programs, with that aim in mind.

Health and productivity management

Bridgestone Corporation values the physical and mental well-being of its employees as a key management priority, seeing it as vital to a dynamic organization where everyone can work safely and with deep personal fulfillment and satisfaction. The Company practices health and productivity management to support the health of each employee in accordance with Bridgestone’s mission of “Serving Society with Superior Quality.”

In Japan, the company aims to maximize productivity by fostering a healthy workforce that helps employees improve their personal health and brings a natural vitality to every task. In partnership with the Bridgestone Health Insurance Society, the company implements the following six core programs while also working to improve employees' health literacy.

Six core programs

▪Smoking cessation

This program seeks to reduce the smoking rate among employees in Japan in addition to preventing passive smoking. In April 2020, the Company banned smoking during work hours. The Company aims to lower the smoking rate to 12% or less by 2035, which is aligned with the target set in the Japan National Health Promotion campaign. The Company closed down all the indoor smoking areas across its own facilities in 2022, and encourages employees to receive medical assistance for smoking cessation and to participate in a cessation support program.

▪Cancer detection and treatment

Bridgestone Corporation conducts regular and special health check-ups, as well as health exams for employees working outside Japan as required under the Industrial Safety and Health Law. Industrial physicians and other medical personnel offer healthcare guidance to employees with health issues, usually at the Company’s Health Care Center.

Furthermore, in order to increase screening rates and achieve early detection and treatment, the Company provides at-work cancer screening, with an emphasis on female-specific cancer (breast and cervical cancer). As one of the priority issues, the Company aims to improve the female cancer screening rate (the percentage of female employees) and achieve a rate of at least 50% of female employees at each site taking the screening test. It also informs employees of subsidies for screening expenses, and raises awareness through videos and e-learning. In addition to using a bus to provide screening services, Bridgestone started to offer screening services through a nationwide network^*1 of clinics made available through the Bridgestone Health Insurance Society in 2021.

*1 Made possible through an agreement between Bridgestone Health Insurance Society and a medical examination enforcement organization.

▪Lifestyle diseases

The Company uses information and communication technologies to encourage employees to use a health guidance program^*1 designed to improve lifestyle-related health outcomes. It also encourages use of an online health improvement service available by smartphone or computer.

*1 A program for employees deemed at high risk for serious lifestyle diseases based on the results of their annual health check-up. Eligible employees receive free guidance and support from a medical expert for improving their lifestyle habits.

▪Mental health care

The Company has developed a guideline on mental health and established a mental health plan for each office that complies with Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare guidelines on self-care, consultation line care, on-site industrial medical staff care, and off-site care.

Based on a mental health plan, every site in Japan has a health promotion officer or nurse, public health nurse, or other health professional who can organize a mental health team. It provides counseling services under the guidance of an industrial physician and is supported by an external Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that also covers employees’ families.

▪Infectious disease

The Company is working to protect the mental and physical health of each employee and creating a safe and secure work environment. The Company educates employees on how to prevent the spread of seasonal influenza, norovirus, and other infectious diseases and how to prepare for them.

▪Integration of health-related efforts

Bridgestone Corporation's CRO, Risk Management and Health Management Division manages the advancement of the above programs in partnership with the Health Care Center and industrial health staff at each site and with the Bridgestone Health Insurance Society.

Bridgestone Corporation evaluates the health programs and management status against original standards in five areas of occupational health: overall management, health education, work environment management, work management and health management. The company introduced this evaluation at manufacturing facilities and offices in 2010, extending it to Group companies in Japan in 2011.

Going forward, the Company will seek to further enhance health education and improve compliance with occupational health regulations and its own standards.