Ergonomics, development and sustainable work: a look for worker's health.

BACKGROUND: The Brundlandt Report (Our Common Future), from 1987, provided just a generic notion of sustainable development, leaving to the political, academic and social milieus the formulation of the technical foundations of sustainability. Within this context, category workers' health was neglected. OBJECTIVE: The present paper discusses the central relevance of work and its relationship to health for the development of sustainability as anchored in the respect for the life and health of workers. METHODS: Based on the qualitative scientific paradigm and the dialectical method, the theoretical and empirical research conducted in the presented study adopted an epistemological perspective grounded on three basic principles: constructive nature of interpretative knowledge, interactive nature of the research process and significance of singularity as a level of knowledge production through a dialogical process. RESULTS: Based on the analysis performed, subject workers' health in its relation to sustainable development was subjected to an epistemological discussion. CONCLUSION: To fully substantiate this notion, the idea of sustainable development implies a thorough involvement of ergonomics and other fields of knowledge related to work.

CONTEXTO: O Relatório Brundlandt (Nosso Futuro Comum), de 1987, ao enunciar o conceito genérico de desenvolvimento sustentável, deixou para os sucessivos formuladores nos campos político, acadêmico e social a produção das bases técnicas da sustentabilidade. Nestas, a categoria saúde do trabalhador foi negligenciada. OBJETIVO: No presente texto discutiu-se a relevância central que o trabalho e sua relação com a saúde têm na constituição de uma sustentabilidade amparada no respeito à vida e à saúde dos que trabalham. MÉTODOS: Baseada no paradigma científico qualitativo e no método dialético, a pesquisa teórica e empírica desenvolvida neste trabalho deu-se a partir da perspectiva da epistemologia, a qual se apoia em três princípios básicos: o caráter construtivo interpretativo do conhecimento, o interativo do processo de pesquisa e a significação da singularidade como nível da produção do conhecimento, por meio de um processo dialógico. RESULTADOS: Diante das análises, procedeu-se a uma discussão epistemológica sobre a saúde do trabalhador perante o desenvolvimento sustentável. CONCLUSÃO: Foi identificado que o ideário do desenvolvimento sustentável implica o envolvimento visceral da ergonomia e das demais áreas do conhecimento comprometidas com o trabalho, de forma a alicerçar o conceito em sua plenitude.

The gap between what has been defined and what is still pending in occupational health surveillance.

The scope of this paper is to address some questions about Occupational Health Surveillance (VISAT) in Brazil based on various elements of analysis, in order to contribute to the debate on this theme at the Fourth National Conference on Occupational Health. The topics discussed in the article are: the role of Reference Centers for Occupational Health (CEREST) as a place for discussing VISAT; training and qualification of the VISAT agents; commitment of workers as subjects of VISAT action; strategies for intersectorial liaison with other areas of the State; and the dialogue between peers working in the field of research and action of VISAT. It should be emphasized that in Brazil there is specific legislation on VISAT that is a priority of the National Labor Policy. The conclusion drawn is that heavy investment in the training of agents and the development of specific guidelines is needed to implement systematic and intersectorial actions in this respect. At the time of the Conference, the greatest expression of the exercise of social control, it is recommended that the participation in surveillance procedures of health workers be evaluated as a precondition to ensure the effectiveness of these actions.