Kumho Tire has established an Occupational Safety and Health Management Policy based on the principle that the safety and health of all individuals working with are top priorities. This policy is established based on domestic and international safety and health laws and regulations, ISO 45001 standards, and it includes principles of safe workplaces, employee health management, accident prevention and response, as well as governance, education, and performance management frameworks. We will do our utmost to create a safe and healthy workplace by implementing this policy for all employees and stakeholders.

🔗Safety & Health Management Policy

Governance

To ensure thorough management of safety and health, the SHE Planning Team, which has been elevated to a department directly under the CEO, acts as the control tower for company-wide safety and health management. Every six months, SHE-related issues, compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act at all business sites, and results of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act implementation are reported to the CEO through the SHE Management Committee. Additionally, safety and health matters are reported to and approved by the Board of Directors once a year. Matters reported to the Board of Directors include the performance of safety and health activities, plans for safety and health activities, safety and health management policies, safety and health management systems, and related budgets. Furthermore, the Industrial Safety and Health Committee diagnoses risk factors within the workplace and discusses improvement directions on a quarterly basis.

Operation of Safety and Health Committees

Kumho Tire’s management and employees regularly share safety and health-related policies and major updates through the operation of safety and health committees, actively communicating to achieve safety and health goals and create safe workplaces. In the 2023 SHE Communication Meeting, we reviewed the progress of risk assessments, safety education, and compliance checks being carried out in response to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act at each business site.

Kumho Tire aims for zero serious accidents and annually establishes site-specific safety and health prevention activity plans and targets. Activities to achieve these goals are divided into 12 categories, including management inspections, occupational diseases, hazardous risk improvement, and compliance checks. For domestic sites, safety indicator items are set and differentially reflected in the KPIs by department. Additionally, Kumho Tire has set a goal to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals by approximately 12% by 2030 compared to 2023 levels.

Safety and Health Management System Certification

A total of eight Kumho Tire sites, both domestic and international, have obtained ISO 45001 Safety and Health Management System certification. Certification has been completed for four domestic sites (Gwangju, Gokseong, Pyeongtaek, and Yongin R&D Center) and four international operations, with plans to continuously renew certifications in the future. 

Safety and Health Risk Management 

Workplace Compliance Inspections 

Based on Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, Kumho Tire inspects all domestic sites for compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and relevant laws. Inspection results are reported to the CEO through the biannual SHE Management Committee, and non-compliant issues at each site are improved and continuously monitored for implementation. In 2023, site evaluations and audits were conducted using an updated internal evaluation checklist, and corrective actions were completed in accordance with safety and health-related laws and regulations.

Risk Assessment

Kumho Tire annually identifies harmful and hazardous factors across all sites and improves equipment safety and working conditions based on priority. In 2023, Kumho Tire strengthened its risk assessment by conducting it twice a year. In the first half of the year, third party (external experts) were engaged in the assessment to identify and improve risk factors at domestic plants with more objective and professional perspectives. We invested special safety budget to improve equipment safety and working conditions for identified risk factors. In the second half of the year, Kumho Tire monitored the assessment results and actions taken from the first half, and autonomously identified and improved additional risk factors within the workplace.

Performance Assessment

Kumho Tire conducts performance evaluations for persons in general charge of safety and health and supervisors regarding their safety and health duties. Based on SHE management goals, we conduct monthly evaluations of the achievement rate and substantiality of safety and health activities and biannual evaluations of safety and health incharge and supervisors. Evaluation results are reflected in the KPIs to ensure thorough implementation of safety and health management activities at each site.

Joint Safety and Health Inspections

Safety managers, department heads, machinery engineers, and the labor union jointly conduct monthly safety inspections of major risk factors in the plant, such as safety devices and equipment. Identified hazards and issues are addressed with improvement plans, and the actions taken are regularly monitored. For risk factors requiring long-term plans, currently available safety measures are implemented, and safety training is conducted before continuing work. In 2023, Kumho Tire focused on inspecting construction works at outskirt of the plants, installing conveyor guards in testing processes, and checking and addressing steam valve indicators on curing machines, aiming to identify and eliminate all safety and health hazards inside and outside of the plant.

Internalizing Occupational Health and Safety Management

Safety and Health Communication

Kumho Tire operates a monthly Safety Day to gather and implement employee feedback on safety hazards within processes, and Kumho Tire conducts internal campaigns and idea contests to enhance and engage all employees in safety and health awareness. Kumho Tire also operates suggestion boxes at our sites to listen to and address safety and health concerns and suggestions from employees, visitors, and supplier companies. In 2023, Kumho Tire painted safety lines on the ground in the product warehouse at the Gwangju plant based on feedback from on-site workers.

Safety and Health Training

Kumho Tire provides safety and health training to all employees. In 2023, Kumho Tire expanded the training to include general office and branch staff, conducting safety and health training once a month. We strive to raise employee awareness and vigilance regarding safety and health by publishing the SHE Newspaper weekly, producing monthly safety bulletins, and creating accident prevention content. Additionally, Kumho Tire conducts safety commitment meetings attended by all managers at each site to enhance managerial safety awareness.

Familiarization with Safety Rules Before Work

To prevent all types of accidents that may occur in the workplace or during work, Kumho Tire mandates familiarization with safety rules and the completion of self-inspection checklists. For overseas operations, Kumho Tire shares safety and health procedures in multiple languages to ensure comprehensive safety management. In all domestic sites, we require on-site workers to watch a severe injury prevention video before starting their shifts to prevent safety accidents.

Safety and Health Management at R&D Centers

Kumho Tire’s R&D centers continuously identify potential safety accidents and risk factors in the research process and provide education on serious accidents and hazardous chemicals. Thanks to these efforts, in 2022, Kumho Tire achieved scores of over 80 points in evaluation categories such as laboratory safety environment and system, laboratory safety activity level, and safety awareness of laboratory safety managers, earning the ‘Excellent Laboratory Safety Management Certification’ from the Ministry of Science and ICT. We will continue to foster a safe research environment through ongoing awareness-raising activities and improvement of risk factors.

Safety and Health Management for Suppliers

Managing Safety Standards of Suppliers 

Kumho Tire conducts daily safety and health inspections at worksites to identify and address potential hazards in advance. Additionally, Kumho Tire conducts joint quarterly inspections with the safety officers of suppliers to create a safe working environment. Furthermore, Kumho Tire conducts safety and health education before commencing work to raise safety awareness among supplier company employees.

Safety and Health Communication Channels for Suppliers

Kumho Tire conducts daily safety training sessions for construction suppliers before work begins and holds safety committees at each site to provide training on accident cases, safety rules, and safety regulation trends. In 2023, 12 committees were held at each of our three domestic sites to cover topics such as the Industrial Safety and Health Act, safe work procedures, MSDS, and case studies of serious accidents. We received 11 suggestions in total, which were incorporated into improving the work environment.

Hazardous Chemical Management

Hazardous Chemical Management System

Kumho Tire manages hazardous chemicals through the use of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets). Accordingly, Kumho Tire reorganized the MSDS for raw materials and substances, and rebuilt the MSDS system to manage regulated substances separately. Additionally, departments that use hazardous substances are strictly monitored, and regular inspections are conducted on their management practices. Departments using hazardous chemicals must prepare and submit a hazardous chemicals usage log with a facility and equipment inspection checklist to the responsible department, which retains these records for five years. To ensure there are no issues with this management system, annual inspections are conducted to identify and address improvements related to hazardous chemical management.

Management of Work Environment Measurement

Kumho Tire measures the work environment semi-annually to create a pleasant environment and improve the health and productivity of workers. During work environment measurements, we utilize reputable institutions agreed upon by both labor and management to assess the extent to which workers are exposed to hazardous factors. To continuously improve the work environment, we hold practical meetings between labor and management to address and manage necessary corrections in the work environment. As a result of these efforts, we have been operating our workspaces legally for the past five years, including the first and second halves of 2023.

Hazardous Chemical Training

Kumho Tire’s hazardous chemical handlers, technical personnel, and managers undergo training every two years, with new managers receiving initial training. Training covers topics such as preventing hazardous chemical leaks, accident response, toxic substance storage management, and labeling of toxic substances. In 2023, we provided safety training for employees at domestic plants on handling hazardous chemicals (including zinc oxide), using protective equipment, evacuation procedures, behavior guidelines, and major accident case studies. Kumho Tire plans to continue providing educational programs that incorporate issues related to hazardous chemicals in the future.

Chemical Safety Community Activities

Kumho Tire, as the organizing institution for the Chemical Safety Community involving small and large enterprises, aims to minimize the spread of harm to the local community and respond swiftly in the event of a chemical accident. Through the Sochon-Pyeongdong Industrial Complex Chemical Safety Community, Kumho Tire conducts various activities such as information exchange meetings, workshops, and seminars, and Kumho Tire holds at least one mock drill annually to prepare for chemical accidents.

Employee Health Management

Kumho Tire supports various health programs to help employees maintain a healthy work life. In addition to regular health checkups and disease prevention programs to promote physical health, Kumho Tire operates a psychological counseling center to support the psychological health of its employees.

Regular Health Check-ups

Kumho Tire conducts regular health check-ups for all employees to diagnose their health status and to prevent and detect diseases early. Additionally, for employees who show symptoms of occupational diseases or who require examination for harmful factors, Kumho Tire conducts periodic special health check-ups.

Support for Musculoskeletal and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programs

Kumho Tire provides various support measures to manage musculoskeletal disorders for technical workers who perform physically demanding tasks. Kumho Tire identifies risk factors onsite and develop countermeasures, conducts preventive education through stretching, and provides consultations twice a month with an industrial health physician specializing in musculoskeletal disorders for symptomatic employees. Kumho Tire also offers programs to manage basic conditions that can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Kumho Tire supports the periodic management of high-risk and existing condition employees to minimize health risk factors.

Support for Psychological Counseling Programs

Kumho Tire manages the psychological health of employees through its own psychological counseling program. Each year, Kumho Tire conducts psychological counseling surveys and analyses for all employees, selecting those in need of counseling, and provide interviews and treatment to help restore their mental health.