Bangalore : Toyota Kirloskar Motor was recently awarded by Department of Factories & Boilers, Industrial Safety & Health, Government of Karnataka for its ‘Outstanding Performance in Best Safe Practices’ in 2019 at the recently concluded 49^th National Safety Day celebrations in Bangalore.  The award recognizes relentless efforts of TKM in creating an inclusive safety environment for its customers, employees and society altogether through their impactful initiatives. Toyota Kirloskar Motor team received the award from Honorable Minister for Labour & Sugar, Mr. A Shivaram Hebbar, Govt. of Karnataka.

Safety is one of the high priority areas and TKM has adopted a holistic safety approach – “safety first culture” with employees not only in the plant but across our value chain, Manufacturing Safe Cars, Developing Safe Drivers & Building Safer Environment. This belief, along with the company’s collaborative outreach has driven TKM to create advancements and innovations in safety. Besides, in-lieu with its vision 2025 “Grow India and Grow with India”, the company has committed all its concerted efforts to contribute for the enrichment of quality of life of society in areas of  Safety, Technology and Quality by its strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Expressing his delight on receiving the award, Mr. Raju B Ketkale, Deputy Managing Director, Manufacturing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Toyota remains committed as a safety leader and will continue its safety journey to become the most admired company by offering best-in-class safety technology through its products and promoting right safety culture in our work places as well as in the society through our various safety related initiatives.”

“We are continuously striving to be a safety role model in the industry, taking safety to the next level by thoroughly eliminating accidents both inside and outside the workplace. It is an honor to achieve this award recognizing TKM’s immense efforts and responsible contribution to build a safer ecosystem for the society, bringing an impactful difference in the lives of the people. We will continue to spread awareness and inculcate best practices among the society”, he added.

Additionally, Dr. Kowshik Kupatira, Chief Medical Officer, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, was also awarded the Second Prize in Best Factory Medical Officer category for his outstanding contribution in the field of Occupational Health for the state of Karnataka. This recognition came from the Department of Factories and Boilers, Industrial safety & health Government of Karnataka, Dr. Kupatira’s invaluable contributions in the field of occupational health and wellness programs towards TKM employees and community members earned him the coveted honors.

The National Safety Day an initiative by National Safety Council is widely celebrated by Industries, Trade Unions, Government Departments, Enforcing Agencies, NGOs and Institutions with an aim to spread the message of performing activities safely without meeting with accidents. Department of Factories and Boilers, Government of Karnataka conduct various competitions to recognize outstanding efforts put towards enhancing safety & Health in the industry.

Toyota’s relentless efforts to champion the cause of Road Safety 

In pursuance of its deep-rooted safety mission, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has been consistently engaged in Road Safety initiatives, spreading awareness about the safety culture through an integrated approach involving various stakeholders to enhance the safety mindset.

o    TKM has continually focused on creating safest working environment, practices and on building a strong culture of safety first. A lot of emphasis has been laid on process improvements, work related trainings and building safe habits like always following stop-look-go at intersections, use of seat beat while driving and using company transportation etc

o    Employees and Driver Training: Toyota conducts internal awareness programs on road safety sharing insights tips etc. motivating them to be more aware of road safety challenges and be responsible road users

o    Business Partners: As part of Team Toyota Activity (TTA), Toyota collaborates with Business Partners to educate and sensitize school children, teachers, parents and school bus drivers on responsible road safety habits, to create a safer traffic environment for all. Toyota has set up Safety Model Schools and Toyota Driving Schools in different part of the country to promising impactful results

o    Customers: As safety crusaders, Toyota has introduced global level safety features in advance before it was made mandatory by Indian regulations. The company has set a benchmark for safety in the industry for being the first manufacturer in standardizing dual SRS airbags, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with EBD across all models and all grades.  Toyota conducts Safety Awareness for the customers to bring in a positive behavioral change and drive the message of Road Safety.

TKM’s CSR initiatives: As part of its CSR interventions, Toyota engages with school children through multiple mediums encouraging them to be road safety ambassadors. TKM also encourages its employees to voluntarily contribute to the cause of Road Safety by building basic road safety requirements and installing: Sign Boards, Solar Blinkers, Cat Eye Reflectors, Convex Mirrors at turns etc. at prime locations to avoid road-related risks as a preventive measure and enable good road infrastructure.

Toyota will further continue its various CSR interventions from a longer-term perspective and development of socio-economic stature of the society, touching many more lives to make a difference in each one’s well-being.