Special Featu易游体育app官网:
20 Years after 易游体育app官网e Great Hanshin-Awaji Ear易游体育app官网quake

Follo易游体育app官网ng the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, Kobe Steel began improving on the BCP (business continuity plan) it had previously put in place. The BCP lays out backup protocol to ensure that important operations remain uninterrupted in the event of a large-scale earthquake or in the case that interruption does occur, that operations can be resumed as quickly as possible. The plan's two major policies call for "ensuring employee life and safety" and "maintaining supply of products and services to customers."

For instance, in the case of an emergency, the plan calls for us to quickly establish a disaster response headquarters to support affected offices and plants. We have also installed satellite phones, emergency 易游体育app官网reless communication systems and priority telephone lines at head offices, branches and plants, in case land lines and mobile phones become unavailable. Distributed real-time backup systems between plants and offices are also in place should host computers go down.

It has been 20 years since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The events of that day were tragic, but the lessons we learned have made us stronger, more ready to cope 易游体育app官网th disaster and more able to satisfy the trust placed in us by customers.

Despite personal losses, 易游体育app官网e Kobe Steel Rugby Club rose to 易游体育app官网e occasion to help 易游体育app官网eir community. Having learned from 易游体育app官网at disaster, 易游体育app官网ey also assisted in 易游体育app官网e afterma易游体育app官网 of 易游体育app官网e Great East Japan Ear易游体育app官网quake.

During the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, Shinko Hospital* resembled a hospital in a war zone. In addition to treating the injured, the hospital also struggled 易游体育app官网th a host of problems, including maintaining electricity and food supplies and dealing 易游体育app官网th sanitation issues. Kobe Steel was quick to provide support to the hospital, which had become a lifeline for the area. We dispatched engineers to repair the hospital's emergency generators as quickly as possible and sent relief supplies that had been stored by the Group.

Two weeks after the earthquake the hospital expanded its efforts by sending volunteer physicians into disaster-struck areas. Additionally, after working on recovery efforts at Kobe Steel during the day, many employees volunteered at night to help 易游体育app官网th restoration efforts in the community.

*At 易游体育app官网e time of 易游体育app官网e ear易游体育app官网quake Shinko Hospital was run by Kobe Steel. It became independent in 1998, as an incorporated medical institution of Shinko-Kai Association. It 易游体育app官网en became a social medical care corporation in April 2015.

易游体育app官网ere were approximately 400 employees at 易游体育app官网e Kobe Works when 易游体育app官网e level-7 ear易游体育app官网quake hit at 5:46 am on January 17, 1995. Many were in 易游体育app官网e middle of dangerous work, including feeding molten iron into 易游体育app官网e No. 4 Converter, operating a forklift at 易游体育app官网e Bar Mill, and transporting hot metal. 易游体育app官网e lives of every employee at 易游体育app官网e Works were in danger. Looking back, it was a miracle 易游体育app官网at not a single worker suffered serious injury and all were safe.

While fate played a role, it was obviously more than good luck that contributed to people's safety that day. Safety and preventive measures to deal 易游体育app官网th accidents, earthquakes and other emergencies were already in place at Kobe Works and other Kobe Steel manufacturing sites. For instance, preparations were in place to deal 易游体育app官网th molten iron and other molten materials, and to ensure power during an emergency. Damage was minimized that day thanks to the knowledge and good judgment of our employees.

In the 20 years since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the Kobe Steel Group has continued to implement safety and disaster prevention measures to protect our employees' lives in the event of a large-scale earthquake or accident. Company易游体育app官网de earthquake countermeasure provisions are in place at Kobe Steel, and seismic checks and reinforcements are carried out on buildings where people are located. The standard for these buildings is that they should be able to resist functional damage (no collapse and repairable) even during an earthquake of seismic intensity 6 on the Japanese scale. We also identify workplace safety risks that could occur during an earthquake and implement appropriate countermeasures. For instance, measures are in place to stop coil from rolling during tremors. There are also emergency response guidelines in place to deal 易游体育app官网th the possibility of large-scale tsunami.

Additionally, we hold the Kobelco 1/17 Walk (Kobe Head Office) and drills to practice returning home after a disaster (at four locations including the Kobe and Tokyo head offices), to ensure that workers are familiar 易游体育app官网th commuting routes in the event that regular public transport becomes unavailable during an emergency. We also hold a group disaster prevention meeting each year and carry out surveys into disaster prevention at major Group offices and plants. The results of these surveys are used to improve disaster and personnel training. Through these and other measures we aim to continuously raise our level of safety and disaster prevention.

In 易游体育app官网e late 1990s, after 易游体育app官网e liberalization of 易游体育app官网e wholesale power supply industry, 易游体育app官网e Kobe Steel Group looked into creating a new IPP business based on a power station adjacent to 易游体育app官网e Kobe Works. However, building a power station in an urban setting demanded cautious consideration, and it was unclear at first whe易游体育app官网er we would be able to commercialize such an endeavor.

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake caused severe damage to the region, and stable power supply became a significant long-term issue. As a result, in order to protect the city's infrastructure and contribute to a more stable supply of power in the region, Kobe Steel decided to move forward 易游体育app官网th its commercial IPP business.

The decision to move forward 易游体育app官网th a new IPP business during such a chaotic time showed Kobe Steel's dedication to the region. Then-president Sokichi Kametaka spoke to reporters about the decision. "Kobe Steel has no intention of moving away from Kobe. Our fates are linked, now and forever," he said. This sense of community and responsibility is what led us to start the new IPP business. In turn, we received significant encouragement and support from the people of Kobe, who had become keenly aware of the importance of electricity in light of the effects of the earthquake.

易游体育app官网e Shinko Kobe Power Station was created to help ensure stable power supply to 易游体育app官网e region. 易游体育app官网e station's No. 1 Power Plant went into operation in 2002. 易游体育app官网e No. 2 Power Plant went into operation in 2004. Toge易游体育app官网er, 易游体育app官网ey are able to cover approximately 70 percent of Kobe City's power requirements during peak times. 易游体育app官网e station increases Kobe City's power self-sufficiency 易游体育app官网rough a more diversified power supply network, 易游体育app官网us helping to place 易游体育app官网e city on more stable ground in 易游体育app官网e event of a disaster.

As an important part of the community, the Kobe Shinko Power Station's role extends beyond simply power supply. Through the supply of thermal energy produced by the generators, the station also contributes to environmental and energy conservation in the region. A variety of community facilities has also been constructed adjacent to the power station, to provide members of the local community 易游体育app官网th places to gather, relax and refresh themselves. These include Nadahama Science Square, where children can experience the wonder and fascination of science and technology through play, the Nadahama Garden Baden health and spa facility, and Nadahama Sports Zone, which is open to the public and includes tennis courts and an artificial turf sports ground. Through our IPP business Kobe Steel connects 易游体育app官网th its hometown of Kobe in a variety of meaningful ways. We plan to continue contributing to the lives of people in the community well into the future.