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Introducing the Technical area of our Occupational Health and Safety department in Spain!

A few weeks ago we introduced you to part of the team behind the health and well-being of all RIU workers in Spain: the Health Monitoring area. As you have already seen, this team is essential in the daily lives of our workers. They are in charge of medical check-ups, health visits, vaccination campaigns, first aid training, and so on. But that’s not all for our Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) department. In this blog, we are also going to introduce you to the technical part of the team. They have the same goal: to ensure the safety and health of all our hotel and office workers in Spain. Do not miss it!

Who makes up the Occupational Health and Safety department?

The team is organised by offices which in turn report to the Human Resources department, headed by Juan Carlos García. These offices are: Andalusia, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, with the central team located in Playa de Palma. Here we tell you a little more about the great professionals who make up each office:

in the Balearic Islands, which is where our base of operations is located, there is Fran Martínez, the head of the OHS area. Fran is the brains behind everything and makes sure everything runs smoothly. At his side is Iskra Zarifova, a senior technician with a permanent smile who is eager to help everyone. And we cannot forget Anahí Villagrán, who, in addition to working hand in hand with Iskra, dedicates part of her time to other tasks related to the Human Resources department, always in good spirits.

From left to right: Juan Carlos García, Iskra Zarifova, Anahí Villagrán and Fran Martínez, from the Balearic Islands office.

In the Canary Islands, we have an amazing duo: Antonio Santana and David Ortega. These two senior technicians are the definition of professionalism and good energy.

Antonio Santana and David Ortega, from the Canary Islands office.

In Andalusia is our colleague Elvira Díaz. Elvira is always willing to lend a hand and make everything run smoothly.

Elvira Diaz, from the Andalusian office.

What are the functions of the OHS Technical Area?

The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) department at RIU is the shield that protects us all. Its staff are responsible for identifying, evaluating and controlling occupational hazards that may arise in any corner of the company, ensuring that we comply with all current regulations and promoting a culture of safety among all our employees. Or as Iskra Zarifova, our senior OHS technician from Palma, would say: “We advise the company, carry out evaluations, create training and information content, monitor the implementation of preventive and corrective measures, and assist health and safety committees, among other things.”

At first glance it may seem that the work of the OHS department is simple, with very clear functions, but nothing could be further from the truth. Keeping accidents at bay, avoiding illnesses and ensuring the well-being of a company like RIU is a titanic mission: we have more than 6000 employees spread throughout Spain! Not only that, our employee diversity is vast, meaning the risks vary greatly depending on where you are and what your role is.

“Occupational hazards vary according to the job, and at RIU these are many and varied. These risks are related to the tasks performed on a daily basis, such as safety hazards (falls, blows, burns), cleaning hazards (contact with chemicals, noise, high temperatures), hazards due to manual handling of loads, and psychosocial risks.” Elvira Diaz, senior technician of the Andalusian office.

So when you think about the OHS team, think of them as the superheroes of workplace safety. They are always attentive, evaluating and designing strategies so that we can all do our jobs in a safe and healthy environment.

What are the keys to a good prevention culture in the company?

To keep RIU employees safe and healthy, a multitude of methods are used to mitigate or eliminate occupational hazards. First, you need to become a detective: any dangers that may be lurking in the workplace are regularly identified and assessed. “Prevention is a daily task that cannot be neglected as any carelessness could lead to an accident.” explain David Ortega and Antonio Santana from the Canary Islands office. Next, you have to make sure everyone is well trained. So, yes, ongoing training and education are key: “Each risk assessment carried out, each training programme on risk prevention improves the working conditions and makes it safer or more comfortable to come to work”, says Iskra.

Additionally, particularly in office roles, workplace design is crucial. As our colleague Iskra tells us, it is very common to experience discomfort related to temperature, light or the acoustics of the space. Not forgetting the organisation of work: it is very important to control the pace of the job and workload. In field work, like construction or repairs in hotels, personal protective equipment is important: from helmets to gloves, safety glasses and appropriate footwear, they all play a role in protecting the employee.

Safe practices are also adopted and preventive maintenance is carried out on machinery and equipment, so that everything works as it should and unpleasant surprises are avoided. In short, all of these strategies, combined with a good culture of safety, help us minimise any risks and ensure that we can all work in a safe and healthy environment. Our colleague Elvira Díaz, from the Andalusian delegation, makes a good summary of what is most important so that a department like this can function correctly: “Being on the ground and maintaining close relationships with workers must be a priority so we do not lose contact with the reality of the company. Furthermore, innovation and continuous improvement are essential to help the company and employees adapt to constant changes. To achieve this, commitment, participation and teamwork within the department are vital.”

Some of the health and safety initiatives and projects applied at RIU

Several initiatives have been implemented by the Occupational Health and Safety department, for example, technical reports: these are studies that are carried out to give our workers more knowledge of issues related to health and well-being at work. They help raise awareness and, as far as possible, minimise any damage to people’s health.

Training and ongoing education programs are also run, covering all areas: safety, hygiene, ergonomics and psychosociology. In terms of the latter, our colleagues Iskra and Anahí are implementing a very interesting training programme in stress, task planning, communication and conflict resolution, and healthy habits for the group at the Playa de Palma office. “Mental health is as important as physical health”, says our colleague and psychologist Anahí Villagrán.

One of the most important projects carried out in the hotels was the study of workloads for the floor team. After an exhaustive evaluation, a series of training sessions was run that, using warm-up exercises and muscle stretching before starting the work day, help avoid muscle overload and injuries.

In summary, at RIU we are committed to creating a safe and healthy working environment for everyone, something that would not be possible without the great work and help of each of the people who make up our Occupational Health and Safety team in Spain: thank you very much! You are an example to follow that demonstrates the values of excellence and commitment to people that is within the third pillar of our sustainability strategy Proudly Committed!