Occupational health and safety at BBVA
BBVA views the promotion of occupational health and safety as one of the guiding principles and key goals that are addressed through ongoing improvement of working conditions.
The bank promotes safety and health at the workplace, as reflected in the code of conduct and specific policies in each country where it has a presence, based on the local laws and regulations of each country. Such policies reflect the overarching principles and guidelines for promoting health and safety at work. For example, in the case of Spain, the rules apply to all employees, contractors and other persons under the oversight of the company. These guidelines are in addition to any contractual requirements agreed with suppliers and providers covering occupational health and safety.
These policies reflect the core principles of action in health and safety. In accordance with local laws and regulations, each country unit has specific management systems. Through these commitments, BBVA promotes ongoing improvement in health and safety management and enforces domestic and international standards and regulations. The bank also takes care to consult employees' representatives.
To promote ongoing improvement, the bank conducts occupational health and safety risk and hazard assessments to identify potential causes of work-related harms, and specifies procedures to investigate work-related injuries, diseases and incidents. BBVA prioritizes and integrates action and monitoring plans to address these risks. For instance, plans have been introduced to reduce accidents in Spain by rapidly responding to emergencies, supported by drills, assessments and local communications.
To ensure the effectiveness of management systems, the bank conducts internal and, in some country units, independent external health, safety and welfare checks, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Employees and their managers can use an internal app to report a workplace accident. After registering with the app, the employee receives an assistance report so that they can be checked up by the respective health insurance service.
BBVA relies on occupational health and safety training to raise awareness and reduce operational incidents among employees. Campus BBVA, the Group's training model, offers occupational risk prevention courses for all employees. In addition, with the implementation of the flexible work model, employees in Spain have specific training in work-from-home health and safety through a dedicated space on the bank's internal occupational health website.