Products & Solutions

Japan crisis

On Friday 11 March, 2011, Japan witnessed its most devastating earthquake since records began, which triggered a tsunami along the country’s north-eastern coast. Few will forget the images of the unstoppable waves as they literally swept away entire communities, claiming thousands of lives and leaving a trail of devastation for miles inland. This was followed by the impending nuclear threat caused by damage to reactors at the Fukushima facility, where an exclusion zone was declared.

Johnson Controls GWS has managed a number of crises throughout the years, however, this was far beyond anything experienced before.

Japan 2
Within hours of the catastrophe, a GWS crisis management team was established in Japan to help manage the crisis on the ground to ensure the safety of all employees and minimize disruption to clients. By the end of the first working day, the crisis team had accounted for all employees situated at various client sites across Tokyo, which despite being more than 200 miles from the epicenter was severely shaken by the earthquake. To have all employees accounted for so soon after the disaster was quite an achievement given the disruption to the telecommunication network. 

After the disaster - transportation challenges and power blackouts
In the super-modern city of Tokyo, power blackouts paralyzed the transport infrastructure and homes were left without electricity. Employees were encouraged to work from home unless travel was absolutely necessary.

Several client sites were shutdown in the days following the disaster. As part of the emergency response, the Tokyo Electric Power Company instigated a number of planned rolling blackouts throughout the country. Despite these power blackouts and transportation challenges, many GWS employees worked tirelessly to maintain the operations at client sites throughout the capital.

This action was greatly appreciated by Agilent Director of Workplace Services, Asia Pacific, Johanna Lacambra, who said: “Despite struggling with the huge workload involved in bringing systems up and down, and putting in long hours, sound judgment and clear thinking were demonstrated.”

GWS crisis management team giving support
In the period after the massive earthquake and tsunami, the country continued to be rocked by aftershocks, but all employees were accounted for through daily updates with the crisis management team. Johnson Controls’ safety practices were emphasized to all employees, particularly those relating to live electrical work. This focus on safety, coupled with training, meant that there were no injuries or incidents reported on sites managed by GWS in Japan.
“The Johnson Controls team and subcontractors supported our emergency response and also took a timely and proper action with the building maintenance company for the Tokyo headquarters and Kawasaki office during the crucial period,” said Shinji Kimura, Senior Advisor for Motorola Japan.

Tremors continue to be felt as Japan recovers from the disaster. Although things are slowly returning to normal, the GWS Japan crisis management and regional support team continue to monitor the situation and provide direction to employees. Besides the physical safety of employees, their emotional wellbeing is also paramount. They are encouraged to use an employee assistance program to alleviate any stress endured during this crisis period.

Agilent Vice President of Workplace Services, Neil Rees, said: “These events reveal the strength of the partnership and the quality and professionalism of the support that Johnson Controls provides. Our thoughts continue to be with everyone in Japan.”

To help support the relief efforts in the disaster-stricken northern Japan, Johnson Controls donated $1 million to the Japanese Red Cross through the American Red Cross nearly 100 million yen.
WORKPLACE NOW LINKS
RELATED LINKS
Japan crisis
Suppliers Contact Site map Social Media Privacy Terms of use Feedback
© 2013 Johnson Controls. All rights reserved.