The Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, has approved this Tuesday the Spanish Strategy for Safety and Health at Work 2023-2027, which has been agreed with the social partners and the autonomous communities. As explained by the Department headed by Yolanda Díaz through a statement, this Strategy has been designed with the aim of achieving the greatest possible impact on the improvement of safety and health conditions at work and with the firm determination to reduce workplace accidents.
It also has a comprehensive approach in which physical and mental protection are at the same level. “For the first time, mental health is a priority in the strategy, as is supporting small companies in preventive management or raising the level of protection for vulnerable groups, among others,” they highlight from Trabajo.
Mental health is incorporated for the first time
Among the 33 lines of action of this Strategy, the creation of the National Agenda for the Prevention of Cancer of Occupational Originwhich will make it possible to advance in the improvement of the identification of occupational diseases In the world of work, technological development and, in particular, digitization have a special impact, but also the increasingly pronounced effects of climate change, which obliges occupational risk prevention to adapt its regulations to identify possible deficiencies in the applicability of new work models, as well as to improve and control working conditions in activities most affected by environmental changes. Also, it incorporates integration of age and generational diversity in preventive managementwhile reinforcing the protection of workers against psychosocial risks.
Focus on employees in the healthcare sector
The study of the groups that present the worst health and safety data will be deepened. Thus it will be possible to analyze the factors that make them vulnerable and incorporate occupational risk prevention into other public policies. The Strategy also focuses on workers in the social and health sector as they form part of one of the groups that are most at risk, as is the case of workers in the Home Help Service (SAD).
In line with ILO Convention 189 for improve the protection of domestic service workers Actions will be carried out to improve knowledge of accident rate patterns and work-related pathologies. In addition, some guiding criteria will be drawn up for the risk management in home care services and home service workers, with special attention to ergonomic and psychosocial aspects.
Reduce the gender gap
When it comes to reducing the gender gap, also in the world of occupational safety and health, it is necessary to advance in the knowledge of risks and damages to health from the gender perspective. There are certain occupations or activities in which women are the ones who run the risk of suffering damage associated with their professional activity. That is why, in order to achieve an integration of the gender perspective in the preventive managementthis perspective will be incorporated into risk assessment processes and studies on occupational safety conditions.
