Much work-related harm does not come from an accident, but from how much is asked of the body and mind and how work is organised.
Physical load
This is the effort of the body: postures, repeated movements, force, handling loads. When it continues for too long, it causes musculoskeletal disorders: pain in the back, neck, shoulders and wrists.
Ergonomic ideas:
- Avoid awkward or prolonged postures. Change position.
- Work at the right height: neither bent over nor with your arms above your shoulders.
- Alternate tasks so as not to load the same parts of the body all the time.
- Report pain early. If you wait, the harm grows.
Manual handling of loads
Real Decreto 487/1997 first asks for it to be avoided, for example with trolleys, carts or cranes. If it cannot be avoided, the employer must organise the work, provide suitable means and assess the risk. It must also inform and train those who lift weights.
The royal decree does not set a single maximum weight. It depends on the load, the effort, the environment and the person.
How to lift a load:
- Get close to the load and spread your feet for good balance.
- Bend your knees, not your back, and keep your back straight.
- Grip firmly and hold the load close to your body.
- Lift using the strength of your legs, without jerking.
- Avoid twisting your trunk: move your feet to turn.
- Ask for help if the load is very heavy or bulky.
Display screens
Real Decreto 488/1997 applies to those who use screens regularly. The assessment must consider the risks to eyesight, physical problems and mental load. It is necessary to alternate tasks or take breaks. If health surveillance recommends it, there is a right to an eye examination.
Tips: the screen at eye level and free of glare, the keyboard in front of you, forearms supported, feet on the floor and an adjustable chair with lumbar support. Look into the distance from time to time.
Fatigue and working time
Fatigue is tiredness that does not go away after a short rest. It increases mistakes and accidents. The Workers' Statute (Estatuto de los Trabajadores) sets limits that protect rest:
- At least 12 hours between the end of one working day and the start of the next (article 34.3).
- A break of at least 15 minutes if the continuous working day exceeds 6 hours (article 34.4).
- A weekly rest of a day and a half without interruption (article 37.1).
- The employer must keep a daily record of working hours (article 34.9).
Psychosocial risks
They arise from the organisation of work and from relationships: excessive pace, impossible deadlines, little control over the task, lack of support, unclear duties, badly distributed shifts. They can cause stress, anxiety, exhaustion (burnout) and physical health problems.
Job dissatisfaction is also a risk factor: not feeling valued, not seeing the point of the task or having no prospects.
What to do: talk to your superior, to the workers' representatives or to the prevention service. Stressful situations are an occupational risk and the employer must assess them like any other.
Violence and harassment at work
Harassment (psychological, sexual or sex-based) and violence are occupational risks. Ley Orgánica 3/2007 (article 48) requires employers to promote working conditions that avoid sexual harassment and sex-based harassment, and Ley Orgánica 10/2022 (article 12) requires them to establish procedures to prevent it and to deal with complaints.
If you suffer it or see it, do not stay silent: use the employer's reporting channel, talk to the representatives or go to the Labour Inspectorate.
Digital disconnection
Outside your working hours, you have the right not to answer work messages. Ley Orgánica 3/2018 recognises the right to digital disconnection in order to respect rest.