Compliance education

Promotion of employment of people with disabilities

As of the end of December 2023, 26 people (2.06% of the workforce) were employed.
We will continue to expand the employment of people with disabilities and enhance the selection of work and the work environment to suit their individuality.

Implemented green curtain initiatives with special needs classes (Sengo Elementary School and Toyokawa Nanbu Elementary School)

Safety and health measures

Based on the recognition that ensuring the safety and health of employees and subcontractors is the foundation of our corporate activities, we obtained certification for OSHMS (Occupational Safety and Health Management System) conforming to the JISHA (Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association) method in December 2011 as a means of achieving a safe, healthy, and comfortable workplace. Since then, we have continued the certification.
We also plan to transition to ISO45001 by 2026.
We have been developing the following activities based on the four pillars (one-to-one dialogue, near-misses, hazard prediction, and risk assessment), which are centered on interactive communication between the work system and workers.

• Sharing of issues through the Health and Safety Committee (once a month)
• Environmental and safety subcommittee meetings for subcontractors, safety patrols by subcontractors and the facilities section, labor-management council meetings, and meetings of safety managers (once a month for each).
• Regular safety follow-up by factory top management
• Strengthen management of overwork
• Preventing accidents that have occurred in the past from fading out

Education and training for employees

Safety education for employees begins with safety and health education at the time of employment, followed by one-on-one dialogues with employees by role holders, sensory training, risk assessment practical training sessions, and safety person certification and development training.

Responses in case of disaster

In response to disasters, regular disaster drills are conducted in accordance with the annual activity plan for fire and disaster prevention. During drills, a self-defense firefighting organization headquarters is set up and firefighting and rescue drills are conducted to ensure a comprehensive response. We also engage in earthquake disaster drills, BCP drills, and nighttime evacuation drills, assuming various patterns.
The emergency lifesaving skill training course was temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, but will resume in 2023.

Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions

1. Active introduction of environmentally friendly high-efficiency products

In accordance with our mid- to long-term energy conservation plan, we are replacing transformers, fans/pumps, and lighting fixtures with LED fixtures and air conditioning equipment with high-efficiency equipment.
Our achievements in fiscal 2023 include updating 7 air conditioners, updating 1 pump, converting 2 fans to INV, updating 1 compressor, and installing 1 steam compressor.
Additionally, the Hf fluorescent light fixtures were updated to 504 LED base lights.
Solar panels with a rating of 1,135kW will be installed on the roof of the distribution warehouse at the south factory, and power generation will begin in August 2023.
Furthermore, we plan to install 2,770kW solar panels, with construction to begin in fiscal 2024 with the aim of starting power generation in April 2025.
In order to drastically reduce GHG emissions, we converted the fuel at the South Plant to LNG in January 2025 and started operating high-efficiency boilers.
We expect to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 2,300 tons per year by converting to LNG.
We will continue to work on reducing GHG emissions throughout our plant.

2. Advancement of energy-saving activities

In addition to increasing the efficiency of the supply side, we are repairing leaks of steam, industrial water, and factory air on the consumption side, as well as augmenting heat insulation. 35 low-voltage operating transformers upgraded to higher efficiency in FY2023.
We plan to continue increasing efficiency in fiscal 2024.
In monthly meetings of energy conservation subcommittees where all process managers gather, we strive to share problems and introduce individual initiatives in an effort to educate the public.

Environmental data and explanations

Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions

• The base year: In principal it is 1990. For HFC, PFC and SF₆, the base year is 1995 according to the Kyoto Protocol.
• Method of calculation of greenhouse gases (GHG): this is in compliance with the “Calculation and Reporting Manual for Greenhouse Gas Emissions” issued by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
  Note that GHG emissions associated with purchased power were calculated using the Table of Emission Coefficients by Power Company (Ministry of the Environment)

Effective use of resources / Waste reductions

Waste output

Water usage

Measures for discharge into water, air and soil

Data related to water contamination

Shinshiro Plant: twice a month, monitors twenty items of water contamination within self-regulated targets set under the ordinances of and agreements with Aichi Prefecture and Shinshiro City.

• In compliance with the Pollution Control Agreement, and Aichi Prefecture Ordinances.
• Shinshiro Plant Discharge point (Name of rivers) Noda River

Shinshiro-Minami Plant: once a month, monitors twenty items of water contamination within self-regulated targets set under the ordinances and agreements with Aichi Prefecture and Shinshiro City.

• In accordance with the Pollution Control Agreement, and Aichi Prefecture Ordinances.
• Shinshiro-Minami Plant Discharge point (Name of rivers) Kuroda River

Air pollutants (NOx, Sox)

Reporting on chemical substance management status (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law compliance)

The Shinshiro Plant verifies whether secondary materials and auxiliary materials contain chemical substances subject to Safety Data Sheet (SDS) requirements, and in the case of substances where the amounts handled exceed the thresholds specified by the PRTR Law, annual reports are submitted to the national (or prefectural) authorities and safety impact assessment is performed.
Regarding the handling of substances pursuant to the PRTR Law, please refer to the Safety Evaluation Table of Domestic Production Bases.

In addition, as part of efforts to improve the level of chemical substance management, we conduct chemical substance risk assessments to identify risks of adverse effects on workers' health, explosions and ignition of facilities and equipment, and environmental risks, and confirm compliance with laws and regulations.

Shinshiro Plant

• In compliance with the Air Pollution Control Law, Aichi Prefecture Ordinances and the Shinshiro City Pollution Control Agreement.

Shinshiro-Minami Plant

• In compliance with the Air Pollution Control Law, the Shinshiro City Pollution Control Agreement and the Environmental Preservation Agreement with Shinshiro City.

CSR activities with business partners

Communication with customers

We provide products of reliable quality to our customers through quality management based on ISO/IATF16949 certification, which is the automotive industry quality management system standard (QMS). We also introduce our quality initiatives through plant tours for Japanese and overseas automakers, dealers, and general customers. This year's event has been cancelled due to the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 infection.
For the current fiscal year, the meeting was held as needed while taking into consideration the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 infection.

Responses to complaints

In response to inquiries received from customers with respect to products, we quickly investigate matters and issue reports. In the event that it is determined that issues have occurred during manufacturing, we initiate quick responses and work hard to prevent any reoccurrences.

Yokohama Forever Forest Project

We provide tree seedlings and tree-planting guidance to the Aichi Prefecture Natural Environment Division's Shinshiro Shitara Ecosystem NW Council for satoyama-ization tree planting, tree planting in prefectural parks in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures, and local tree planting.
The tree-planting seedlings are grown in our plant by collecting seeds from trees native to the area.
We also continue to distribute green trees at prefectural parks and other locations.

Yokohama Forever Forest Project (FY2022)

Collaboration with another company, Autobacs

In cooperation with Autobacs, we provide seedlings free of charge to local residents to familiarize them with trees.

In FY2023, we provided 9,251 saplings for Satoyama planting and greening tree distribution, and 52 people participated in tree-planting volunteer activities on 15 occasions.

Shinshiro Shitara Ecosystem NW Council Tree Planting Experience Support

Biodiversity protection activities

Our plants use a lot of river water to produce tires. We have been asking ourselves, "Is it enough for us to just receive water resources from nature? What can we do about it? With this in mind, we started biodiversity conservation activities focusing on water in 2012, and next year will mark the 12th year since then.
As for activities in FY2022, the impact of the COVID-19 disaster has gradually faded, and the number of people involved in activities has increased.
We will continue to collaborate with the government, universities, NPOs, and other companies by interacting with the Yotsuya Senmaida Preservation Society, one of our activity sites, and participating in the Shinshiro Shitara Ecosystem Network Council promoted by Aichi Prefecture. Yokohama Rubber's Shinshiro Plant will continue to contribute to biodiversity in the Shinshiro Shitara area by providing and planting broadleaf trees and seedlings grown from local seeds through the Forever Forest activities.

Relationship with local societies

On June 29, 2023, we held a meeting for mayors of the wards surrounding the factory and environmental monitors. We will receive your valuable opinions and use them to improve our factory. We also held the Shinshiro Rally (March 2023) and Shinshiro Clean Festa (June 2023), which were attended by many people.