Relação entre condições de trabalho e saúde: representações de trabalhadores da construção civil da região metropolitana de Maringá-PR

Abstract

The field of study called Worker's Health emerged in Brazil in the end of the 1970s, and was consolidated over the two following decades, subsidized by the process of democratization of the country, which allowed for social analyses that were more attentive to the types of oppression that take place in the job market. Since then, interdisciplinary studies have championed proposals that contribute for the elaboration of public policies for the validation of rights and the protection of the worker class. One example is in the construction industry, where there is a high number of accidents and the highest number of occupational diseases. It can be considered that inadequate work conditions contribute for this situation of vulnerability and can be seen as the reason for many diseases. This research analyzes the representations from construction industry workers in the metropolitan region of Maringá, in the northwest of the state of Paraná, about the relations between work conditions and health. Its secondary objectives include attempting to ascertain the main fragilities that compromise the health of the workers and verify whether there are effective health promotion practices in the sector. The sample includes statements from 14 male professionals — most workers in this field are male — who are 18 years old or older and had been working in construction sites for more than one year. Data were analyzed according with Bardin's (2016) content analysis, with the aid of the NVIVO 12 software. The theoretical perspective followed an interdisciplinary approach, using sociological, historical, psychological, and health concepts. The results showed that the interviewees had a positive self-perception about their health, despite having a mostly unhealthy lifestyle. It was found that having an informal work relation is a factor that increases the fragility of workers, since the informal workers are more stressed and more likely to feel overburdened in their work. Furthermore, actions to promote health are not carried out with these workers, making them even more vulnerable to the risks of becoming diseased in spite of their work. On the other hand, formal workers participate in health promoting activities, which have an important role in raising their awareness about the risks in their line of work and the importance of having preventive care towards their health. It has been concluded that it is essential to articulate government actions attentive to strategies to promote the health of the worker, especially focusing on informal workers.