In 2020, 708 workers died in work accidents – 13 more than the previous year – and 1.004.344 were injured while working in Spain, according to the report presented by the Secretary of Occupational Health of the UGT.

The increase of these numbers is something that we must worry about. In a year that we can summarize as the year of restrictions, less activity and working remotely, no one can explain why we have reached these levels of dangerousness at work. While some injuries may only have a short-term impact, others are irreversible and life-changing for the workers.

At ENGIDI, we believe that education and technology are the two key factors that will help us overcome these numbers and provide a safer work environment to our society.

An unsafe work practice threats the physical and mental health of staff.

There are different types of unsafe work practices that workers witness every day. Some of them are provoked by the employees themselves and others by not having a good prevention protocol. Both of them: lack of education.

We might see situations such as not securing the guard before turning on a machine, leaving large boxes in the middle of a corridor or in front of the fire exit, not wearing a hard hat on a construction site or not having fall protection while working at heights or slippery floors. But there are also other unsafe work practices such as bullying and fatigue that also are disastrous actions.

What we are more concerned about is that employees are either not aware of the dangerousness of these actions or they are afraid to voice their concerns.

If you don’t know which steps to follow once you see an action or situation that might put your health and security in danger, you can follow our guidelines to report it and help your company achieve a safer work environment.

1. Report unsafe and unhealthy situations and injuries to your supervisor immediately in the company.

You should speak up if you think you or anyone in the company could be hurt while working. It is a priority to maintain safety and health of the workers and to prevent and lower the number of worker accidents. If you are not heard, check with the corresponding sindicate and ask for help.

2. Request for an occupational risk prevention exam

As an employee in a company you have the right to request for a specialist to take an occupational risk prevention exam to see the facilities in detail. This exam will give you more information about the safeness of the company.

3. Request the implementation of a preventive culture

The preventive culture is the commitment and resolution of all problems in the environment of safety, health and business well-being of employees in the company, requesting a better implementation of practices will help the employees to avoid future accidents. Check our article on how to improve the preventive culture of your company in 5 steps.

4. Request for training programs

Unsafe work practices are avoidable with good management, training and awareness. Requests for training programs in your company will help all the employees to improve the practices they have to implement to maintain the safety of themselves and the other workers in the workplace.

5. Take responsible actions in your workplace

Take reasonable care of yourself and others, understand the risks and don’t perform tasks you haven’t done before, ask questions to make sure you understand and follow the instructions, policies and procedures of the company.