Interview to José María Chacón, president of the Autonomous Commission of hygiene and Hygiene in the Work of Chemical and Affine Industries (Coashiq)
They are safe ours companies?
Regarding the chemical sector, what can say is that our companies are increasingly safe and that day in day out grows the interest and the resources to achieve not having accidents in our installations. It treats of the Aim Zero Accidents. In fact, the reduction of labour accidents since have indicators in this sector like this show it. Also it has to take into account that every time it is more conscious, especially in the chemical industry, that the safe processes and some personnel qualified are the best guarantee of sustainability for the business activity.
Which are the most frequent errors in matter of hygiene and hygiene of our companies?
The regulation of machines and the technological advances have done that the processes are increasingly safe. Therefore, in the actuality the errors by an unsure behaviour represent almost 90% of the causes of accidents.
And which is the labour accident more common?
Although it cost to believe, are not common the accidents related with the handle of chemicals or the control of dangerous processes. The most usual is related with the ergonomics, that is to say, sprains, torceduras, dislocaciones or lumbagos caused by an unsuitable manipulation of loads or by repetitive movements.
Of which way can avoid ?
To reduce this type of incidences, it is necessary to do a greater effort in the part of design of the activities and of the equipment of processes, incorporating the principles of ergonomics and campaigns of awareness and/or motivation in the line of what calls hygiene the 24 hours of the day.
They are sufficiently concienciadas our companies in matter of hygiene and hygiene?
No, while it do not attain the Aim Zero Accidents. Some companies that carry miscellaneous without accidents with drop comment us that it can not slacken, that it is necessary to be continuously ‘giving pedals'. It is difficult to create a business culture of prevention in hygiene to achieve zero accidents, but more difficult is to keep when it has arrived , since the companies tend to relax . Therefore, never it is sufficient and always necessary.
And which thinks that is the attitude of the worker in this regard?
When the steering of a company assumes the prevention of labour risks like base of his business gestión, all answer properly to the norms and behaviours of hygiene.
Which tools can employ a company to improve his hygiene?
In the first place, have to fulfil strictly the legal requests in subjects of hygiene (for example, evaluations of risks and plans of prevention).
And to continuation…
The studies on the practices of companies with better results in hygiene coincide in that it is fundamental the implication of the steering, no only with formal statements, but with facts, attitudes and examples. The hygiene is not a mania of which carry the department of prevention. It is an indispensable condition. Besides, it has to to keep the strong convicción that all the accidents are unacceptable and that they can avoid. And, therefore, all have to investigate and have to put in practice the improvements that of this derive .
What more can do a company in this sense?
Another important tool is to explain a system of gestión of hygiene and health (or of prevention of labour risks), that really was useful for the day in day out of each one of the companies. This comports that it has to be integrated cheese cheese in the daily activity of each employee and, fundamentally, of those that have responsibilities on others.
Some another?
Yes, although they exist more practical to improve the hygiene, would want to stand out the importance to create and boost the mentality that the hygiene and the health is responsibility of all. If our people is not convinced and involved, little can advance.
Which is to his understand the main attainment in matter of hygiene of the last years?
Definitely, all the legislative effort that has done to adapt the performances in subject of hygiene to the business activity. The Law of Prevention of Labour Risks, his regulation and all the back legislation on the same, as well as the one who has regulated the adecuación of the machinery and the one of the places of work, have supposed a fundamental advance in matter of hygiene. It is truth that there are a lot of appearances for improving, but I think that the balance is very positive in this appearance.
The Prizes of hygiene of Coashiq have the aim of incentivar the work of the companies for achieving reduce the accidents and improve the preventive action. The parameters of measure of the prize are:
- Index of frequency of accidents with drop
- Coefficient of reduction of the index of frequency
deliver every year plates or diplomas to those companies that have not suffered accidents with drop during the year (depending of the size and the number of years without accidents) and diploma to the three companies that more have reduced the index of frequency in the year.
Companies rewarded in 2012
- Air Clear Spain
- Dow Chemical Iberica, S.A.
- Adisseo Spain, S.A.
- Akzo Nobel Industrial Paints, S.L.
- Arkema Coatings Resins
- Bioetanol Galicia, S.A.
- Boehringer Ingelh. Spain
- BP Oil Spain, S.To.Or.
- CCPP Composites Resins Ib.
- Celanese Chemicals Iberian
- Cepsa Chemical – Sticks Border
- Croda Iberian, S.A. – Mevisa
- Huntsman Advanc. Mater.
- Inke, S.A.
- Laboratory Espinos Bofill
- Oxiris Chemicals, S.A.
- Shell Spain, S.A.
- Total Petrochemicals Iberian
- Urquima
Coashiq Has like end warn, control, reduce and delete in the possible the damages to the people, to the environingingment and to the properties of the companies, promoting the development of the principles of the prevention of labour risks, the industrial hygiene and the environingingment, with the intention ulterior that these are basic components to all the levels of the business gestión.
“With this aim, the activities that realise go directed to promote the active participation of all the associated (in commissions of works, technical days, assemblies, forums of discussion, publications…) to form us and advise us in subjects of prevention of labour risks, legislation, prevention of accidents or better practical in prevention”.
