Etapa 3. Vídeo 3. Participación, gestión y evaluación de riesgos. Tu ruta hacia el éxito profesional

Worker Participation in Risk Prevention

Role of Delegates in Risk Prevention

• The employer is required to facilitate worker participation in risk prevention through elected prevention delegates, chosen from democratically selected worker representatives.

• Companies with up to 50 workers have one prevention delegate; those with up to 100 have two, and the number increases incrementally based on company size, reaching eight for companies over 4,000 workers.

Committee Formation and Responsibilities

• Companies with more than 50 employees must establish a health and safety committee composed of prevention delegates, the employer, and equal representation from employer representatives.

• Delegates are consulted on all matters related to workplace risk prevention and participate in planning efforts aimed at reducing risks. They also have access to relevant documentation and can halt operations if there is an imminent serious risk.

Principles of Preventive Action

• Key principles guiding preventive actions include avoiding risks where possible, evaluating unavoidable risks, combating risks at their source, and prioritizing collective protection over individual measures. Proper training and adaptation of work processes are essential for effective risk management.

• Continuous improvement is necessary as technology evolves; new protective equipment should replace outdated ones when available. Evaluating risks involves analyzing both the probability of occurrence and potential severity of harm.

Risk Evaluation Parameters

• Risks are categorized based on two parameters: probability (low, medium, high) and severity (slightly harmful, harmful, extremely harmful), leading to nine possible combinations that dictate appropriate responses. Examples include trivial risks requiring no action versus intolerable risks necessitating immediate cessation of work until resolved.

Actions Based on Risk Assessment

• For tolerable risks: improve preventive actions without significant economic burden; regularly check effectiveness.

• For moderate risks: invest in measures within a set timeframe to reduce or eliminate them.

• Important risks require halting work until they are mitigated; intolerable risks mandate immediate suspension until substantial reduction or elimination occurs. Accidents must be investigated thoroughly regardless of severity level due to their implications for workplace safety practices.

Economic Impact of Workplace Accidents

• Workplace accidents incur significant costs for employers including salaries during recovery periods and potential indemnities owed to affected workers.

Impact of Workplace Conflict on Companies

Consequences of Workplace Conflict

• Workplace conflict can lead to strikes or other forms of pressure from employees, resulting in significant material damage to tools, machines, and products being manufactured.

• Economic sanctions can be severe, including potential criminal penalties that may result in imprisonment for responsible parties within the company.

• Companies may suffer reputational damage due to conflicts, leading to decreased sales volume and overall financial loss.

• Accidents arising from workplace issues incur costs not only for the worker but also for society at large, affecting families through pain and suffering as well as loss of income.