The Group strives to promote a culture of health and safety. We ensure the health and safety of all employees and contractors through our comprehensive environment, health and safety management system, which adheres to ISO45001, RBA Code of Conduct, local regulations, and EHS system stipulations (ISO 14001, ISO 45001, CNS 45001). We established the “EHS Management Manual” and “Environment, Health and Safety Principles,” and also formed the “Environment, Health and Safety Committee” to identify, assess, and control hazards in workplace environments and operations. To actively keep informed of potential hazards in all processes, factory systems, equipment, and operations, all departments analyze health and safety hazards to prevent occupational disasters, and to achieve our goal of ensuring health and safety.

No major deficiencies were discovered in the Group’s internal audits, external ISO 45001 management system audits, and customer audits in 2023. Corrections for all deficiencies and suggestions associated with audits have been fully implemented, and we have passed ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 verifications. Our management systems encompass 100% of employees. Additionally, EPISTAR has obtained CNS 45001 certification.

All Group subsidiaries have established environment, safety and health (ESH) committees to discuss and coordinate ESH matters, formulate targets, and continue to promote improvement plans. We have established complete contractor management regulations as well as hazard identification, risk assessment, incident investigation, and emergency response procedures. We also strengthen safety risk awareness in our employees and contractors through rigorous occupational health and safety training, emergency response drills, and hazard communication courses.

The Group’s ESH Committee is convened each quarter by presidents or proxies. Factory-level ESH committee meetings are convened at least once every month by factory managers and meeting conclusions are applicable to all factories. Meeting attendees include committee members such as factory managers or proxies and the highest level managers from the R&D, support, quality assurance, and human resource centers; environmental safety department representatives; and labor representatives, who are required to exceed more than one-third (33%) of committee members.

The Group has formulated identification and risk assessment procedures for major hazards. We analyze potential risks that could result in abnormalities using risk assessment technologies and have adopted preventive measures to lower probabilities and severity of hazards. Analysis of health and safety hazards are conducted in accordance with the activities/processes/scope of each department and associated steps/machinery and equipment/work items and other operational procedures. We classify physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, social, and other types of hazards, estimate their probabilities of occurrence, exposure risks, and levels of severity to identify risks and opportunities.

Process for determining and handling risks and opportunities:
 

 

The Group has established “EHS Emergency Response Procedures” and adopts a hierarchical management system. We have established response organizations at the head office level and factory level. Abnormal incidents that occur in factories are initially handled on site, but if subsequent responses are required, we rapidly complete notification procedures and initiate factory emergency response mechanisms to reduce personnel injury and operational losses. If incident impacts continue to expand, response organizations at the head office level will be activated. All personnel comply with their required duties in responding to various situations during emergencies.

These emergency response procedures are applicable to all Group employees and contractors at all factories. We conduct factory emergency response drills at least once a year. Apart from factory-wide emergency responses, the Group also encourages on-site units to independently organize their own drills for strengthening of regional response capabilities and to practice preliminary responses when abnormalities occur so that emergencies do not expand to the entire factory. In 2023, we conducted a total of 123 emergency response drills. To make evacuation drills more challenging and timely, we set standard emergency evacuation times based on the scope and number of workers at each factory in response to various emergency conditions.