This is how prevention transforms real life: story of a mop
Can you imagine what the implementation of the forklift meant? Go from lifting bags by hand to moving tons without bending your back? Technology applied to prevention changes lives. This technological leap not only saved time: it reduced injuries, improved health and allowed us to work more efficiently and safely.
And in addition to the wheelbarrow we could mention hundreds of examples, such as the one that will focus on this article, a common object, of not ordinary use, but very common and that has gone from being an idea, to becoming a museum object and then to being in thousands of homes and companies. This is the automatic mop created by Sprimsol, an Andalusian SME, mutualist of Fraternidad-Muprespa.
This is the perfect example of how innovation in prevention not only improves occupational health, but can transform public procurement. The automatic mop is designed to reduce physical load and prevent musculoskeletal disorders in cleaning staff, which is why it has gone from being a pioneering development to becoming a requirement that can be assessed in contracting documents.
The invention was presented at the exhibition “I+P: Innovating in Prevention", organized at the Granada Science Park with the collaboration of
The data supports the need for innovations like this. According to the European Working Conditions Survey (EU-OSHA, 2023), musculoskeletal disorders remain the most common occupational health problem in Europe: 60% of workers report back, neck or limb pain related to their activity.
In Spain, the INSST confirms that these ailments represent more than 30% of sick leave reports due to occupational illness. The cleaning sector is one of the most affected by repetitive movements, forced postures and manual handling of loads.
The usefulness of the device has been such that the Government of Andalusia has recently incorporated it as an evaluation criterion in the tender for the cleaning service of the Occupational Risk Prevention Center of Granada.
The history of Sprimsol confirms that prevention is not an abstract concept: it is technology, it is health and it is, above all, applied well-being.
