Ence Energia y Celulosa : leads and drives security in the forestry sector of Asturias and Galicia

Ence's priority is to guarantee the safety and health of all the company's professionals, as well as those who maintain a related work activity. That is why the company leads and is the engine of safety and health in the forestry sector of Asturias and Galicia. A leadership that has been reinforced to face the sanitary crisis caused by the coronavirus, implementing numerous measures to avoid any risk of contagion and allowing the continuity of activity throughout the forest chain.

Ence carries out its work in forest safety by creating, leading and promoting a preventive culture, and developing innovative R & D & I actions focused on people, their behavior and their forest operations. The goal is to create, day by day, healthier and safer forest work environments.

As a result of the exceptional situation caused by the coronavirus, Ence established a strict prevention protocol on February 24, which is constantly reinforced and updated with the active participation of all company workers. The company has also led its implementation among all the people involved in forestry operations. Thanks to its prompt and pioneering implementation, it has managed to maintain activity in the mountains of Galicia and Asturias.

Some of the actions to guarantee safety and allow the continuity of the activity of the forestry sector have been the reinforcement of Ence's own parks, the increase in the shifts of the company's equipment, and the investment to increase scales, cranes and download processes.

These measures have come to complement the ones previously promoted by the company in terms of security in the forest environment. Regarding people, we can mention training and preventive awareness in the bush, practical sessions on the safe use of chainsaws, monitoring of work in the bush, as well as talks and meetings to raise awareness about occupational health and safety.

In the field of operations, Ence has developed and implemented improvements such as new communication systems, hydraulic wedges, shoring props, high security helmets, and the in-depth analysis of incidents generated during operations.

The continuous improvement in forest security has led, last year, to the application of an innovative technological project based on prevention and artificial intelligence. Since then, Ence has the Predictive Algorithm in Forest Occupational Health and Safety, which is capable of anticipating and avoiding possible damage to the health of workers in forest operations.