Harmonious Workplace / Occupational Safety and Health Management
Occupational Safety and Health
Occupational Safety and Health Management System
WNC headquarters and main manufacturing sites have introduced the ISO 45001 occupational safety and health management system, the scope of which covers all WNC employees, and passed third-party verification with regards to this. We regularly review operation of the occupational safety and health system to prevent occupational diseases and injuries and promote the physical and mental health of colleagues. In 2024, no major occupational accidents occurred at any sites.Â
Occupational Safety and Health Committee
An Occupational Safety and Health Committee has been established for Taiwan sites in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Committee meetings are held quarterly to review implementation results with the President & CEO as well as worker representatives. The committee members serve a two-year term. Eighteen of the members are drawn from worker representatives, representing over 1/3 of the committee members. The communicated items and resolutions of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee in 2024 covered the following key topics: the development of response measures for food safety incidents reported in the news, emergency response plans made in response to the earthquake on April 3, 2024, and explanations regarding changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Policy. WNC holds an annual organization consultation meeting to communicate and promote occupational accident prevention to construction contractors. In 2024, a total of 220 contractors participated. Â
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Production safety committees established for China sites hold monthly production safety management meetings. Department-level managers from various units, labor union representatives, and three worker representatives (accounting for about 15% of meeting attendees) attend the meetings to discuss occupational safety and health management issues. In addition, each unit assigns an employee to serve as its safety officer, and these employees participate in safety officer training courses approved by related government agencies and acquire safety officer certification. This ensures that safety officers have the required skills and knowledge in occupational safety and health.Â
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A Labor Health and Safety Committee is set up at WNCâs Vietnam site, and a labor safety and health meeting is convened quarterly and attended by 23 labor representatives from each unit, all of whom are union committee members. Nine of the aforementioned labor representatives are from occupational safety and health management units, accounting for 39.1% of all labor representatives. This ensures that these representatives have the required amount of expertise in occupational safety and health management. Â
Risk Identification
To continuously improve WNCâs occupational safety and health risk management, WNC has established a hazard identification and risk assessment management procedure. This procedure systematically identifies hazards and lists them in six categories: physical, chemical, ergonomic, biological, psychosocial, and other safety and health risks. Tasks relating to hazard identification and risk assessment are carried out by EHS officers, all of whom have completed training courses on ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 internal auditing to enhance their risk identification and management capabilities. Every unit at WNC conducts risk identification, evaluates risk levels through matrix analysis (likelihood, severity, frequency), proposes corresponding control measures and objectives for high-risk operations, and conducts monthly tracking in the following situations: when there are changes in operations, technologies, engineering, operations/design specifications; when injury events with more than one day of incapacity occur; when there are repeated occurrences of false alarm incidents; and when hidden danger reports occur.
Hazard Identification
Risk Assessment
Control Measures
Review of Effectiveness
Emergency Response
To improve employeesâ ability to respond to emergencies, emergency response teams have been established and a plant-wide evacuation drill is held every year. In 2024, to assist relevant personnel in familiarizing themselves with their roles and responsibilities within the emergency response team, the President & CEO served as the commander at WNC headquarters, while plant managers served as commanders at their respective sites. This approach improved the operational proficiency and enhanced crisis management and emergency response capabilities of relevant personnel. Â
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The HQ and the S1 plant have added war game simulations to their drill planning. The development and consequences of disasters are evaluated via drills. In response to the nationwide earthquake on April 3, 2024, a safety officer backup mechanism and lightweight emergency equipment were introduced to enhance flexibility in large-scale disaster response operations. The drill planning at the S3 plant assesses the on-site self-defense firefighting team’s response capabilities during real chemical disasters and fires, simulating the development of disasters and conducting disaster relief exercises.Â
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A total of five plant-wide evacuation drills were held during day and night shifts of Taiwan sites. In addition to holding firefighters’ firefighting skills and disaster prevention safety drills monthly in Kunshan sites, in 2024, Wistron NeWeb (Kunshan), WNC Kunshan and WebCom (Kunshan) held a total of 12 site-wide fire evacuation drills for day shifts and night shifts. WebCom (Nanjing) held one fire-fighting evacuation drill for the entire site. The Vietnam site held two plant-wide evacuation drills.Â
Occupational Safety and Health Training
Pursuant to occupational safety and health measures, WNC holds educational and training courses to enhance employeesâ awareness and skills related to occupational safety and health and boost their ability to predict hazards. WNC Taiwan sites provide a 3-hour general safety and health training course to new employees upon their entry. Additionally, regular training sessions are conducted for current employees each year to emphasize safety awareness and reduce the risk of accidents. In 2024, a total of 6,199 participants attended the courses, accumulating a total of 8,420 training hours.Â
Occupational Injury Statistics
In 2024, all eight occupational injuries resulting in disability at WNCâs sites were caused by physical hazards, and there were no disabling injuries reported among non-employees, nor incidents resulting in permanent disability or death due to occupational injuries. Each incident has been investigated and analyzed. Responsible units have developed appropriate improvement and preventive measures in response to the increase in the number of employees and the changing environment to reduce operational risks for workers.Â
WNC employees occupational injury statistics in the recent four years
Item | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
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Total working hours Note 1 | 21,262,912 | 23,969,608 | 23,162,848 | 21,624,512 |
Number of recordable occupational injuries Note 2 | 39 | 17 | 25 | 8 |
Recordable occupational injuries rate Note 3 | 1.83 | 0.71 | 1.08 | 0.37 |
Number of serious occupational injuries Note 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Percentage of serious occupational injuries Note 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total disability injury lost days | 331 | 166 | 348 | 114 |
Severe disability injury severity rate (S.R.) Note 6 | 15.57 | 6.93 | 15.03 | 5.27 |
- Note 1: Total work hours = Number of employees in the category at year end Ă total number of working days Ă work hours per day.
- Note 2: Number of recordable occupational injuries: Same as the definitions of disabling injuries the definition of a non-fatal injury includes cases where the victim is unable to continue their normal work and loses work time for one day or more.
- Note 3: Recordable occupational injury rate/ lost time injury frequency rate = number of recordable occupational injuries/ total working hours Ă 1,000,000.
- Note 4: Number of serious occupational injuries: Injuries resulting in death or causing workers to be unable or have difficulty in returning to their pre-injury health status within six months are considered occupational injuries.
- Note 5: Rate of serious occupational injury = number of serious occupational injuries (excluding fatalities)/hours worked Ă 1,000,000.
- Note 6: Severe Disability Injury Severity Rate (S.R) = total disability injury lost days/ total working hours Ă 1,000,000.
Occupational injury statistics of non-WNC employees in the recent four years
Subject | Item | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
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Contractor personnel | Total working hours Note 1 | 36,744 | 391,159 | 1,017,560 | 474,184.85 |
Number of recordable occupational injuries Note 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Recordable occupational injuries Note 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Number of serious occupational injuries Note 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Percentage of serious occupational injuries Note 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
On-site contractors | Total working hours Note 1 | 969,735 | 781,344 | 940,096 | 1,239,780 |
Number of recordable occupational injuries Note 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Recordable occupational injuries Note 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Number of serious occupational injuries Note 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Percentage of serious occupational injuries Note 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Dispatch employees | Total working hours Note 1 | 272,135 | 1,114,200 | 242,744 | 55,456 |
Number of recordable occupational injuries Note 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Recordable occupational injuries Note 3 | 7.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Number of serious occupational injuries Note 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Percentage of serious occupational injuries Note 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident Investigation
In Taiwan, to fully understand the process by which near misses, abnormalities, injuries, and major accidents occur and to prevent their reoccurrence, the company performs accident investigation and analysis in accordance with an Accident Investigation Management Procedure and has formulated measures to prevent the re-occurrence of incidents. Inspection is conducted across all sites. At the same time, the 5 Why technique, FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) and domino analysis methods are used to conduct a more in-depth review and discussion of the real causes of accidents and improve processes and safety standards and standardize specifications, as well as strengthen fool-proofing mechanisms.Â
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To enhance accident investigation efficiency, explore root causes, and prevent recurrence, an accident investigation approval system has been implemented. The system for Taiwan sites was established in 2022, and the e-flow system on incident (including injuries, abnormalities, and false alarms) investigation became operational in 2023. The system was expanded to WNCâs sites in China and Vietnam in 2024. Â
Accident occurrence
Including false alarms, abnormalities, personal injuries, and major accidentsReporting
Collect accident-related informationInvestigation
Simulate the accident and identify its cause.Improvement
Draft and implement improvement measures across sites.Recurrence prevention
Long-term implementation of response measures to prevent re-occurrence.Execution of measures in parallel
Conduct inventories of plants and implement prevention measures in parallel to achieve early preventionEquitable Workplace
WNC Taiwan cooperates with Country Hospital, Pojen General Hospital, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu Science Park Clinic, Tainan/Madou Sin-Lau Hospital, and Tainan Municipal Hospital to conduct general/special medical examinations, general/special on-the-job health examinations and offers occupational medicine specialists’ on-site health service. Annual health check-up attendance rates reach as high as 99%. Â
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All new employees in WNCâs sites in China are required to undergo general health examinations. In addition, according to the Occupational Disease Prevention Law of the People’s Republic of China, employees with potential occupational disease hazards will also be provided with new, in-service and pre-employment occupational health examinations for special projects. All employees in the Vietnam operating location are required to undergo general health examinations on a regular basis every year. In addition, according to the Labor Law and Occupational Health and Safety Law, and announcement 14/2013/TT-BYT by the Medical Department of Vietnam, employees with potential occupational disease hazards are also provided with semi-annual occupational health examinations for special projects.
WNC sites employ nurses with past clinical experience in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and intensive care medicine. The facility nurses compile analyses of employeesâ health issues, perform personal health hierarchical management, and plan annual health care and promotion activities accordingly to assist staff in enhancing their health awareness.Â
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Health management systems have been purchased at WNC sites in Taiwan to facilitate the recording and management of employees’ health histories. Health grading management is divided into five grades from A to E according to the results of the inspection items. The higher the grade, the higher the health risk. Different management measures are provided at different levels, including regular tracking, security guard education, plant doctor consultation or outpatient and emergency re-examination. In 2024, 838 medical consultations were conducted by company physicians, and the tracking rate of employees with a health grade of E at the Taiwan, China and Vietnam sites reached 100%.
In 2023, WNC implemented measures to improve its health examinations. In addition to holding employee health examinations at a higher frequency than what is legally required, new examination items have been added, including abdominal ultrasound, intraocular pressure, uric acid, glycated hemoglobin (blood sugar test), and alpha-fetoprotein (liver cancer screening). Analysis of employee health examination results revealed that the health risks for employees were mainly concentrated on indicators relating to metabolic syndrome, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and obesity.
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To help employees better manage their health, WNC launched the âFight Metabolic Syndrome â Health Activities for Youâ health promotion program in 2024 based on recommendations from on-site physicians and medical specialists. The program included activities on understanding diabetes and reducing sugar intake, walking challenges, and promotion of blood pressure measurement. Lectures, interactive games, team challenges, individualized services, and the WNC Health Newsletter were integrated into these activities to boost engagement and help participants develop better health habits.
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To strengthen diabetes prevention and management, employees were classified into three groups based on their HbA1c levels: normal, prediabetic, and diabetic. One-on-one health consultations were provided to employees in the diabetic groups, during which medical specialists provided personalized tips on health and nutrition to help them learn the right methods to control blood sugar as well as healthy eating habits. A total of 4,057 employees participated in this four-month long monitoring program. According to the results of the 2024 health examination, 19% of employees in the diabetic group successfully reduced their HbA1c levels to the prediabetic range. This shows awareness regarding diabetes among employees was significantly increased, and diabetic employees were able to tangibly improvement their condition.Â
WNC has established a 24-hour facility nurse-on-duty hotline, periodically reviews emergency care personnel deployment and training, and implements evacuation drills and training for sites. In addition, WNC regularly audits and replenishes medical supplies in first-aid kits across all departments to enhance emergency response capabilities. To improve the timeliness of emergency medical care, WNCâs Taiwan sites have purchased Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Designated personnel conduct semi-annual inspections and maintenance on AEDs to ensure that they are are functional and ready for use in critical situations. WNC headquarters has signed an emergency ambulance contract with the Hsinchu Science Park Clinic, so that emergency services can be provided immediately when necessary. Sites outside of Taiwan have also purchased additional first-aid equipment. For example, our sites in Vietnam and Nanjing, China have also purchased AEDs. Â
Free quadrivalent influenza vaccination is provided every year for all employees at Taiwan sites (including on-site contractors). In 2024, a total of 2,117 doses of influenza vaccines were given with a vaccination rate of 36%. Related expenditure totaled NT$1.4 million for influenza prevention work. Â
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To enhance the health knowledge and skills of employees, a monthly Health Newsletter is released. This newsletter includes a variety of engaging content such as educational articles on protecting gut health, how to dress wounds, and the benefits of getting vaccine shots. Since its inception, the newsletter has received a feedback score of 4.7 and many positive comments. Â
On top of caring for employeesâ physical condition, WNC provides employees with required mental health education, care, and report mechanisms for injuries or sicknesses resulting from official duties or personal issues, including injury and illness follow-ups, recommendations for a reasonable number of rest days, evaluations for resumption of work or suitable work, and assistance for the resumption of work. WNC’s Taiwan sites launched a digital employee assistance program, through which the company commissioned a counselling service provider to provide a variety of consultation and counselling services via a user-friendly app. Counselling services are conveniently offered through text, audio and video chats. Information shared during counselling sessions is kept strictly confidential to ensure that such information does not negatively impact on employeesâ working conditions or benefits. In the first stage of consultation colleaguesâ concerns are listened to for free and without time limits. In the second stage, professional consultants offer consultation services in five areas: psychology, career path, health education, legal, and insurance and finance. Each employee can enjoy three hours of free counseling per year. Â
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As of the end of 2024, 11 people have used the first-stage free consultation hotline, and 100 people have used the second-stage individual interview service. In the second stage, there were 46 cases related to mental health issues, 44 cases were about legal issues, one case concerned careers, three on insurance and finance, and six on health education. Â
WNC has established regulations to prevent human-induced hazards, excessive workloads and workplace misconduct, and maternity protection. Through hazard identification, risk assessment, and job observation, measures have been taken to identify high-risk groups, prevent occupational diseases among these groups through workplace improvements, appropriate work allocation, and consultations with the company physicians. This includes establishing operational standards for hearing protection and respiratory protection, regularly conducting courses and seminars, and conducting workplace environment visits and process improvements by facility nurses, company physicians, industrial safety personnel, and managers of related units.
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In 2024, WNCâs Taiwan sites started assessing the ergonomic hazard risks of new manufacturing processes and equipment while they were being introduced, giving relevant personnel more time to formulate measures to reduce the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries. Additionally, a total of 32 employees that need to wear respiratory protective equipment during work underwent consultations with company physicians as well as physiological assessments.
Contractor Management
WNC has drawn up a Contractor ESH Management Procedure to ensure the safety of both contractors and employees, maintain facility safety, and observe related ESH regulations. This document clearly demarcates the powers and responsibilities of company units and contractors and describes ESH issues requiring attention. Contractors are required to sign a Commitment to Work Safety for Contractors in WNC Plants before applying to conduct in-plant operations, and are required to participate in training sessions on in-plant hazards and safety and health knowledge organized by the Industrial Safety Dept. In 2024, 3,038 persons from 390 contractors took part in the aforementioned training. After in-plant operations are approved, employees of contractors must participate in a tool-kit meeting to understand the hazards that personnel should pay attention to in the plant along with relevant safety procedures, and conduct in-plant operations after confirming operation details with the responsible managers under supervision and assessment of the ESH management units.
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WNC conducts contractor review annually to evaluate contractorsâ safety and health management capabilities. Guidance or replacement of contractors is executed according to review results. In 2023, we optimized our digital contractor evaluation system. Contractors were categorized into three grades based on their evaluation scores, and those with scores below 3.5 were provided guidance and improvement assessments to enhance their safety and health management capabilities and safety culture literacy. Construction evaluations have also been added for new contractors, and the contractor evaluation items, scoring standards and calculation formulas have been more clearly and specifically defined to ensure the standardization of evaluations and reduce manual calculation errors. In addition, to strengthen the management of hazardous operations of contractors, a checklist has been drawn up for higher-risk operations including hot work, roofing, elevated, and restricted operations, to ensure that contractors follow the safety standards before, during, and after operations. In 2024, a total of six new suppliers in the factory construction category were evaluated.
WNC Contractor Evaluation
Subject | Category | Item | |
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Existing contractors | Annual evaluation (Once a year) |
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New contractors | Evaluation of new construction contractors (before construction project) |
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