This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Entrevista a José María Viñas, Química Total
Interview to José Maria vineyards, chemical Total
Nerea Gorriti27/04/2007
"A system of occupational risk prevention should cover from the Director-General until the last warehouse waiter"
Chemical Total is a company formed by professionals with extensive experience in the sector of the chemical industry. Young, but well prepared, the Barcelona company offers comprehensive services to companies that this group of doctors and graduates in chemistry design tailored to each company. Chemical Universal spoke with Jose Maria vineyards, one of the leaders of this new industrial proposal.
Could it make us a brief presentation of Total chemical and explain us from when it is established in our country?
Chemical Total is a young company made up of seniors with more than 25 years of experience from the field of industry and in research and development. The company started out just over a year ago in Barcelona, but we have had requests for Madrid, the Basque country, in Palencia, to name a few.
How is chemistry Total structured?
Chemical Total is structured horizontally. Each member brings expertise in one or several fields. If necessary we meet two or more for the solution of a problem or service. This type of organization allows greater flexibility in the time of the potential customers.
Chemical Total is structured horizontally. This type of organization allows greater flexibility in the time of the potential customers.
What are their main services and their main features?
In general our services are geared towards SMEs and include optimization of processes, design of laboratories according to ISO 9001: 2000 standards, safety regulations and 14,000, and, more recently, in the implementation of the Reach Directive of the European Community.
Can you put examples of projects that have been made?
Given our youth as a company first task, and we are still in it, has been customer acquisition. We are in the process of closing some contracts, but there is a very high tendency to trust some projects consultants of renowned, with costs that this entails.
What is the advice to introduce systems of occupational risk prevention?
The company is first studied. A system of occupational risk prevention should cover from the Director-General until the latest mozo's warehouse. All must be mentalizados and familiar with the system; Another way is a useless expense. Since there are discussed the company's needs and establishing what need, where and how should be the things, the changes needed to adapt to the rules and, more importantly, the training of personnelthat - as I have mentioned - covers all levels. This is a description in broad terms. As each company is a world can not establish a unique for each criterion.
There are moments in which the company must risk, and more on the current situation, if they want to survive in the market
To what extent are the ISO quality and prevention in the chemical industry? What kind of companies are more interested in its implementation?
The ISO standards are applied many times by need, that customers ask for the seal of quality. This should not be so, since the supply of a quality assurance gives added value to the company. Safety standards also apply by necessity, usually after a serious incident. On the other hand lack awareness by workers.
What is included exactly its offer to take care of a project?
Before making the offer we do a preliminary study of the problems of the company, are examining the possibilities of improvement and success, and based on this review, is made an offer that may include one or many paragraphs. We try to offer various alternatives, some more complete than others, so that the client choose which suits you, it tends to be the cheapest. While this minimizes the costs of the company not always is the best solution. There are moments in which the company must risk, and more on the current situation, if they want to survive in the market.
They also offer training courses, what kind of companies applying for this service and why training is so important?
Oddly we have not had any request for training, when it is one of the props to survive in the market. The best trained are all employees, the lower the risks of all kinds.
At the moment, how does the market? There is lot of competition? How is the sector?
Currently on the market there is fierce competition in all sectors and the chemical sector is no exception. Large companies have also begun to offer products "à la carte", something that used to make small businesses, highly specialized activity. According to the existing sector works well, but must be careful with multinational enterprises, which has a capacity of relocation is much higher. SMEs tend to be more faithful to the country and, on the other hand, constitute a large part of the fabric of the chemical industry in Spain.
SMEs tend to be more faithful to the country and, on the other hand, constitute a large part of the fabric of the chemical industry in Spain
What, in his view, the main problems currently facing companies in industrial engineering in our country?
I think the main problem, and this affects all businesses, is the ability to adapt to the changes that are taking place and which will increase in coming years. We must anticipate the changes, not adapted to them. Need a vision for the future. In this regard it seems that in our country we hope always to the things that happen to remedy. "Prevention is better than cure" the saying goes, and in this case prevent is ahead of the changes.
We need to anticipate the changes, not adapted to them
Finally, what future plans have chemistry Total: investments, new services and expansion plans...?
Given that we are a young company our plans for the future go to consolidate the company and anticipate future opportunities. An example is the Reach regulations, which already six months ago that we are working. It is something that today has fixed date, June 1. Her apply all companies? This remains to be seen. It has its advantages and its disadvantages. Although there is ten years to adapt, better start now - even before coming into force - to wait for the last year. Of course we do not rule out incorporate new services, but this is based on what will be the changes in the future. By now, make plans to more than two years view is a waste of time and can that money. This does not mean forgetting them, but they have to be more generic, so that they can adapt to changes that now or we suspect.
