VisEra is committed to achieving zero safety accidents, building the best healthy workplace, and becoming a world-class company for ensuring safety and health. We also cultivate a safety culture based on humanistic values and build an intrinsically safe work environment. To ensure safety and security, we support the physical and mental health of employees to achieve work-life balance and we work together with stakeholders to reduce workplace safety and health risks. There were no litigation involving violations of employee health and safety in 2022.
VisEra has established the Occupational Safety and Health Committee with members including 1 Chairman of the Committee, 1 Executive Secretary, 19 heads of departments, 8 occupational safety and health and medical personnel, and 24 labor representatives. The 53 members jointly review occupational safety and health issues to transform the Company into a benchmark for occupational safety and health. Non-management personnel account for 45.3% of the members. The Committee also convenes meetings regularly each month, which exceeds regulatory requirements and facilitates full consultation and communication for all employees. In 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Committee reviewed and passed 7 proposals regarding plant safety, epidemic prevention measures, avoiding the triggering of alarms during installation, and enhancing safety and work friendliness in the work environment.
We established the employee proposal system to strengthen employee consultation, participation, and communication. Employees can file proposal forms or provide feedback to the Occupational Safety and Health Committee. The Company continues to obtain certification by independent third-party certification institutions for the ISO 45001/TOSHMS Occupational Health and Safety Management System to continue to improve safety and health in the work environment. The certification covers 100% of all workers and related routine and non-routine activities in the locations of operations. VisEra has appointed occupational safety and health management personnel (9 in Hsinchu Plant and 1 in Zhongli Plant as required by law) in accordance with regulations. We also set up dedicated units to help all plants implement regular annual assessments, internal audits, management review, and other matters required by the system. The results pass external certification to ensure their effectiveness and implementation. We also set a target for filing 10 occupational safety management proposals each quarter and 40 proposals were filed in 2022 (the resources invested totaled NT$1.57 million). They included automatic measurement of the thickness of photoresist to reduce ergonomic risks and prevent musculoskeletal injuries when employees work. The Company received recognition for the performance of the safety and health management system and was shortlisted by the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, National Science and Technology Council (hereinafter referred to as Hsinchu Science Park Bureau) as a company with outstanding performance in promoting occupational safety and health in 2022. VisEra employees have won the Occupational Safety and Health Excellent Employee Award presented by Hsinchu Science Park Bureau each year from 2019 to 2022.
To enhance safety management, we use the audit system to progressively and continuously improve safety management. We conduct regular and ad hoc audits, including daily construction inspections by safety and environmental protection units, weekly routine and project inspections by the safety and environmental department to review the implementation of occupational safety and health management in each plant. We require the responsible unit to propose corrective measures for any failure to meet expectations or violations of regulations. We also set up 12 safety performance indicators (including active and passive indicators) and regularly track the effectiveness of the implementation in each plant every month. The parent company (TSMC) conducts at least 3 audits each year. We use the system to track all non-compliances or violations found in audits and regularly submit results for review to continuously improve and manage the system operations. Non-compliances are also reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Committee to review the effectiveness of improvements.
VisEra has established procedures based on the Occupational Safety and Health Act, domestic and overseas safety and health standards, and ISO 45001 requirements. To implement the safety and health related procedures, VisEra has established the Safety Performance Index (SPI) system based on the management model of the parent company TSMC to implement quantitative management and supervision of the daily safety and health implementation results in the plants. The SPI includes active and passive indicators and management mechanisms with four color-coded indicators including blue, green, yellow, and red. The indicators have been maintained at blue or green (indicating excellent or good performance).
VisEra focuses on global safety and health issues, assesses risks and opportunities, and invites employees or representatives in the Company to participate and provide opinions for building a good workplace environment. We set environmental safety and health factors for consideration and hazard identification management procedures, and implement regular evaluations of internal and external issues and issues of concern to stakeholders every year. We determine risk assessments and response to opportunities by considering regulatory compliance, level of concern, technical, financial (including annual operating costs), operational (including operational and business impact on quality, cost, and delivery), and business factors to continuously reduce potential risks. In 2022, we performed 1,566 risk assessments and evaluations, and assessed 12 internal and external issues and 16 stakeholder requirements and expectations. We also strengthened the safety awareness of all employees by incorporating the “right to active avoidance of danger” in the Occupational Safety and Health Act so that the concept of safety first can be implemented in the workplace.
We readily monitor changes in the policies announced by the Centers for Disease Control for continuous adjustments of plant response measures and to provide timely health education information.
COVID-19 has been a major issue of concern in recent years. In order to prevent the impact of COVID-19 on the health of workers and company operations, we continuously adjusted and set epidemic prevention measures in accordance with the epidemic prevention management regulations of the competent authority and the development of the epidemic. As domestic and foreign epidemic management measures are relaxed and borders reopen in October 2022, VisEra maintained measures for reporting contact tracing information and connecting the reporting system for employees returning from overseas with access management to continuously manage and prevent the entry of high-risk personnel into VisEra premises.
The Company also established accident investigation procedures. In the event of an accident involving an employee or contractor (including anomalies or incidents), investigation procedures are activated to identify the cause of the accident. We aim to clarify the reason to ensure that such accidents do not recur. There were no cases of material, severe, or recordable occupational injuries (including occupational diseases) in 2022. However, the Company analyzed and reviewed the 8 cases of anomalies that occurred in 2022 but did not cause specific damages to review the appropriateness of operational risk assessments and ensure continuous and sustained improvements.
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2022 Pie Chart of Abnormal Category %
2022 Chart of Monthly Cases and Category Analysis
Trend Chart of Abnormal Parts from Y2021 to Y2022
When the fire alarm detection system is activated but it is confirmed caused by dust resulting from the site construction or minor damage to equipment components and does not cause adverse effects on personnel, equipment and environment, it will be recorded as false alarm.
When there is activation of the gas detection system not caused by real gas leakage at the gas supply end, such as: external gas or construction, minor interference with by-product or device component damage caused by PM/TS (failed to reach the level of red light alarm), causing no adverse impact on personnel, equipment or environment, it will be recorded as false alarm.
Where there is readings on equipment not required by OI specifications at the detection site, and no adverse impact is caused to personnel, equipment or environment, it will be recorded as a false alarm.
When there is an employee report that there is an odor (including burnt smell, etc.), which is confirmed not caused by any reason or involves minor damage of equipment components, causing no adverse impact on personnel, equipment or environment, it will be recorded as false alarm.
Where there is small amount of water leakage (less than 10 square meters), and no adverse impact is caused to personnel, equipment or environment, it will be recorded as a false alarm.
Hazardous process material (HPM) leakage is defined as false alarm when it is not chemical leakage and abnormality.
VisEra has developed a safety and health training system to enhance the safety and health awareness, responsibility and commitment of all employees, ensure the safety of all employees, and increase the safety awareness of all workers. In addition to the statutory training for all types of operations or business personnel, those who perform ISO 45001 internal audits at the plants are required to receive training as ISO 45001 internal auditors. We also provide safety and health training for contractors. We exercise caution and preparedness to respond to possible accidents. The Company established an emergency response plan and conduct regular or unannounced drills to effectively control and minimize damage of accidents. In 2022, we conducted 26 drills for scenarios including fire, earthquake, gas leak, chemical leak, food poisoning, industrial machinery failure, damage from smoke outside the plant, environmental anomalies, and odor. All drills were conducted in accordance with the regulations and OI (F-RMS-2100 VisEra Emergency Response Plan). In addition, we organized 6 training sessions (basic, advanced, and commander) for the Emergency Response Team this year and personal protective equipment (PPE) usage tests twice a year. We also assign on-duty personnel on a rotating basis every day to respond to emergencies. If courses are held by means of online courses (V+talent), we conduct evaluations and satisfaction surveys after the courses. If courses are held in person, the instructor engages trainees during the course or the review of test papers to measure the effectiveness of the training. We also conduct a review at the end of the course to enhance the awareness of participants. In 2022, we commenced the Green Card certification training for contractors and we plan to set up refresher training every two years. We plan to implement group training for emergency response personnel in 2023 (once every year) to enhance the skills and awareness of the team members.
Occupational safety and health training and drills in 2022
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