I have been a full-time health and safety technician for more than ten years, and since I joined Emasagra in 2016, I have alternated part of this work with the coordination of the management systems in place. Currently, this coordination requires a large part of my time, but without disassociating myself from health and safety, especially the project we started to care for emotional well-being with the support of the company’s management, which I consider key for Emasagra, with a deeply-rooted culture of prevention that seeks to achieve excellence in all areas.
As Head of Integrated Management Systems, what are your core action areas at Emasagra?
1. As Head of Integrated Management Systems, what are your core action areas at Emasagra?
In health and safety, safety has always had a great weight: great efforts are made in this and the preventive culture of the personnel, but health, as the axis for a good base for this culture, is primordial. If we are not physically or psychologically well, these conditions will undermine our ability to act safely; if I am stressed because I have to finish a task soon, I will pay less attention, or if I am worried about something, whether it is work-related or personal, or if I am ill, I may make mistakes or inadvertently ignore safe procedures. That is why it is increasingly important to work on global well-being, with emotional health being a key part of our strategy, taking care of ourselves to know how to face the uncertainties that life may bring and manage unavoidable daily emotions.
One of your main values is your commitment to quality and innovation. Do you consider this essential when discussing mental well-being solutions for employees?
2. One of your main values is your commitment to quality and innovation. Do you consider this essential when discussing mental well-being solutions for employees?
Without a doubt, and this can be seen in the reception that the mental well-being project has had and continues to have. Initiatives of this type touch very profoundly on individual health. All the recommendations derived from both the resources and workshops that you provide us with is a support that contributes not only to greater productivity, less absenteeism at work, and more commitment to the company, it is also permeable to our environment, improving self-knowledge and providing tools for self-care. In short, it is an essential component that creates a more positive working environment and lays the foundations for long-term business success.
You currently provide a service to nearly 400,000 inhabitants in 15 municipalities, so the involvement and commitment of your staff is fundamental. How do you foster a healthy and safe corporate culture that prioritises the people who make up your company?
3. You currently provide a service to nearly 400,000 inhabitants in 15 municipalities, so the involvement and commitment of your staff is fundamental. How do you foster a healthy and safe corporate culture that prioritises the people who make up your company?
We provide an essential service to the public, and the commitment of all staff is firm with their work. We are very aware of this responsibility and what it entails. These activities are based on sustainability and efficiency in managing water resources, with a proactive model to solve present and future challenges. Behind this responsible model is a large team working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in addition to emergencies such as breakdowns, inclement weather, or the drought threatening us. The company’s mission and values are oriented towards people, as reflected in its SGE21 certification for ethical and socially responsible management, focusing on its staff.
Without people’s commitment, this work could not have been carried out. Emasagra has adhered to the Luxembourg declaration since 2016, is part of the Andalusian Network for the Promotion of Health in the Workplace, and has participated in the joint European action Chrodis Plus to tackle chronic diseases. It is not enough to comply with norms and standards; we reinforce this healthy and safe culture with many initiatives such as the implementation of Rules that Save (RQS), collaborative incident research, specific training in nutrition or stretching for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, gym, glaucoma detection campaigns, talks given by the AECC, complements to health surveillance services such as gynaecological check-ups, early detection tests for certain cancers and a company medical service in our facilities, among many other actions. Having the emotional well-being solution in place since last year completes the map of initiatives to promote our health and safety culture.
“We will continue to work with ifeel’s team to draw up a mental well-being strategy in line with the needs of everyone who makes up Emasagra. Every detail is taken care of to reinforce this accompaniment by maintaining an internal chat where messages invite us to reflect on our emotional state”
This year, you received an honourable mention in the ‘Escolástico Zaldívar’ awards for your ‘Healthy Emasagra’ programme. What does this type of programme consist of, and what benefits does it bring to your team? Why is it so important to have physically and mentally healthy employees?
4. This year, you received an honourable mention in the ‘Escolástico Zaldívar’ awards for your ‘Healthy Emasagra’ programme. What does this type of programme consist of, and what benefits does it bring to your team? Why is it so important to have physically and mentally healthy employees?
Receiving any kind of recognition is always motivating. It means that what you are doing, what an organisation is working on, is being done well. This programme was launched following the latest psychosocial risk assessments as a response to the increasingly visible problem of deteriorating mental health in society. Managing conflicts, stress, difficult personal situations or experiences, etc., can affect our psychological and emotional balance, but if we have resources, restoring that balance will always be easier. This is precisely what this programme addresses, based on self-care through a therapeutic support service and with resources for meditation, reflection, and where we can interact and talk about mental well-being.
During your time with ifeel, have you felt accompanied in the care of your mental well-being? How do Emasagra employees feel about this?
5. During your time with ifeel, have you felt accompanied in the care of your mental well-being? How do Emasagra employees feel about this?
The feedback we have received from this initiative from the area is very positive, with great attendance to the workshops that have been given on emotional and stress management at work, conflict management, and limit setting. We will continue to work with ifeel’s team to draw up a mental well-being strategy in line with the needs of everyone who makes up Emasagra. Every detail is taken care of to reinforce this accompaniment by maintaining an internal chat where messages invite us to reflect on our emotional state and dedicate time to taking care of it. ifeel’s team is always available for any queries and is very agile in resolving them. Our proposals are always well received and vice versa, significantly facilitating communication, which is necessary for this type of service. We are very satisfied with the approach and implementation of this project and hope that it will continue to be a strong point of the work of the health and safety and human resources team.
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