Employee Health and Safety

Volvo

The Volvo Group gives priority to the workplace safety, health and wellbeing. These will
improve the productivity, reduced costs and increased competitiveness.
According to the principle of Volvos Groups Code of Conduct, all employees have the right
to a safe and healthy working environment. Besides, all employees should also be provided
access to information, support and other tools to reduce or eradicate health risks associated
with work, lifestyle or emotional stress. Health and wellness of employees are promoted
through programs that include weight management and nutrition programs, stress
management campaign with clinical experts, preventive health screenings, customized health
coaching and healthy meals days.
In Volvo, managers responsibility is important to guarantee the high level of safety as
expected by employees, suppliers and visitors. The responsibility for workplace safety is not
only applicable for safety, but also for national requirements and regulations. Policy for
workplace safety, health and wellbeing serves as the guideline to ensure and continuously
develop a safe and healthy workplace. It also encourages employees to upraise concern about
physical, behavioral or emotional risks to be attended to.
The establishment of a Group function for workplace safety, health and wellbeing at Volvo is
approved. The human resources department at corporate level will have the responsibility for
the strategic direction while the Group function for workplace safety, health and wellbeing
will focus on the tactical level. In France, Volvo Group developed approach to keep
employees with medical restrictions in their jobs. Medical restrictions can be the result of an
accident, musculoskeletal disorders or chronic health issues. Safety advisors, occupational
doctors, ergonomists, managers and human resources representatives work closely together to
improve and adapt the working environment of employees with specific medical needs.
In term of record of incidents, all employees are responsible to report all work related
accidents and incidents to enable the investigation and identification of the root cause. Thus,
the instant corrective action can be taken.






Toyota

Toyota has created a very stressful work environment, in which, every year, an estimated 200
to 300 employees are incapacitated or killed from overwork and stress related illness.
One of the cases involving death of the employee which cause by work-related stress is the
case of Kenichi Uchino. He had worked as a quality control inspector for the Prius hybrid at
Toyotas Tsutsumi plant in Toyota City, north of Nagoya. Uchino, who already had lots of
work load, was given added responsibilities by the company. The physical and mental strain
of the works caused him to collapse, which at first, thought as heart attack.
The Japanese Labour Bureau approved that Uchinos cause of death is the death because of
overworked.
The workplace safety of Toyota also questionabled as there were occurrences of workplace
accidents, in which some of them involved heavy injuries.
One of the cases is the Keith Schnabel who acquired work-related injury because of unsafe
workplace condition. Schnabel acquired injury from the failure of alignment lift that caused a
car to drop and hit his head.