0810/2011 - From surveillance to prevention of work accidents: a contribution from ergonomics of activity
Da vigilância para prevenção de acidentes de trabalho: contribuição da ergonomia da atividade.
Publicado
Author:
• Rodolfo Andrade de Gouveia Vilela - Vilela, R.A.G - São Paulo - Faculdade de Saúde Pública - USP - <ravilela@usp.br> +ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8556-2189
Co-author(s):
• Ildeberto Muniz de Almeida - Almeida, I.M - Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu - UNESP - <ildeberto.almeida@unesp.br>ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8475-3805
• Renata Wey Berti Mendes - Mendes, R.W.B - CEREST Piracicaba e Coppe/ UFRJ - <renatawbm@pep.ufrj.br>
Thematic Area:
Saúde e TrabalhoAbstract:
Work accidents are complex phenomena determined by the work process and its organization. These dimensions are usually invisible to surveillance agents. OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the reach of a surveillance intervention undertaken at a slaughterhouse and meat storage company at two moments: 1997, focusing on checking health and safety norms, and 2008, when ergonomic concepts were incorporated.METHODS: Case study based on documents referring to an intervention made in 1997 and on a work ergonomics analysis performed in 2008. RESULTS: In 1997, surveillance actions focused primarily on visible risks factors. Despite fulfilling sanitation requirements, the company still showed, in 2008, an annual accident incidence rate of 26%, which motivated the search for a new approach. In 2008, it was observed that accidents were caused by a vicious cycle: intense work, technical inadequacy, absenteeism and high turnover that led the company to recruit inexperienced workers. This picture was aggravated by punitive authoritarian practices. CONCLUSIONS: Ergonomics of activity contributed to the understanding of organizational causes, thus surpassing the normative aspects of traditional surveillance, which shows its importance to make surveillance actions more effective for prevention.
