Working with health and safety is a human right
Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. guarantees that “every worker who participates in the company’s activities has the right to know and understand the issues of hazards and risk that may affect health or safety in the working environment and procedures, and be free to participate in the review and improvement of them (the rights to information, participation and assembly). They also have right to obtain corresponding health and safety protection to avoid possible impact on body and life (the right to be protected); if the impacts that causes health or safety losses are recognized, participants and their families shall be provided with appropriate and effective remedies (appropriate and effective remedy).”
Kedge Construction Co., Ltd., adhering to the founder Mr. Ma Yushan’s concept of “people-oriented, respect for life, and safe construction,” provides a healthy and safe working environment and system and regards occupational safety and health management as one of the important conditions for the company’s survival and sustainable development. We incorporate the human right “health and safety at work” into the occupational safety and health policy: we promise to “comply with laws and regulations” to ensure the rights and interests of every worker participating in the company’s activities; we hold “hazard prevention” to identify possible health and safety risks in the relevant working environment and procedures in advance. we promote the “full participation” of health and safety actions, and stick to the “continuous improvement” for eliminating various hazards at work. We strive to ensure that our working environment and procedures achieve the health and safety of personnel, so as to fulfil the purpose of maintaining social order.
Establish, verify and maintain occupational safety and health management system
According to Article 23 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Article 12-2 of the Occupational Safety and Health Management Measures, Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. aims to “improve a safe and hygienic working environment, enables the organization to identify and prevent its risks, protecting its employees and providing them with a safe and reliable workplace, with the possibility of accidents and diseases reduced and regulatory compliance improved.” Since 2015, Kedge has been introduced to the “OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Safety and Health Management System” and passed the verification of “Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Management System TOSHMS” CNS 15506:2011.” In line with the ISO 45001:2018 occupational health and safety management system issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2018, Kedge also passed the system verification in 2020, and the regular (annual) tracking verification in 2022 and 2023. We schedule our first regular (every three years) renewal verification in 2024.
The scope of “ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System and Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Management System TOSHMS CNS 45001:2018” established and verified by Kedge Construction covers employees in designated workplaces (hereinafter referred to as engineering projects) and workers whose work is controlled by the company, or non-company-controlled coworkers (such as construction collaborative suppliers) who participate in the company’s activities and scope of activities, and stakeholders in relevant businesses, but not including co-workers who is not managed under the company, but those who may be impacted by the occupational safety and health of the company’s operations, products or services.
Hazard identification, risk assessment and accident investigation
According to Article 2-1 and Article 6 of the Occupational Safety and Health Management Measures, the company’s head office has set up an occupational safety office directly under the General Manager’s dedicated first-level management unit, responsible for drafting, planning, supervising and promoting affairs concerning safety and health management. It also serves to guide the implementation of relevant departments. In order to prevent occupational accidents in the engineering projects affiliated to the company, the person in charge of the workplace of the engineering project shall act as the commander, supervisor and coordinator of the workplace, and organize the occupational safety team to which he belongs. The team leader shall have qualification as a supervisor of construction industry and occupational safety and health business. He shall be responsible for supervising safety and health management affairs involved in engineering projects. One of the team members should have qualifications as the occupational safety and health administrator above grade B, responsible for drafting, planning and promoting affairs of safety and health management in engineering projects. He shall be also in charge of guiding relevant departmental implementation. In compliance with the provisions of Article 38 of the Implementation Rules of the Occupational Safety and Health Law, we established a coordination organization for engineering projects, and at least once a month (regularly) or irregularly hold the “Engineering Project Coordination Organization Meeting” to convene contractors, sub-contractors, etc. to carry out connection and adjustment of the company, inspection of the workplace, guidance and assistance in safety and health education between related contractors, and other necessary matters for the prevention of occupational accidents.
The Occupational Safety Team and the Occupational Safety Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Organization shall, in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Management Measures (Attachment 2 and 2-1), stipulate the scale of the construction business units and the qualifications of the management personnel (construction business supervisor, Class B or (and) Class A management) and the full number of people.
We have 167 supervisors who have qualifications in occupational safety and health in the construction industry; 76 managers who have Class B qualifications in occupational safety and health; 7 managing people who have Class A qualifications in occupational safety; 1 managing person who have Class A qualification in occupational health.
Based on the certified ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System / Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Management System (TOSHMS) CNS 45001:2018, Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. formulated the “Occupational Safety Risk and Opportunity Assessment Procedure” and “Accident Reporting and Investigation Management Procedures,” required the Occupational Safety Office, engineering projects and all departments to carry out hazard identification, risk assessment and accident investigation related to occupational safety and health. The Occupational Safety Risk and Opportunity Assessment Procedure serves to standardize the risk assessment at all levels of the company, including methods, background establishment, risk opportunity identification, risk opportunity assessment, risk opportunity treatment, and change risk management. It clearly defines hazards, risks, etc. and determines the qualifications of personnel who accept risks and undertake assessments.
Accident Reporting and Investigation Management Procedures are defined to distinguish between occupational safety incidents, disability injury incidents or disease incidents, major occupational accidents, near-misses and traffic incidents. The Procedures also standardize the company’s various project projects, emergency response, investigation and reporting when occupational safety incidents occur, so as to reduce the loss of the accident and prevent the recurrence of similar accidents.
Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. complies with Paragraph 1 of Article 18, of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which states “When there is a concern of a potential imminent danger at a workplace, the employers or people responsible for the worksite shall immediately issue orders to halt work and withdraw laborers to a safe location,” and with Paragraph 2 “When laborers discover there is a concern of a threat of imminent danger while executing their duties, under conditions in which the safety of other workers is not jeopardized, they may terminate work of their own accord and withdraw to safe locations, and immediately report to their direct supervisors.” We also abide by Paragraph 3 “The employers shall not dismiss, reassign, not pay wages for the period of work on halt, or otherwise impose unfavorably treatment on laborers taking actions prescribed in the preceding paragraph.”
Based on the monthly occupational safety inspection records of each engineering project carried out by the Occupational Safety Office in 2022, Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. counts the types of hazards as “falling, structure collapse, falling objects, and electric shock” as the top four common major hazards. In order to reduce possible risks (=occurrence frequency X occurrence severity), we set two aspects of “safety process” and “safe construction” for prevention and correction.
Safety process
Safe construction
Occupational Health Services
Based on Article 3 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. has set up a post of nurse in the General Manager’s office of the headquarters, and hired a graduate from the nursing department of a public or private university in Taiwan and abroad approved by the Ministry of Education and a nurse certificate. Those who have received a 48-hour training course for labor health service nurses and obtained a qualified certificate of completion serve as legal medical staff.
We participated in the “Workplace Safety and Health Week” of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Ministry of Labor, and obtained the certification for 2022 workplace health week. We optimized health care and tracking, widely held workplace health lectures, and announced various health information and health education. Also, we cooperated with government agencies and invited first aid training professionals to conduct CPR+AED training courses, so as to embody our concern for the well-beings of our employees.
Workers’ Participation, Consultation and Communication in Occupational Safety and Health
Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. established an Occupational Safety and Health Committee in accordance with Article 5-1 and Article 11 of the Occupational Safety and Health Management Measures. The labor representatives of the members of the committee accounted for more than one-third of the members and prepared a name list of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee for inspection. The “Occupational Safety and Health Committee Meeting” is held at least once a quarter (regularly) according to the laws, or when management needs change or emergency events occur (irregularly). The meeting is held to provide suggestions on the company’s goals or the occupational safety and health policies proposed by the occupational safety office. The meeting also serves to review, coordinate and recommend safety and health related affairs brought by various engineering projects and departments.
Since the establishment of ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System/Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Management System (TOSHMS) CNS 45001:2018, the Occupational Safety and Health Committee has dealt with the occupational safety and health affairs stipulated in Article 12 of the Occupational Safety and Health Management Measures. The committee provides advice, coordination, deliberation, assessment and other matters related to occupational safety and health management. The committee aims to help company employees involved in engineering projects and workers whose work is controlled by the company, or collaborative suppliers who participate in collaborative work not controlled by the company, and stakeholders who involve in relative business. The target for whom the committee may also extend its business includes those who are not under the control of the company, but who may be impacted by the occupational safety and health of the company’s operations, products, or services.
In 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Committee Meeting/Occupational Safety Monthly Meeting (online video conference)
According to Article 32 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, “Employers shall provide laborers with all necessary safety and health education and training to perform duties and prevent accidents,” we give our employees education and training on occupational safety and health.
Prevention and mitigation of occupational safety and health impacts directly linked to business relationships
Article 5, Paragraph 1 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act states that “Work assigned to laborers by the employers shall be within a reasonable and feasible scope, with necessary preventative equipment or measures taken to prevent laborers from being involved in occupational accidents.” In the 2022 questionnaire survey, “occupational safety and health” is reported as a major issue in respect of employees. We made one of the management goals and formulated management methods and evaluation mechanisms, and set and completed the occupational safety and health goals in 2022.
Workers covered by the occupational safety and health management system
Based on the certification of ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System / Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Management System (TOSHMS) CNS 45001:2018, the legal management scope includes all our employees and workers.
We collected the statistics of occupational accidents in accordance with Article 38 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The complete statistics in 2022 is as follows.
Occupational Injury
According to Article 38 of the Occupational Safety and Health Law, Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. prepares the content and statistics of occupational accidents and submits a monthly report to the labor inspection agency for reference, and publishes it in the workplace. Occupational safety incidents and statistics: In 2022, we prepared the statistics of occupational accidents on time every month as follows. There was no occupational accidents and no occupational injuries or occupational diseases that occurred to our employees.
Occupational Safety Incidents and Statistics in 2022
2022 Occupational Accident Statistics:
Actively participate in the activities of the occupational safety group and awards
Photo of procurement and installation of facilities and equipment in compliance with health, safety and sanitation
