Safety and Prevention

The Mitsui Chemicals Group established its first Plant Operation Technology Training Center in Mobara in 2006, and then in Nagoya in 2007, to train plant operation personnel. Chemical plant operators are trained in Mobara, and the Nagoya center provides training programs for operators of fabricated products plant. These training programs are targeted not only at employees in Mitsui Chemicals Inc.’s Works, but also staff in R&D centers and indirect departments, as well as in affiliate companies under the global Mitsui Chemicals Group. Our hands-on and experience-based training programs cultivate safety-minded and skilled operators with substantial equipment knowledge.
In addition to conducting face-to-face training by taking various COVID-19 infection prevention measures, the Group also provides web training programs and other programs using digital transformation technology, such as simulations of physical training programs based on virtual reality (VR) technology.

The Plant Operation Technology Training Center was quick to start developing web training programs and provides simulated training programs as substitutes of physical training programs to the Company’s plants and the Group’s domestic and overseas affiliated companies.
The programs were all tailored to order. We designed the curriculums to meet the needs of individual companies by taking into account the skill level of trainees and the likely risks they may encounter. We also provide training in local languages, including English, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Spanish, and Dutch, using AI-based simultaneous translation. Attendees have reported that the web training programs are easy to understand and provide a good insight into the work, even though they cannot physically experience it. Although we recognize that such web training programs cannot replace real physical training programs, we continue utilizing it as a sustainable training style that is suitable for the digital society, with benefits such as not requiring lecturers and trainees to travel.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for training center staff to visit Works to provide training, we improved the operation of VR training in fiscal 2020 and established a new training system of loaning equipment to the Company’s Works and affiliates. In fiscal 2022, approx. 840 employees at our five Works took the course. The programs are particularly effective in preventing occupational injury and raising safety awareness among new employees. We will further expand the target audience with additional content for our contractors and R&D divisions in the future.

Since fiscal 2018, we have been proactively focusing on developing human resources that will serve as the foundation to support the global business of the Group. We offer educational programs and training support not only for Mitsui Chemicals but also for domestic and overseas subsidiaries and affiliates, customizing them to the specific needs of each company.
For affiliates in the Southeast Asia region, the Operation Excellence Training Center (OETC) of the Siam Group in Thailand has been giving training courses in Thai and English. The Siam Group is capable of providing the same level of training as in Japan, utilizing the training system and knowhow licensed from us. The 2021 face-to-face training at the OETC was provided only to affiliates in Thailand to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection. We provided web training programs to affiliates in other countries, such as training programs for safety lecturers for a South Korea affiliate, and web training programs tailored for the local needs of each overseas affiliate. Conventional face-to-face training was limited to full-time staff and engineers due to the language and training schedule being limited. However, web training programs have allowed us to train shift work operators directly because it is easy to adjust the schedule and the training can be provided in the desired language using AI-based simultaneous translation.

Our training centers have been open to other companies since fiscal 2015 so that they can train their employees to handle hazardous materials. The demand for human resource development and training for production site safety is extremely high, and many companies from different industries utilize our Centers. Our programs are highly rated by attendees with comments such as: “I learned many things that I can utilize in my company,” and “It was easy to understand through experienced-based training through case studies of past accidents and injuries.” In fiscal 2022, the number of external visitors remained low due to COVID-19, but the number of training participants has almost recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels. We continued to provide training outside the company while implementing thorough measures to prevent COVID-19.