Respect for People Everywhere

The Canon Group Human Rights Policy is based on its corporate philosophy of Kyosei - living and working together for the common good. This philosophy supports the belief that all people can live harmoniously and work together to contribute to a prosperous society. Respect for and protection of human rights is deeply embedded into all of Canon's policies and procedures.
 
We respect internationally recognized human rights, including prohibition of child labor, prohibition of forced labor and unreasonable restrictions on movement, prohibition of overwork, and respect for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. We undertake measures to conduct due diligence (DD) and develop and operate redress mechanisms where necessary. And we also carry out educational activities and engage in dialogue with stakeholders.

Canon Group companies created the Canon Group Code of Conduct in 2017 to establish standards for its executives and employees to follow in their daily work. Canon Medical Systems has also created its own Standards of Conduct. Both of these rulebooks underpin the foundation of our daily work and prioritize life, safety, and compliance.
 
Within Canon Medical Systems Group, human rights initiatives are managed and promoted by our own human rights officers, legal, human resources, and procurement departments.

We also have a human rights response plan in place to address any concerns about human rights that also extends to our suppliers. Through this, any important matters can be swiftly reported and appropriate measures taken.
The Canon Medical Systems Group has established internal reporting hotlines (Risk Hotline), through which employees can report specific human rights concerns if they arise. We promote awareness of the reporting desk through our intranet and training. In addition, we have developed a website for external stakeholders that might have human rights concerns (Clean Partner Line).
 
The privacy and anonymity of whistleblowers is protected both inside and outside the company. Any reports are investigated, facts determined and appropriate action taken if required to correct any problem and prevent it from happening again.
 
The results of our efforts in addressing concerns are evaluated annually and reported to the CEO and Board of Directors through our Risk Compliance Committee.

Canon Group companies created the Canon Group Code of Conduct in 2017 to establish standards for its executives and employees to follow in their daily work. Canon Medical Systems has also created its own Standards of Conduct. Both of these rulebooks underpin the foundation of our daily work and prioritize life, safety, and compliance.
 
Within Canon Medical Systems Group, human rights initiatives are managed and promoted by our own human rights officers, legal, human resources, and procurement departments.

We continuously monitor compliance with the Canon Group Human Rights Policy, and continually improve identification and evaluation methods for human rights due diligence. This helps us review and assess our human rights initiatives, alongside consideration of social demands, dialogue with stakeholders, and the business status of Canon Medical Systems.

We maintain zero tolerance for "forced labor" and "child labor" within our group's primary suppliers, including domestic and overseas suppliers.
 
Through our human rights due diligence system, we identify negative impacts on human rights that occur through our business activities, and work to prevent, reduce, and otherwise correct them.
In addition, measures taken to reduce potential risks in the supply chain include the use of the Supplier Code of Conduct by our production bases to ensure thorough compliance with procurement policies.
 
Monitoring of the status of compliance with our ethics standards is conducted through annual ethics surveys.
 
Canon Medical Systems Group discloses information in accordance with the Modern Slavery Act, which requires companies to confirm that their companies and supply chains are free of risks of forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor and to publish annual reports.

Based on the philosophy of "Kyosei", the Canon Group believes that it is important that each employee, with their diverse personalities and values, is able to demonstrate their full potential without being limited in their opportunities. Based on this idea, we respect diversity in culture, customs, language, and ethnicity, and actively promote fair recruitment and utilization of human resources, regardless of gender, age, disability, etc.

We provide equal opportunities based on ability regardless of gender and ensure fair treatment. We continue to formulate action plans based on relevant legal tools, for example, in Japan, as stipulated by the Act on Promotion of Women's Participation and Advancement in the Workplace.

The Canon Medical Systems Group launched the ‘Canon Medical Women's Network’ in 2023, which became a global team in 2024, with the aim of influencing change towards an inclusive and diverse organizational culture inside the Canon Medical Group through sharing role models and building networks among women.

Canon positions health and safety at the core of corporate management and believes that: ‘There is no business without safety’. In addition, Canon Medical Systems actively promotes health management on the basis of our ‘Health First’ guidelines, because we have a strong conviction that: ‘A healthy body and a healthy mind are essential in order to do a good job’.

Canon Medical Systems has established a Central Safety and Health Committee, which formulates central safety and health activity policies and plans, and promotes initiatives that can help prevent industrial accidents, maintain and promote personal health, support traffic safety, fire prevention and disaster prevention, and create a comfortable workplace. In addition, our labor department and management work together to create and maintain a workplace environment in which everyone can function with peace of mind, for example by stipulating health and safety in employment contracts. Canon Medical Systems Corporation and its domestic group companies have established a safety and health committee at each site. Overseas, we are promoting group-wide initiatives centered on our production bases, which take into account the circumstances of each region and group company.

The Canon Medical Systems has obtained ISO45001 certification, an international standard, and conducts safety and health activities based on the requirements of the occupational safety and health management system.

If a work-related accident occurs, we investigate the root cause and take measures to prevent recurrence through both education and equipment. Information about any accidents is promptly shared with group companies towards preventing similar accidents from happening again.

We are developing programs for our staff that combine four types of care (self-care, care provided by managers, care provided by industrial health staff, and care provided by external organizations) as well as mental wellbeing. We are also developing support mechanisms, including return-to-work programs, and training to improve the skills of human resources and health support personnel in areas such as mental health.
 
Canon Medical Systems' stress check participation rate has maintained a high level, reaching 96.3% in 2023. For people with high levels of stress, we provide individual support, such as health consultations in addition to interviews with industrial physicians. In addition, we distribute a ‘health report’ which shows the health status of each division based on group analysis, and we hold meetings with individual staff in their workplaces. We are also focused on providing mental health training for managers so that they can provide additional support to their teams in the workplace.
We conduct stress checks and follow-up for Japanese employees assigned overseas, just as we do in Japan, and work with local human resources personnel to implement mental health measures.

In line with our enduring Made for Life philosophy, Canon Medical Systems ANZ Pty Limited extends its support beyond medical imaging to nurture resilient and thriving communities. One of our key partnerships is with Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA).
Since 2015, in collaboration with our service agreement customers, we proudly sponsor the training of assistance dogs. Our service philosophy, ‘service tailored to your needs’, echoes ADA's commitment to customizing dog training to meet the unique requirements of their clients. By sponsoring the training of six assistance dogs to date, Canon Medical remains committed to empowering individuals, reducing dependency on caregivers, and addressing social isolation. Together with ADA, we're dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and supportive world.

Assistance Dogs Australia is a leading non-profit organization, which plays a pivotal role in providing freedom and independence to both children and adults with disabilities. Their specialized training of Labradors and Golden Retrievers provides invaluable physical and emotional support, enhancing the lives of those with diverse needs.
Each assistance dog undergoes a rigorous 12–18-month training program, followed by advanced training at the National Training School. Training is meticulously tailored to the dog's personality, learning style, and the specific needs of their future companion. From retrieving dropped items to providing emotional support during anxiety episodes, these dogs are carefully prepared to serve their clients.
This service, offered free to clients, provides independence, self-esteem, improved health, and stronger relationships for individuals and families, resulting in more successful communities.

OCSS:
“On behalf of Children & Family Services, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Canon for the generous Christmas gifts that you donated to our clients. Your kindness and generosity have made the holiday season truly special for so many families. Thank you for spreading joy and warmth during what can be a difficult time in the lives of children and families.”

As a socially responsible company, Olea Medical continuously develops initiatives to make a difference in our communities. Through the Olea Cares program, we partner with organizations dedicated to sustainable development and the well-being of people worldwide. For example, in 2023, we supported organizations such as the FairEmbo project, which aims to reduce mortality due to hemorrhage in emerging countries. We also worked with Athelia Entreprendre in 2023, sponsoring two beehives located near our premises. Another organization we sponsored is Bivouac et Moi, an association that offers outdoor adventures in the French mountains to people who have recovered from cancer.

Internally, we have implemented Olea Flex, a social innovation contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a new way of working that allows each of us to define the days we physically come into work, providing autonomy and harmony between professional and personal lives. In 2023, we also engaged in prevention and awareness-raising on environmental issues. Additionally, some employees have benefited from training, including the creation of a climate fresco.

In 2023, Canon Medical Systems ANZ continued to collaborate with several leading clinical institutions and clinicians to assist with the development of improved clinical pathways for patients. All our Partnership Programs (CMPP) activities have an underlying link to our ‘Made for Life’ philosophy, as they all represent projects which seek to enhance the lives of patients through improved clinical outcomes driven by better diagnosis and treatment.

A key outcome in 2023 from our partnership with Fiona Stanley Hospital, Australia, was the development of an education and training video series consisting of a blend of theory and practical scanning across 24 modules. This teaching tool will provide training opportunities for sonographers, radiologists and more broadly help build awareness about using ultrasound as an effective non-invasive modality for the liver. Canon Medical Systems ANZ established a collaborative research agreement in 2016 and has continuously supported the radiology department at Fiona Stanley Hospital with the latest commercially available premium level ultrasound.
In 2023, Canon Medical Systems ANZ also initiated a partnership with the Raine Study group at University of Western Australia and Fiona Stanley Hospital. The Raine Study is a population that will provide knowledge that potentially identifies characteristics and modifying factors for adults at risk of complications of fatty liver at a stage where relevant interventions can improve health. Established in 1989, The Raine Study is one of the largest prospective cohorts of pregnancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood to be carried out anywhere in the world. As a multi-generational group, it provides a unique population with vast health data, physical assessments, biological, and genetic data from frequent assessments over more than three decades. This makes it the ideal population in which to examine the hepatic and cardiometabolic significance of fatty liver. There is no other community-based cohort with the length of follow up and detailed longitudinal characterization of participants as the Raine cohort.

Canon Medical Systems ANZ have had a long association with Waikato Hospital in the Midlands of North Island, New Zealand. In 2023, Canon partnered with medical staff at Waikato Hospital to develop AI-based imaging technology for improving complex structural heart procedures, such as paravalvular leak repair and mitral clipping. The technology will bring increased accuracy for echo fusion together with reduced examination time resulting in lower radiation dose and contrast usage.
In addition, Canon’s Dynamic Device Stabilization is a new type of stent enhancement technology utilizing AI that will bring improved stent visualization throughout any Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedure resulting in better outcomes for patients.

Collaboration with RMI (Remote Medical Innovations), the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Queensland and Canon Medical Systems ANZ continued in 2023. The objective of the collaboration was to bring quality ultrasound examinations to remote and rural locations where these services are not available, using a collaborative robot. This robot, operated by health workers in Brisbane, is scanning patients' hearts more than 1,000 kilometers away in the Queensland outback. Sonographers sitting in a room at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) operate a handheld controller - like those used to play computer games - to manipulate the robot on patients in remote areas.
RMI has developed a robotic system that allows Canon’s Aplio i700 ultrasound system to be remotely operated and controlled from a central location by specialists cardiac and general sonographers. The system utilizes Canon’s remote operating tablet to control the system commands. This product is designed to deliver a mobile, cost-effective, safe and rapid solution that seeks to overcome the inadequacies of existing processes. While this technology has a broad application, the initial focus will be to enable the capability for specialist services to be provided viably and efficiently to regional and remote areas of Australia, via remote operation.
In addition, because the robot incorporates a haptic controller requiring minimal force input, it provides sonographers with the ability to undertake existing “in-room” ultrasounds with limited physical impact and consequently a significant reduction in the adverse occupational health and safety (OH&S) outcomes currently experienced. 85% of sonographers experience significant injury within 10 years of starting their career.

Canon Medical Systems France also welcomed the rugby section at its offices and internal information meetings which enabled us to present the sponsorship with the Rugby Club de Suresnes. Also, other actions were organized, such as a collaboration of the RCS players at the Journées Francophones de la Radiologie, the most important congress for French-speaking radiologists. For the 2023 edition, RCS players were present at our booth, demonstrating our range of ultrasound scanners as models. The Canon Medical teams also came to the rugby stadium for a try-out of the rugby health workshops for teambuilding purposes.

With a history of about 100 years since its launch, Canon Medical Systems Corporation has developed and expanded many technologies and products in response to potential needs through collaboration with customers in the medical industry.

As the global population ages, Canon boasts a leading share of the global market in the field of diagnostic imaging equipment, which is indispensable in the medical field, and supplies products to more than 190 countries and regions around the world.

Under the corporate slogan ‘Made for Life’, we will continue to create new value in a wide range of areas, from prevention to prognosis, and contribute to the development of medicine and the maintenance and improvement of people's health.

Screening for early signs of lung cancer began in the 1950s with chest X-rays, following major developments in 1977 and 1996 and major trials in 2002 (NLST in the USA) and 2020 (NELSON in Europe), indicating that screening could lead to earlier detection and reduce lung cancer deaths. As of yet, lung cancer remains one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers worldwide, contributing to nearly 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths. Often, by the time symptoms appear, the disease has progressed to a stage where treatment options are limited, resulting in poor prognoses despite advancements in medical treatments.

As part of our Made for Life philosophy, Canon Medical is committed to offering advanced imaging technologies designed to deliver high-quality images at reduced radiation doses. Our AI-enhanced CT lung cancer screening solutions, including the combination of SilverBeam filter and AiCE, offer high-quality images with minimal noise and radiation exposure. This ultra-low dose chest CT removes a patient’s barrier of being afraid of radiation and proves to be a gamechanger.

Through our innovations and collaborations, we are dedicated to improving the patient experience and making lung cancer screening more accessible and acceptable. By reducing the fear of radiation exposure and bringing advanced imaging technology to underserved areas, we strive to increase participation in screening programs, leading to earlier detection and better outcomes for those at risk. In collaboration with Dr. Awai from Hiroshima University, we conducted research to investigate the effectiveness of low-dose CT lung cancer screening for the residents of Miyoshi City in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Since January 2015, over 1,200 annual low-dose CT lung cancer screenings targeting heavy smokers aged 50 to 75 have been conducted in Miyoshi City. In five years, 27 lung cancer cases were detected, with 24 identified at an early stage.

Our Commitment to Sustainability
As part of our Made for Life philosophy, we are committed to offering advanced imaging technologies designed to provide high-quality imaging and deliver seamless workflows. Our AI solutions powered by Altivity support sustainability by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, optimizing workflows, and conserving resources.
In 2023, we deepened our commitment to building a more sustainable future. By leveraging AI responsibly, we are not only improving patient care but also fostering a supportive work environment for medical professionals and contributing positively to environmental sustainability.
In today’s fast-paced medical environment, delivering excellent patient care relies on making quick and accurate decisions. However, this goal is often hindered by significant challenges, such as staff shortages, increasing workloads, and the overwhelming volume of data that must be assessed. These issues not only affect the quality of patient care but also contribute to staff burnout and environmental impacts through inefficient use of resources and energy. Additionally, repeated scans due to unclear images or misdiagnoses result in increased patient radiation exposure and resource wastage, further straining medical facilities.

“Altivity" AI-enhanced high-quality imaging and AI-driven workflow optimization
To address these pressing challenges, we have introduced Altivity, a suite of advanced AI-powered technologies aimed at improving the accuracy, efficiency, and consistency of medical imaging. For more detailed information, click below.