Madrid, March 20, 2025 – The DKV-IE Chair on Employee Health and Wellbeing released its second report, titled “Cultura preventiva en un entorno laboral en transformación: claves para reducir la siniestralidad” (in English, “Preventive Culture in a Changing Work Environment: Key Strategies to Reduce Workplace Accidents”). The study delves into how flexible work models—such as temporary contracts, internal job rotation, and outsourcing—directly affect worker safety and the economic cost of workplace accidents.
Combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, the report finds that companies heavily reliant on temporary or rotating staff face higher accident rates, largely due to insufficient training in occupational risk prevention and a lack of integration of safety into their organizational culture. In 2023 alone, workplace accidents and occupational illness in Spain cost over €15.3 billion, equivalent to nearly 3% of the country’s GDP.
“Every workplace accident is far more than a statistic,” said Rocío Bonet, professor at IE University and director of the DKV-IE Chair. “Behind each injury or fatality are people, families, and communities deeply affected. This report calls for both reflection and action to build safer, more resilient workplaces.”
Beyond identifying risks, the report outlines concrete strategies to reduce workplace accidents in increasingly flexible work environments. Key recommendations include strengthening ongoing occupational safety training, integrating temporary and newly hired workers into the company’s preventive culture, and promoting visible, safety-driven leadership. It also emphasizes the need for positive communication that encourages good practices, rather than relying on punitive measures.
The report presentation underscored the importance of making prevention a strategic—not merely operational—priority. A well-designed and implemented safety culture not only reduces incidents but also contributes to organizational health, business resilience, and improved economic and social performance.
The event concluded with a roundtable discussion moderated by El País journalist Ana Torres, exploring real-world challenges and best practices in managing preventive culture from a business perspective. Panelists included Ana Bazán Olano, Director of People and Internal Communication at Witzenmann Española, and Juan Tinoco, HR Director for the Southern European Cluster at HERO. Both emphasized the need to embed prevention into business strategy and agreed that building safe workplaces is a shared responsibility that demands leadership and commitment at every level.
