Workplace accidents in Spain

Occupational risk prevention, also known as ORP, is a term that carries significant weight in today’s workplace.

Many companies have noticed an increased demand for prevention measures and protocols to avoid penalties during the “dreaded” labor inspections or even due to the legal and financial consequences of a worker’s accident.

I will specifically discuss the situation in Spain, the country where I live and where, as a result, I have easier access to data and opinions.

According to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy (MITE), last year in the sector encompassing supermarkets and retail stores alone, there were approximately 69,968 workplace accidents resulting in medical leave (11.28% of the total), in addition to 46 fatal accidents among the 620,386 accidents resulting in medical leave that occurred across all sectors.

We can also see that accidents resulting in medical leave accounted for 53.3% of the total number of incidents.

Regarding the causes across all sectors, the second spot goes to musculoskeletal strain: With 143,813 accidents resulting in lost-time absences, it ranks as the second leading cause in 2025 (it was the leading cause in 2024), coming very close to taking the top spot for the second consecutive year.

In fourth place, we also find contact with sharp, piercing, or hard objects: with 60,318 accidents resulting in lost workdays (across all sectors).

If we combine both causes, overexertion and cuts/blows from hard objects account for 33.71% of all work-related accidents resulting in lost-time absences that occurred during the workday in 2025 in Spain. That’s a pretty significant percentage, isn’t it?

I will focus primarily on the food sector, specifically on stores with fresh produce sections (fruit shops, supermarkets, etc.).

The supply and demand for fresh, ready-to-eat products—such as pre-cut fruit or portioned cheeses—are becoming increasingly common.

Now that summer and watermelon season are approaching, it’s common to see this fruit packaged in portions or cut in half. This format offers greater convenience to consumers, who don’t have to put in as much effort at home to prepare such a bulky fruit.

What implications does this have for workplaces? Given the high seasonal demand, processing this product can significantly increase the risk of knife cuts, as well as musculoskeletal injuries resulting from spending hours trying to cut the fruit by hand: poor spinal posture can easily develop over prolonged periods, along with overexertion in the arm and hand used to apply force.

Looking at the figures presented here: Are these accidents isolated incidents? Is it worth investing in workplace safety?

At Halfresh, we believe that workplace accidents are not as rare as they may seem, and that it is indeed worth investing in preventing them.

Recognizing this need in businesses is what led us to develop our F450 PRO and Q250 machines. Both are designed not only to improve productivity but also to prevent the hazards associated with cutting bulky fruits and vegetables, as well as cheese, by hand with a traditional knife.

Their safety systems reduce the risk by up to 80% for the two causes mentioned above.

Finally, I’ve noticed that many businesses don’t prioritize accident prevention (beyond the legal minimum) until they start to see long-term problems and the actual costs that employee absences can incur. In an upcoming blog post, I’ll discuss in greater depth the financial costs to companies resulting from workplace accidents in Spain.

What about you? What do you think about the importance of occupational risk prevention in food industry companies?

Sources:

ESTADÍSTICA DE ACCIDENTES DE TRABAJO Avance enero - diciembre 2025 del Ministerio de Trabajo y Economía Social (MITE)

https://www.mites.gob.es/es/estadisticas/condiciones_trabajo_relac_laborales/EAT/welcome.htm

Research conducted and written by Keila C.M. at Halfresh.