Importaco has collaborated with the project “GENDER. Integration of the gender perspective in the ergonomic suitability of working environments” organized by Instituto de Biomechanics Institute of Valencia (IBV) to fit the workplace in with the physiological characteristics of the workers. This project is a great opportunity for Importaco, learning how gender-based perspective has a positive effect in people’s health.

We have identified the hazards in every workplace with an online auto diagnosis tool to check if workplaces ergonomically fit on a gender basis. This task was made in two steps.

The first one is based on the analysis of the basic information for the company, such as the Equality Plans or the protocols to inform and train the staff. The second one focuses on specific workplaces, in which we assess different hazards related to physical demands (loads handling, repetitive tasks, force application, forced postures and patients handling), psychosocial hazards, pregnancy risks, design criteria (of protection equipment, of the spaces, of equipment and tools) and, finally, organizational issues related to the workplace.

One of the main conclusions of the investigations carried out is that not attending gender-based ergonomic criteria in the workplaces hinders the adequate adaptation to the physiological characteristics of the worker. This means a risk of increasing injuries and ailments related to physically high demanding tasks, also reducing productivity, or not guaranteeing equality between men and women.

On the second year of the project, we will develop a guide including recommendations, and an advanced tool to identify potential risks, that could be used by the companies to analyze specific workplaces using a gender-based focus in order to adapt them accordingly with the needs of the different population groups in a holistic approach and along their life cycle.

This project is backed by companies and cooperation entities such as Embutidos Martínez, Grupo Ube, Importaco, Logifruit, Mancomunidad Bajo Segura, OTP-Oficina Técnica de Prevención, S.L., Unimat Prevención, Asociación de Ergonomía de la Comunidad Valenciana (ErgoCV), Ayuntamiento de Alcoy, Ayuntamiento de Algemesí, Ayuntamiento de Segorbe, Ayuntamiento de Villena, Centro Especial de Empleo de Montajes Electrónicos (CEEME), Confederación Empresarial de la Comunitat Valenciana (CEV), Embutidos Martínez or the Fundación Valencia Activa of the Pacto para el Empleo de la ciudad de València (Valencia Activa). It also gets expert advice in gender equality from the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology of the Universitat de València.