2012

(Posted Oct. 2012)

Response to Stakeholders

Response to Customers

The Minebea Group strove to fulfill its responsibility of supplying customers by temporarily increasing inventories as well as increasing outsourcing of product manufacturing. In order to ensure that product shipments reached planes and ships by their departure times, employees confirmed the status of regular transport routes and traffic information and shared the information with other departments to adjust the shipment times from the plants.

The Local Countermeasures Office used a company helicopter to survey floodwater status almost daily. Responding to customer requests, the helicopter was also used to check areas around customer sites. The Management Headquarters in Japan collected information and made six public announcements to keep stakeholders informed of the status of damage.

Support for Local Residents

The flooding also caused severe damage to the residential areas and lives of people living around the Group's plants. The Group supported residents around the plant by distributing emergency relief goods and sandbags. The Bang Pa-in Plant also stationed Thai army units and provided logistics support for the units in their relief activities. The Group will continue to support residents as they recover from the disaster.

Employee Cooperation Makes Flooding Countermeasures Possible

The support of many Group employees was critical to the construction of earth embankments, water drainage, and other countermeasures which helped to minimize the damage to the Group's facilities. Employees demonstrated a high level of motivation to protect their own workplace, with the number of volunteers exceeding the number recruited. Many employees gladly worked on holidays and during the night to protect the facilities.

The Group thoroughly managed the safety and health of its employees to prevent secondary damage. Open spaces in the plant were used as relief shelters for some 500 employees unable to commute or return to their homes. The Group also reassigned employees from the Rojana and Navanakorn Plants, where operations were suspended, in order to maintain the employment of all the employees. The employees' recognition of the Group's commitment to their employment and safety not only deepened the bonds of trust, but created a source of strength to help the Group overcome the disaster.

The Group provided consolation funds to approximately 13,000 employees affected by the disaster, and donations collected from Group worksites around the world were donated to repair and rebuild the homes of 146 employees who suffered particularly severe damage.

Environmental Surveys

The Group confirmed the leakage of oil and chemical substances from machinery and washing equipment and disposed of the waste oil and fluids, along with dried sludge containing oil, in accordance with environmental regulations. The Group also conducted water quality and soil tests at each of the local plants, and has confirmed that the amounts of heavy metals, chemical and other substances are within safe ranges which will not impact the environment.

Food is distributed at evacuation centers.

Many employees continuing recovery activities after dark.

Food and water are distributed to local residents; Boats are used for distribution because nearly all roads but major highways are flooded.

Employees unable to return to damaged homes take temporary shelter at the new bearing plant; Employees living in temporary shelters continue daily work and assist with anti-flooding countermeasures.