The Sando Fundación releases the report of the First National Conference for Construction Health and Safety
The Sando Fundación has released a report of the conclusions of the National Study on Construction Health and Safety, with the participation of over one hundred experts in workplace risk from throughout Spain. The report analyses the current panorama in the sector and evaluates key aspects of risk prevention, including the Construction Subcontracting Act and the role of External Risk Prevention Services.
The report includes the conclusions of the activities and research conducted within the framework of the First National Conference for Construction Health and Safety. The publication is available on-line, from the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, at the Sando Fundación website.
Created in partnership with the Workplace Health and Safety Institute of Valencia (INVASSAT), the report highlights the support of the sector of the new Construction Subcontracting Act. This new legislation regulates the relations between specialised companies and moves to remove companies without resources or structure from the market. The Law imposes strict regulations regarding the minimum resources and training required for a project, and represents an advance in the employment stability in the sector.
According to the study, one of the most controversial aspects of the new legislation is the bonus-malus system, used to evaluate company compliance. The government recently adjusted the requirements through Royal Decree 404/2010, which establishes the procedures to obtain reductions in Social Security obligations for companies which can demonstrate their low workplace accident rate with participating mutual companies.
The research underlines the problems in the manner in which preventive safety activities are conducted and the quality of External Risk Prevention Services (SPA) and the need to modify the regulatory framework, now being addressed by RD 337/2010. In general terms, the study contends that the SPA do not meet the real needs and obligations of the companies or address business realties, hampering the implementation of their proposals.
The report also deals with the effects of the current economic crisis, demonstrating that investment in risk prevention leads to greater productivity, reduces direct and especially indirect costs derived from workplace accidents. Risk prevention provides savings in costs related to incidents, provides an opportunity to optimise company efficiency as well as the health and safety of employees.
In the opinion of some 60% of experts, risk prevention constitutes an opportunity to overcome the economic downturn. This percentage rises to 90% for those who believe that investment in risk prevention should take precedence over the economic considerations.
With regard to this issue, the experts believe that a business model based on corporate social responsibility can improve the general quality of life of employees and other stakeholders, while helping to reduce the number of accidents and enhancing the corporate image.
The role of government in Workplace Risk Prevention is considered crucial, and some experts have called for greater investments in this area in the part of public authorities. That is, more assistance in the implementation of safety measures and more resources for enforcement and oversight of the companies themselves.
The Sando Fundación is a non-profit organisation which manages the corporate social responsibility policies of the multinational Sando Group and its principal objectives are to develop actions which encourage health and safety awareness in the workplace. In recognition of its commitment and work in this field since its creation in 2006, the Foundation received the 2008 Prever Award from the General Board of Industrial Relations and Work Sciences.
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