Health and safety management in olive oil mills in Spain

Problem: The olive oil mill sector is very important in Spain, the world's leading producer of olive oil. Spanish olive oil production is 2.2 times higher than that of the second country in the ranking, Italy. However, there are very few publications on occupational health and safety in the sector, and there are even less on the managerial issues concerned. Such studies can help define and implement better health and safety strategies and actions. Method: After visits, inspections and interviews carried out in three olive oil mills, we drew up a questionnaire. With the collaboration of the Labor Authority, during the two-year research period, 2009-2010, we put questionnaires to the managers of 184 olive oil mills. Our survey aimed at a statistical analysis of the production and prevention organization of the companies, with special interest in the health and safety management policy. Results: The number of workers fluctuates enormously throughout the year in the olive oil mills. Three quarters of the companies have someone in charge of liaising with the outsourced prevention services, in most cases an administrative clerk. Most of the olive oil mills have an Occupational Risk Prevention Plan and all of them have a Risk Assessment Plan and a Preventive Action Plan. However, management policies fail to meet some important requirements adequately, such as those concerning noise exposure risk, and emergency measures, labor representatives were elected in only one in three olive oil mills. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.