Importance: Use Of Occupational Safety Equipment

At Grupo Comeca, occupational prevention programs seek to reduce the probability of an accident.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), approximately 317 million people are victims of occupational accidents each year. Of which 2.34 million die due to occupational accidents or illnesses.

For Grupo Comeca, nothing justifies the lack of health or safety in the workplace. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the associated risks, with the primary objective of caring for each collaborator's life.

In our companies, occupational prevention programs seek to reduce risks, reducing the probability of an accident.

Occupational safety consists of working freely and responsibly, where the chances and possible damages are under control, to safeguard the person's physical, mental and psychological integrity.

An essential part is the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), which is the last line of defense against the risks of the different tasks we handle in the Group, so we must know how they work.

PPE protects various parts of the body to prevent workers from having direct contact with work risks that can cause an accident or illness–it reduces the consequences a misfortune can bring. The main advantage of using PPE is that it provides a physical barrier to reduce the severity of the results of a possible accident or illness.

We must commit to using PPE for all jobs that warrant it; we must also use it correctly, not just for use.

There are different types of PPE to protect against chemical products, dust or particles, and risks of blows, cuts, and welding.

According to the body part they protect, these are the ones we can find in the Group:

• Head: Helmets designed to withstand substantial impacts.

• Hands: Gloves protect workers' hands from chemical products, blows, cuts, temperature, and electrical tension, which is why there is a wide variety.

• Feet: Shoes or boots to protect against falls from heavy or sharp objects, slips, or falls.

• Ears: Plugs or earmuffs. They protect when the noise level is above 85 dB, or there is the possibility of occasional or frequent high-intensity noise.

• Body: there are various types, such as protection from falls, welding to protect against water and chemical products, fire retardant, and protection against extreme temperatures.

• Respiratory function: Masks, respirators, and full face masks. All to protect the respiratory system from agents that can be harmful to health.

All Grupo Comeca personnel given PPE are responsible for its care, cleaning, and maintenance.

The important points that must be taken into account are washing after using the PPE, disinfection, storing them in a clean and dry box or bag, and when a breakage or premature wear is found, request a replacement.

In 2022, companies in the container packaging division that met the low accident rate goals were Prodenvases in Colombia, Metalenvases in Guatemala, Fepsa in Mexico, and Epinsa in Peru. The same as in the corrugated paper and cardboard division: Grupo Cartopel in Ecuador, Empaques San Lucas in Guatemala, Empaques Santo Domingo in Nicaragua, and the Carvimsa Corrugator Division in Peru.

Companies in other sectors that also comply with the provisions are: Containers Corp in Guatemala and from Costa Rica the companies Metales Flix, Impresora Delta, Unican Industry, and the Radisson & Country Inn Hotels.

Remember! Each person is primarily responsible for ensuring their safety with eyes, mind and hands on the task.

Contact: Mario Barboza | mbarboza@grupocomeca.com