Elirerto Galván: “2026 is the opportunity to consolidate a true preventive culture”
Within the framework of the #VamosACreérnoslo campaign, with which Fraternidad-Muprespa joins the Year of Safety and Health at Work 2026, we began a series of interviews with some of the people who lead prevention in our country. An initiative that seeks to reinforce a shared conviction: prevention is only possible when you believe in it and it is promoted from all areas.
We open this series with Elirerto Manuel Galván, director of the Canarian Institute of Occupational Safety, ICASEL, since 2015, doctor specializing in Occupational Medicine and reference professional in the preventive field, with a career of more than two decades dedicated to safety, occupational health and the continuous improvement of working conditions.
The relationship between Fraternidad-Muprespa and the Institute has been consolidated for years through numerous joint conferences and campaigns, a collaboration that shows how the sum of efforts is key to strengthening risk prevention and promoting safer and healthier work environments.
2026 has been declared the Year of Safety and Health at Work. What meaning does this declaration have for your Autonomous Community and what opportunities does it open to reinforce the preventive culture in your territory?
This declaration represents much more than an institutional commemoration. It coincides with the 30th anniversary of Law 31/1995 on the Prevention of Occupational Risks and represents a call to reinforce prevention as a strategic value in companies, administrations and society.
For our Autonomous Community, this declaration has a double meaning. On the one hand, recognition of the progress made in preventive culture, accident reduction and improvement of working conditions.
On the other hand, political and social impulse to confront the new occupational risks associated with digitalization, the aging of the working population, psychosocial risks, teleworking or climate change.
In short,
The Year of Safety and Health at Work can act as a catalyst to consolidate an authentic preventive culture in the Canary Islands
a culture where occupational health and safety are not understood only as a legal obligation, but as an essential element of employment quality, business competitiveness and social well-being.
How do you think the work of mutual societies fits within the preventive system of your community and what improvements or lines of work do you think could be introduced to improve the preventive culture of our mutual members?
Mutual insurance companies are a key element within the preventive system of our community, since you act not only in the management of professional contingencies and health care, but also as active agents in the promotion of occupational health and safety. Their closeness to companies and workers allows them to detect frequent risks, advise on preventive measures and promote safe work habits adapted to each productive sector.
The technical capacity and practical experience of the Mutual Funds make them complementary support for companies and administrations.
Furthermore, their technical capacity and practical experience make them complementary support for companies and public administrations.
However, I consider that there are several lines of improvement to reinforce the preventive culture among mutual members, such as increasing practical and sectoral training actions, especially in SMEs and the self-employed, where there are often fewer preventive resources; promote greater coordination between mutual insurance companies, prevention services, companies and administration and promote monitoring and preventive support programs after sick leave, to facilitate safe return to work and avoid relapses.
What progress is being made in the prevention of ergonomic and musculoskeletal risks, especially relevant in the Canary Islands?
In the prevention of ergonomic risks and musculoskeletal disorders, important progress is being made both at the state level and in our autonomous community, especially in sectors with high physical load such as hospitality, socio-healthcare and construction.
ICASEL promotes ergonomic and psychosocial studies in the hotel sector in the Canary Islands, which has so much weight in the region
In the Canary Islands, where the hotel sector has enormous economic weight, specific ergonomic and psychosocial studies promoted by ICASEL are being carried out. A study was recently published that analyzed 121 hotels in the archipelago and showed the importance of evaluating ergonomic and psychosocial risks with more specific methodology and extending preventive measures beyond training and information.
Also, the technical document “Working time planning in the floor department as a preventive tool” has recently been published, which allows establishing the workload of housekeepers.
In conclusion, current advances combine technology, training, organizational redesign and health surveillance. In the Canary Islands, these improvements are especially important due to the weight of tourism and physically demanding jobs, where MSDs continue to be one of the main causes of sick leave.
