ASEPEYO

Interview with Antonio Cobos Rodríguez

What led you to consider purchasing exoskeletons in your company?

Asepeyo Mutua Colaboradora con la Seguridad Social nº 151, tries to be up to date in innovation issues related to occupational risk prevention. When exoskeletons for industrial use began to emerge, the Prevention Department of the Mutual Insurance Company was immediately curious to learn about them.

After the first tests, it was soon realized that there was a possibility that this equipment could help prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that can result from performing common tasks in many companies, and it was decided to purchase some passive exoskeletons to show them to our member companies.

As part of the Social Security Preventive Activities Plan that mutual insurance companies are obliged to comply with, a project was launched to raise awareness of MSDs among our member companies, offering them the opportunity to test the equipment in a real workplace at their facilities.

What is the purpose of your project?

Through Asepeyo’s network of prevention consultants, who make direct contact with member companies throughout the country, knowledge of the exoskeletons is promoted to all those who request to participate in the project led by Asepeyo.

In parallel to these specific tests in companies, events are also organized where the exoskeletons available to Asepeyo can be known and tested (showrooms, congresses…).

Why did you choose Healthy Suits exoskeletons?

Recently, the “Muscle Suit Soft Power” exo-suit model has been acquired to provide all Asepeyo’s consultants with the purpose of showing them to the mutual companies.

Equipment that is lighter and more comfortable than traditional exoskeletons is sought after. These offer support to the back muscles, relieving the load they must bear when maintaining postures or manipulating loads.

From your experience with exoskeletons, have they improved work environments and workers’ health?

One function of the Mutua’s consultants is to advise member companies on aspects of occupational risk prevention. In the case of exoskeletons, we focus on companies that wish to test them, and depending on the results obtained, they can decide whether or not to implement this type of solution.

Depending on the task performed in the workplace, the postures adopted, the frequency or repetitiveness involved in the daily activity itself, these types of elements are more or less accepted.

It is very important to have an implementation plan that takes into account the opinion of all the people involved: company and workers.

From your organization, are you satisfied with the results of working and collaborating with Healthy Suits?

We have had the opportunity to collaborate with Healthy Suits on several occasions and the relationship has always been very satisfactory from the first contact. The level of technical support they offer meets all our expectations.