Rojas Rodríguez, S., Miranda G-Cuevas, T.
Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales / Avda. Elvas s/n / 06071 Badajoz / España 34924289600 / tmiranda@unex.es
Rojas Moreno, C. V.,
INPREX, SP / Ctra. Sta Marta, 17 / 06200 Almendralejo (Badajoz) / España 34924677222 / inprex@telefonica.net
ABSTRACT
The progressive application of the law 31/1995 of Prevention of Labour Risks (PLR) in Spain has been reaching to certain sectors and/or activities throughout the last years; this is the case of the agricultural sector of the region of Tierra de Barros, one of the most relevant in Extremadura. In this work, the general characteristics of the sector, the activities and processes, typology of the companies, systems adopted in the preventive management, etc., are analyzed, and a model of methodology for the preventive management is presented, widely contrasted by its application in a high number of companies and during a sufficient period of time.
Keywords
Agricultural sector, PLR, preventive management
INTRODUCCION
The progressive application of the law 31/1995 of Prevention of Labour Risks (PLR) has been reaching to certain sectors and/or activities throughout the last years. This is the case of the grape-wine sector in Extremadura, whose main exponent is in the region of Tierra de Barros, that concentrates a percentage of 55% of the vineyard of the community and a 65% of the transforming industries.
In this work, the general characteristics of the sector are analyzed, both those referring to its agricultural component (culture of the grapevine) and those corresponding to its industrial facet (processes of elaboration of wines, alcohol and liquor). On the other hand, a model of methodology for the preventive management is presented, widely contrasted by its application in a high number of companies and, in our opinion, during a more than sufficient period of time.
The situation of the sector in the mentioned region is explained in detail in the last part of this work: its peculiarities, the degree of application of the effective regulations, as well as the level of accident rate.
Finally, it will be commented the future situation of this sector in Extremadura as far as the prevention of labour risks is concerned.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GRAPE-WINE SECTOR
Activities and processes in the sector
This sector includes: wine cellars, distilleries and liquor factories, activities that usually coexist within a same company, mainly in the case of cooperatives.
Referring to the processes, in the wine cellars, in addition to the elaboration of the wine the bottling process is carried out; in the distilleries the process is reduced to the extraction of the residual alcohol of by-products coming from the wine cellars and to the distillation of the wine subsidized for this aim by the administration; the distilleries usually use the alcohol of mouth (the one made for human consumption) as raw material for the elaboration of different liquor. Following, and due to its importance in this sector in Extremadura, this work will focus on the wine cellar industries, leaving out in some cases the particularities of the distilleries.
It is very common for the businessmen of the wine sector to have grapevine culture farms whose production they use as raw material in their industries. Therefore, the agricultural and the industrial activities, so different from each other, depend on a same businessman.
Typology of the companies.
Regarding to wine cellars, it is necessary to distinguish between:
Cooperatives, made up of a group of small farmers, who join together to defend better their interests and to increase their competitiveness. This kind of company has usually a certain number of fixed workers and need, in campaign period, to hire temporary workers.
Small and medium-sized companies (SMSC), which in most cases belong to only one person who, throughout the time, has increased the volume of his business, becoming a medium company of a certain prestige in the zone and even exporting sometimes products to foreign countries. This kind of company has between 3 and 5 fixed workers, plus the temporary workers needed in campaign period.
The majority of these wine cellars, due to the demand of the market, decided years ago to incorporate bottling lines that allow to give a better exit to their products and to increase their commercial margin. This activity is made throughout the year, which, together with the
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