The BIODONOSTIA Health Research Institute manages the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) of all its workers in a practical manner, keeping in permanent contact with its workers and with support and advice from PREVENCILAN as an external risk prevention service

To find out more about the Institute’s health and safety management, there is a Risk Prevention Plan available where the HRI BioDonostia’s organisation is reflected.

Initially, on starting their job, each worker completes a Job Identification Sheet, and fills in the register for the provision of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) that they will use in the workplace. In turn, they are informed of the Institute’s organisation in the Welcome Manual, as regards health and safety as well as the different levels of organisation.

Despite the wide variety of tasks carried out by the Institute’s staff, they have all been grouped into three jobs that have been assessed according to the risks reflected in each assessment: the job of Technician for research staff at any level of the different projects carried out in the laboratories on the first and second floor; the job of Animal Facility Technician for the staff carrying out their work in the animal facility on floor -1; and the job of Administrative Officer for the administration and business management staff who carry out their duties in the administrative offices on floors 0, 1 and 3.

Every three months, the Institute’s Health and Safety Committee, which is made up of personnel chosen by and from the workers themselves, meets to deal with the different issues concerning workers as regards occupational risks. In the last year, meetings have been held in which a deed of commitment has always been drawn up for all parties involved.

If a worker has an accident at work or on his/her way home, an investigation is carried out into the incident to analyse what happened. If necessary, this would lead to safety measures being implemented to prevent a dangerous situation from repeating and causing harm to a worker.

The Donostia University Hospital is in charge of preparing and updating the Emergency Plan available to all workers on the Administration floor.

To protect particularly sensitive workers (pregnant or breast-feeding employees, or workers with any other sensitive circumstances) the protocol of action for the protection of particularly sensitive workers will be applied, in which both workers and managers will take part.

At the end of each year of the contract signed with the external risk prevention service, an Annual Report will be drawn up in which the actions carried out during that year will be reflected.

Furthermore, in order not to overlook the collaborating workers who carry out their work in the Institute’s facilities, BioDonostia HRI performs a coordination of business activities with each and every one. In the same way, the Institute requests information from centres in which BioDonostia HRI workers are carrying out work in order to analyse the risks to which they are exposed.