The Director General of Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, José Ramón Rodríguez (PP), announced this Tuesday the start of the study on the ergonomic and psychosocial conditions in the hospitality sector in the south of Gran Canaria, in order to improve the health of the professionals in these establishments, paying special attention to chambermaids. Rodríguez has shown the sensitivity of Employment to "provide a solution to the demands of workers in the sector." Therefore, he has recalled that "the study, in addition to evaluating for the first time the mental health of hospitality professionals, will carry out a diagnosis of the conditions in which they carry out their work to identify needs, such as the incorporation of elevating beds or motorized cleaning carts that facilitate their work."
This methodology defines a safe and healthy method based on the analysis of different factors, including, for example, the category of the establishment and the environment where it is located, the dimensions of the rooms, the time of year, whether the linen change system is on demand or planned, the type of client, the equipment of the room, since some represent more work, and even the effort required by the professional to clean it.
The Minister for Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, said last June that "the prevention of occupational risks throughout this year has been a fundamental pillar for the General Directorate of Labour, and during the first quarter of the year we have reduced the incidence rate to 12,5%, so the effort is bearing fruit." During this year, ergonomic and psychosocial studies will be carried out that will be completed at the end of the year, the conclusions of which will allow the development of prevention tools and she stressed that "for the first time, the psychosocial risk associated with mental health disorders is being assessed, not only in the chambermaid sector but also in all production sectors."
In 2023, 4.364 occupational accidents with sick leave were reported in the accommodation services sector, 99,77 percent of which were minor. "The chambermaid group is once again the occupation with the highest accident rate, accounting for 38 percent of all occupational accidents, that is, 1.176," said the Director General of Labor, José Ramón Rodríguez, who assured that "the Government has paid special attention to the problems of this professional category. Last year, 70 occupational diseases were reported in the hotel sector, of which 38 correspond to cleaning staff, 95 percent related to musculoskeletal diseases."
