Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Safety, Health and Work Environment Committee of Central Retail consist of branch managers, safety managers, at least two employee representatives, and medical personnel. Their duties include promoting operational compliance and fostering employee participation in implementing various policies and regulations, monitoring results, and continuously improving the efficiency of the occupational safety, health, and work environment management systems. Additionally, the Committee oversees the planning of accident prevention and safety promotion within the relevant branch by organizing Safety Walks. It also keeps an eye on work progress, conducts inspections when work-related illness or injury cases occur, and responds to comments and complaints. The Committee meets monthly and annually to summarize the outcomes of their work, which are obtained through series of consultations and participation of relevant employees. In addition to receiving information on matters relating to work environments and occupational health and safety from employee representatives in the committee, each employee has access to online resources and notifications on the Safety Board in each branch and office, which serve as additional sources of policy, guidelines, and news.

Central Retail has implemented and committed to continually improve OHS practices and management systems to create a safe and healthy work environment for all employees and minimizing the risk of accidents or injuries. The practices include established a clear Occupational Safety, Health and Work Environment Policy, set up an OHS Committee, set targets and action plan to achieve the targets, provides OHS training to employees and contractors, implements a hierarchy of controls to eliminate hazards, prioritize action plan and response measures for emergency situations, and continue to evaluate and monitor hazard and risk in the work environment. With the target set to reduce work-related accidents, Central Retail has plans to manage processes and databases for complete information, to develop prioritization of proactive action plans with quantified targets to address OHS risks. Moreover, Central Retail drives related departments to identify and close the gaps on occupational health and safety issues. An evaluation of progress and milestones will be assessed for further improvements of OHS programs and against targets set. Central Retail effectively implements and maintain a successful Occupational Health and Safety practices and performance with the following management process:

Policy Compliance and Performance Oversight

With the commitment to uphold stringent standards in occupational health and safety, the Head of Human Resource Department and Head of Loss Prevention from each business unit are tasked with conducting annual internal audit and external audits to ensure compliance with domestic laws and the ISO 45001 standard across all business operations.

Furthermore, to continue promoting the development of the occupational health and safety management system, relevant departments are required to establish annual quantitative targets, devise action plans to meet these targets, and provide quarterly performance reports to the executive team or Board of Directors.

Supplier and Contractor Management

Central Retail ensures that suppliers and contractors adhere to the same occupational health and safety standards as upheld internally. Therefore, Central Retail has established a comprehensive OHS management system that integrates OHS criteria into its procurement and contractual requirements. This criterion is being applied by the procurement team of all business units.

Before engaging in contractual agreements, Central Retail incorporates OHS criteria into all procurement documents and contracts, as well as checking if contractors and suppliers have the necessary OHS licenses and certificates. In the selection process, the procurement team will prioritize and select contractors and suppliers who prioritize safety and have OHS management systems in place by including OHS criteria and requirements in the procurement process. These criteria may include compliance with OHS Regulations, having safety training and providing personal protective equipment. In the contract process, the OHS criteria are also included in the contracts that are signed by contractors and suppliers, with monitoring by Central Retail. By incorporating OHS criteria into its procurement process, Central Retail can mitigate risks, prevent workplace incidents, and create a safer working environment throughout the supply chain.

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Incident Investigation

Safety officers, meticulously selected from the expertise and experience, lead the implementation and enhancement of occupational health and safety management systems. Central Retail requires safety officers and relevant employees to undergo regular training, including enrollment in ISO 45001:2018 Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment courses, annual instruction on relevant laws in each country of operation, and other training that are related every year.

Central Retail’s safety officers, tasked with establishing robust processes for hazard identification and risk assessment, provide vital guidelines to evaluate potential workplace risks and their impacts. Furthermore, for work-related injury or illness, Central Retail assumes responsibility for appropriate medical treatment and insurance coverage, with safety officers conducting thorough investigations to determine root causes.

The results of hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation form the basis for developing action plans that focus on risk reduction and prevention of recurrence. These plans are meticulously crafted, incorporating concrete indicators and targets to drive continuous improvement in our occupational health and safety management systems.

Central Retail encourages employee and contractor engagement in these processes through regular communication and training initiatives. Processes are in place to prevent any actions deemed risky and report hazards anonymously through supervisors, line managers, and Help Center for assistance and coordination with relevant departments.

Central Retail has established the hierarchy of controls to systematically eliminate the safety hazards after the hazard identification and risk assessment. This approach, allows to mitigate a wide range of hazards, prioritizing the most effective methods including prevention, substitution, engineering and administrative controls, and investment in personal protective equipment.

Some examples of measures using the hierarchy of controls to mitigate common hazards within Central Retail that may pose risks of work-related injuries and health issues are the following: