The Cosmo Energy Group states in chapter 1 of its Code of Conduct, “We are determined to be a safe, accident-free corporate group.” It is our mission to ensure safety and confidence in all business activities. Based on the Group Management Vision and the Code of Conduct, we established the Safety Policy to guide our basic approach to safety.
The Safety Policy applies to all officers and employees of the Cosmo Energy Group and is also shared with all parties involved in our business activities, including contractors. It serves as the basic policy for occupational health and safety, under which we promote the provision of a safe and healthy working environment, the prevention of serious accidents, compliance with laws and regulations and internal rules, and continuous improvement.
The Group has designated “safe operations and stable supply” as one of its most important material issues with an impact on enterprise value over the medium to long term. With safety-related targets and KPIs in place, the Group is pursuing a range of initiatives.
Cosmo Energy Group’s Safety Management System
The Cosmo Energy Group promotes safety management across all of its business activities, based on a strong sense of its mission to ensure a stable energy supply. We work to ensure safe operations and stable supply by striving to eliminate accidents and work-related injuries at our business sites and departments.
Cosmo Energy Holdings manages progress on targets and KPIs related to safe operations and stable supply via the Sustainability Strategy Council, seeking to ensure occupational safety across the Group. The council shares information on the occurrence of work-related accidents and safety-related issues at each group company. It also considering measures to prevent recurrence and proactively prevent accidents, working to implement these measures throughout the Group. In addition, important matters are submitted to and reported to the Executive Officers’ Committee and the Board of Directors, and efforts are made to enhance the effectiveness of safety management across the Group.
For details on the sustainability governance structure, please refer to “Sustainability Management Promotion System.”
Each group company operates a safety management system tailored to the characteristics of its business and works to strengthen its safety management structure by establishing safety-related committees and planning, implementing, and improving safety initiatives. With these efforts, the Cosmo Energy Group strives to reduce safety risks and continuously improves its safety standards, while working to foster a strong safety culture throughout the Group.
Initiatives on Safety Measures
At the business sites, including refineries and plants, the Group has established “zero serious occupational accidents” and “zero serious operational accidents” as its safety targets and is implementing various initiatives.
Seventh Consolidated Medium-Term Management Plan Initiatives
The Cosmo Energy Group undertook initiatives for safety management and risk management with the aim of ensuring safety and reducing future risk in Group-wide business activities, seeking in all of these efforts to earn greater social trust and confidence.
Under the Seventh Consolidated Medium-Term Management Plan implemented from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2025, we focused on “safe operations and stable supply” as a priority and promoted safety initiatives across the Group in collaboration with group companies. Under the Eighth Consolidated Medium-Term Management Plan, we will continue to strengthen our safety management system and raise safety awareness throughout the Group.
| Material issues | Vision for addressing material issues | KPIs（Fiscal 2025） | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Targets | Results | |||
| Safe operations and stable supply | Employee injuries are prevented | Serious occupational accidents：0 |
0 | A |
| Plant accidents and product (quality) accidents are prevented | Serious operational accidents：0 （Plant accident, product (quality) accidents） |
0 | A | |
| Operations are carried out so they do not threaten the safety of the operating area or surrounding residents | Accidents with Serious Environmental Impact：0 | 0 | A | |
| Stable supply of energy is provided, even during disasters and emergencies | Supply and sales system in case of disaster or emergency: Resume within 24 hours |
BCP not activated | ー | |
Score S: Progress well ahead of plan A: Progress according to plan B: Some progress delayed
C: Not achieved ー：Not applicable
For fiscal 2025, the Group achieved its zero-incident KPI targets for serious occupational accidents, plant accidents and product (quality) accidents, and accidents with serious environmental impact.
In addition, under the Cosmo Energy Group’s business continuity plan (BCP) for earthquakes and other major disasters, to prepare for a major earthquake, we place respecting human life, preventing secondary disasters, and ensuring stable supply at the core of our basic policy. With an emphasis on the early recovery of the supply chain from refineries to service stations, we regularly conduct drills to verify the effectiveness of the plan.
For details, please refer to “Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Initiatives.”
Occupational Health and Safety
The Cosmo Energy Group regards its determination to be a safe, accident-free corporate group as one of its most important management priorities. Under the Safety Policy, which sets forth our basic approach to safety, we promote occupational health and safety throughout the Group, using risk assessments (identifying hazards associated with work and implementing countermeasures), safety education and training, hazard prediction activities, measures to prevent the recurrence of occupational accidents, and other initiatives.
Furthermore, from the perspectives of business continuity and our social responsibility, we recognize the prevention of serious accidents, including fires, explosions, and leaks of hazardous substances, as an important management priority. Accordingly, we implement safety management throughout our business activities, from resource development through transportation, manufacturing, and sales, including contractors. By ensuring occupational health and safety for our employees and onsite contractors, together with the safe management of facilities and operations, we continuously pursue improvements throughout the Group.
For occupational accidents, we have established “zero serious occupational accidents” as a target under the materiality KPI for safe operations and stable supply.
In fiscal 2025, the number of occupational accidents across the Group was 96, down by 66 from the previous fiscal year. Of these, 18 were lost-time occupational accidents, down by 18 from the previous fiscal year, which is a significant improvement. Going forward, we will continue to thoroughly implement basic practices and fundamental rules and work toward reliably achieving zero serious occupational accidents.
In fiscal 2025, there was also one fatal accident during an employee’s commute. We are working to prevent recurrence by providing traffic safety education designed to prevent similar accidents.
For data on occupational accidents at the Cosmo Energy Group, please see ESG Data.
Serious Occupational Accident Report
The Cosmo Energy Group has established “zero serious occupational accidents” as a target under its materiality KPI, but one serious occupational accident occurred in fiscal 2024.
- Accident Overview: In April 2024, an accident occurred at the Kasumi Power Plant within the Cosmo Oil Yokkaichi Refinery during periodic maintenance work carried out by Cosmo Engineering, the prime contractor. Two contractors who were engaged in cleaning work inside a boiler furnace fell when the work platform collapsed. Tragically, both lost their lives.
- Measures to Prevent Recurrence: We have reviewed procedures for maintaining and managing the safety of working environments at construction sites, particularly scaffolding used for work at heights, and are thoroughly implementing the necessary safety measures.
- Renewed Commitment to Safety Awareness: Taking the occurrence of this serious accident very seriously, in June 2024, the Group CEO of Cosmo Energy Holdings issued a strong message to all Group employees calling for a renewed commitment to safe behavior and safety awareness. We are also providing ongoing safety education to ensure that all employees and onsite contractors comply with basic safety rules.
Education and Training
At operating companies such as Cosmo Oil and Cosmo Matsuyama Oil, we are reviewing education curricula and enhancing employees’ skills through on-the-job training (OJT) in response to the increasing number of younger employees. We also conduct hands-on training using simulated plants, disaster preparedness drills, and study sessions on accident cases, and extend these educational initiatives to contractors.
Workplace Environment and Employee Health
In addition to creating a safe and comfortable working environment, based on our Health Management Policy, we emphasize the health management of each individual employee and promote initiatives addressing both physical and mental health. By taking steps to prevent excessive working hours, as well as implementing mental health initiatives and follow-ups by occupational physicians, we strive to maintain and improve the health of Group employees and their families.
Safety Initiatives at Individual Group Companies
Cosmo Oil
At Cosmo Oil, the Sustainability Promotion Committee is chaired by the company’s president. It regularly deliberates on major facility risks, the occurrence of accidents and near misses, audit results, and trends in laws, regulations, and international standards, and it reports these matters to the Board of Directors.
In addition, based on the Safety Policy, Cosmo Oil thoroughly ensures compliance with laws, regulations, and internal rules, while maintaining its own Operations Management System. With safety as the top priority, it ensures that operations, including quality and environmental management, are conducted accordingly, and operates a plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle by practicing continuous improvement and taking corrective measures based on safety and environmental inspections.
For details, please refer to “Operations Management System.”
Accident Prevention and Risk Management
At our refineries and plants, we have established “zero serious accidents” (fires, explosions, off-site leaks, large-scale leaks, and serious occupational accidents) as our safety target and are moving forward with initiatives to maintain facilities, improve working environments, and foster a strong safety culture. Specifically, we are implementing measures such as enhancing facility management using specialized subcommittees for each type of work,¹ improving daily inspection capabilities, conducting hazard prediction meetings, learning from near-misses, promoting zero-accident campaigns involving contractors, and conducting risk assessments for serious accidents.
1. Specialized subcommittees for each type of work: Working-level forums comprising specialists established for individual areas of work, such as operations, maintenance, safety and environment, technology, and production. They examine issues at operating sites, promote the introduction of technologies, standardization, and improvement activities, and report the results to higher-level organizations.
Use of Digital Technologies
As a measure to strengthen occupational health and safety, we have introduced a data integration platform (Cognite Data Fusion) at all refineries and are pursuing centralized management of drawings, inspection records, operational data, and maintenance plans. In addition, we are developing asset performance management (APM) systems for facility risk assessment and advanced maintenance, as well as digital twinning utilizing virtual reality (VR). For field workers, we have introduced a wearable vital-sign sensor called “Anzen Mimamori-kun,” which is used to track location information, detect serious occupational accidents, and prevent heatstroke based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and changes in heart rate.
Enhancing Safety Awareness
We promote safety activities involving the participation of everyone, including not only our employees but also onsite contractors.
Through safety education and training, the transfer of technical expertise, sharing of accident and near-miss cases, and thorough implementation of measures to prevent recurrence, we work to enhance safety awareness and foster a strong safety culture.
In addition, through site inspections and safety audits conducted by members of senior management, we work to understand conditions at operating sites and promptly resolve issues.
Obtaining the Highest-Level Certification under Japan’s High Pressure Gas Safety Act
Under the Accredited Business Operator System pursuant to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, the Chiba Refinery obtained certification as a Specified Certified Business Operator (Super Certified Operator) in April 2021. The Yokkaichi Refinery obtained the same certification in August 2022. In addition, under the Accredited Advanced Safety Inspector System established pursuant to the High Pressure Gas Safety Act amended on December 21, 2023, the Sakai Refinery obtained Special Accredited Advanced Safety Inspector Certification (A-Certification) in August 2024.
The Accredited Advanced Safety Inspector System is a framework under which the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry certifies business operators capable of independently maintaining a high level of safety by employing related technologies, thereby streamlining administrative procedures and inspections. The certification reflects the recognition of these operators as having a high level of safety capabilities.
For details, please refer to “External Assessments.”
Maruzen Petrochemical
Maruzen Petrochemical has been recognized for its advanced safety management system under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Accredited Advanced Safety Inspector Certification System. In February 2025, the Chiba Plant obtained Special Accredited Advanced Safety Inspector Certification (A-Certification). In March 2026, the Yokkaichi Plant obtained Advanced Self-Regulatory Safety Operator Certification. Going forward, through the strengthening of disaster prevention systems, training, risk assessments, and patrols, the plant aims to maintain accident- and disaster-free operations. It is also promoting smart safety initiatives leveraging DX and AI in order to enhance safe operations and ensure a stable supply.
Cosmo Oil Marketing
Cosmo Oil Marketing has long been promoting initiatives aimed at reducing accidents and incidents related to the overland transportation of petroleum products to customers, including service stations. Specifically, the company established key performance indicators focused on preventing traffic accidents during transport and contamination incidents (where the wrong petroleum product is mixed in) during unloading, as well as reducing damage at delivery facilities. The company is engaged in safety initiatives in collaboration with transport companies and delivery destinations, including facility improvement activities at delivery sites, awareness activities promoting on-site supervision during unloading, and the introduction of systems to prevent mis-deliveries and devices for collision avoidance.
Abu Dhabi Oil
Abu Dhabi Oil, a group company of Cosmo Energy Exploration & Production, has developed its own HSE-MS manual based on the Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) guidelines of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The company actively promotes HSE activities, including safety education for employees and disaster preparedness drills.
It also works to enhance safety awareness and technical capabilities throughout its organization by providing guidance and awareness-raising activities to onsite contractors, including learning from accident cases and conducting hazard prediction activities.
For details, please refer to “”
(available in Japanese only)
Initiatives to Prevent Accidents Being Forgotten and to Reduce Unsafe Conditions
Cosmo Oil has designated March 11, the date when an LPG fire and explosion occurred during the Great East Japan Earthquake, as Cosmo Oil Safety Day. Group employees watch a video compiling the story of the accident, its cause, and steps taken to prevent a recurrence. We continue to work never to forget the incident by implementing initiatives such as safety seminars in various regions. In fiscal 2024, we invited an external expert to speak at a seminar, which offered a valuable opportunity to reassess the importance of safe operations.
More than ten years since the accident, we are ensuring that information about the accident is passed on to a new generation of employees who did not experience it. We are also grateful once more for the cooperation and support of local residents, neighboring companies and relevant government authorities, which has enabled us to continue our operations, and we will continue to keep safety as our top priority.
Safety commemorative event
Cosmo Oil Safety Day lecture by Professor Takahide Sakagami, Specially Appointed Professor at Osaka Institute of Technology (at the time of the lecture: Professor at Kobe University)