The new occupational health and safety strategy in Galicia will double Xunta’s commitment to creating healthy SMEs

Orence Center, June 9, 2023 Secretary General of Apoio ao Emprego, Autonomous Work and Social Economy, Covadonga Toca, Accompanied by General Director of Labor Relations Elena Mancha. Participated in the 8th open meeting of the Spanish Network of Healthy Companies (REES) co-organized by Xunta de Galicia, through the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health of Galicia (Issga), and the National Institute of Safety and Health at Work (INSST). The regional representatives in the law supported the commitment of the administration of Galicia to promote among the productive fabric – especially medium and small businesses – safe and healthy working environments, and indicated that the new equality law would put Galicia at the forefront of the bayonet by regulating the business concept of social sustainability to achieve true well-being.

As noted by Tuca, Galicia is committed to promoting healthy companies and already provides a ‘favorable framework’ that will be endorsed in the Galician Occupational Health and Safety Strategy which is currently under negotiation. During the conclusion of the meeting, in which he also emphasized the occurrence of this type of practice to reduce occupational accidents, he said, “It is important to give an appropriate response to psychological and social risks in the workplace, given its clear link with people’s health.” In non-traumatic accidents (heart attacks and strokes, above all) and in the mental health of prevention workers.

The Secretary-General was in favor of the development of a healthy corporate network, especially among small, medium and small and medium enterprises, to achieve “a more just and equitable society and the improvement of personal, labor and social issues”. In the same vein, he argued that in today’s society, environments that attend to the reconciliation of work and family life are those that “will be able to last over time, attracting and retaining talent as it places workers”. With that commitment, he noted, they will be able to retain customers and get “a return on investment in workplace wellness programs in terms of productivity and competitiveness.”

Galicia will have a new equality law that will promote corporate social sustainability as an incentive for companies to promote equal opportunities among workers regardless of their gender and create diverse teams, improve their competitiveness and become poles of attraction and retention of talent. Thus, the Galician community will be the first government department to organize this concept, through which it aspires to modernize and revolutionize business culture based on environmental, social and governance values ​​that govern markets around the world, Galician Council representatives.

he National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (INSST), OA, MP – the reference scientific and technical body of the State Public Administration, specialized in research and study of health and safety conditions at work, as well as in promoting and supporting their improvement – is a participating organization in the Open REES meeting, the main theme of which this year was the promotion of mental health of the company, aligning himself with the objectives Spanish Strategy for Safety and Health at Work 2023-2027. This strategy aspires to provide safe and healthy work environments that contribute to this Positively the health of workers and the progress of companies and society. The first goal of this strategy is to improve the prevention of work accidents, diseases and occupational places, and for the first time, at the same level, to protect the physical and mental health of workers, which places mental health among its priorities.

On this occasion, Galicia was chosen to host this meeting, which took place in a mixed format, face-to-face and format flow With the participation of more than 700 people, which is being held for the eighth year in a row, projects and good practices in promoting people’s health are also recognized by companies and public bodies that are the responsibility of Banco Santander, Bankinter, BSH Electrodomésticos, Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, Isdin, JCdecaux Spain , Bilbao Port Authority, Madrid Tax Agency, Decal Spain, Eusko Jaurlaritzaren Informativa Elkartea (EJIE), Union of Mutual Insurance Companies, CTAIMA Outsourcing & Consulting, Codisol, Henkel Ibérica and Activate.

With events like today, Xunta highlights the important coordination between departments, in this case the technical bodies, to advance the field of safety and health at work. In addition to Issga and INSST, representatives of the Basques, the Canary Islands and the Asturian services participated in the conference.

The Spanish Network of Health Companies, a project initiated by INSST in 2013, currently consists of more than 860 companies from all sectors of activity and operates with the aim of recognizing the work of companies in the field of health and wellness improvement. Being workers and workers, spreading culture and exchanging commercial experiences.