![\"\"](\"https:\/\/clusterdapizarra.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/jornada-tecnica-cluster-da-pizarraWEB.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Galicia Slate Cluster brought together more than 50 professionals from the slate sector for a Technical Conference on prevention and occupational health.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The Director General for Energy Planning and Mines, Pablo Fern\u00e1ndez, reaffirmed the Xunta\u2019s commitment to the slate industry, which in recent years has granted \u201cmore than 80 subsidies amounting to over 4.2 million euros to combat silica dust.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The Galicia Slate Cluster held today\u2019s Technical Conference on safety and health in the slate sector. More than 50 people gathered at the headquarters of the Slate Technology Centre in Sobradelo de Valdeorras to attend presentations given by experts in occupational risk prevention and industrial hygiene.<\/p>\n The Cluster\u2019s president, Eliseo L\u00f3pez<\/strong>, highlighted in his speech \u201cthe absolute commitment of the Cluster\u2019s companies to safety and health, as demonstrated by the more than 8 million euros invested in these areas over the last four years.\u201d He also thanked \u201cthe support of the Xunta de Galicia for providing more than 4 million euros in aid\u201d for the development of projects in this field.<\/p>\n L\u00f3pez also referred to the importance of holding this conference with contributions from experts in occupational safety and health\u2014topics \u201cthat we believe deserve reflection\u201d and for which \u201cthe companies in our sector work continuously, with investment increasing every year.\u201d<\/p>\n Along the same lines, the Director General for Energy Planning and Mines, Pablo Fern\u00e1ndez Vila<\/strong>, recalled that \u201cit is very important to highlight that we have already granted more than 80 subsidies totalling over 4.2 million euros to combat silica dust.\u201d He also mentioned \u201cthe progress made in recent years\u201d and the importance of \u201corganising conferences like today\u2019s, which address these issues from a technical and health perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n For her part, the mayor of Sobradelo, Mar\u00eda Carmen Gonz\u00e1lez Quintela<\/strong>, asked during her closing remarks \u201cthat institutions continue investing in health and safety,\u201d because, she explained, \u201cwe are here to solve the problems faced by slate workers, which have been discussed today.\u201d She referred to dialogue \u201cto address serious issues without creating social alarm\u201d and to the importance of this type of activity, of which, as mayor of Carballeda, \u201cshe feels very proud,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The experts<\/strong><\/p>\n Occupational Risk Prevention specialist Marcos Fern\u00e1ndez<\/strong>, with more than 20 years of experience in the sector, explained the most recent regulations related to exposure to silica dust generated in the slate industry. \u201cIn 2020 there was a fundamental change in the sector: crystalline silica was classified as a carcinogenic agent.\u201d The new regulation, he explained, \u201crequired a series of changes at all levels, and companies had to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n Next, engineers Daniel Le\u00f3n<\/strong> and Jos\u00e9 Luis Folla<\/strong> spoke about the improvements already implemented in companies to reduce exposure to silica dust in the sector\u2019s industries. After reviewing the improvements made at each stage, they concluded that despite \u201chaving to implement new measures in record time due to the imposed regulation,\u201d there is still \u201ca lot to test; the key is finding a balance between cost, benefit, and feasibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, mining engineer and Industrial Hygiene expert Javier Madera<\/strong> addressed prevention of silica dust exposure within the framework of adapting to one of the most demanding pieces of legislation in Europe, with one of the strictest interpretations as well. He referred to the sector\u2019s immediate future, which will apply, he said, \u201ccutting\u2011edge solutions\u201d to an issue in which \u201cwe are operating at a very high level\u201d because \u201cwe have stepped on the accelerator\u201d to achieve compliance.<\/p>\n Alberto P\u00e9rez<\/strong>, Professor of Physics at the University of Santiago de Compostela, spoke about a numerical modelling project carried out in two factories in the sector, addressing issues related to reducing the risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust through computational fluid dynamics simulation. \u201cWe can work on prediction for prevention\u2014that is, we can study how the new technology acquired by a company will function, which has a direct impact on workers\u2019 health,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n In the final presentation, pulmonology specialist Dr. Laura Sierra<\/strong> discussed Occupational Risk Prevention in slate\u2011sector companies, breaking down each aspect of exposure to crystalline silica dust and its effects on the body. She advocated for \u201crigorous diagnosis\u201d that \u201cdoes not create confusion or alarm\u201d regarding a disease that is \u201ccompletely preventable\u201d thanks to \u201cpreventive measures that help protect both the worker and the company.\u201d<\/p>\n The technical conference concluded with a debate featuring the expert speakers, during which attendees raised practical questions they face in their daily work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Galicia Slate Cluster brought together more than 50 professionals from the slate sector for a Technical Conference on prevention and occupational health. The Director General for Energy Planning and Mines, Pablo Fern\u00e1ndez, reaffirmed the Xunta\u2019s commitment to the slate industry, which in recent years has granted \u201cmore than 80 subsidies amounting to over 4.2 […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8424,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[129,156],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cluster-da-pizarra-en","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/clusterdapizarra.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DSC02097WEB.jpg\")