Article Text
Abstract
Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the trends and differentials of workplace accidents registered in the mining sector in the State of Minas Gerais, located in Southeastern Brazil and responsible for more than 40% of mineral production in the country. In addition, it intends to identify some restraints to more realistic quantifications and characterizations of workplace accidents as well as to discuss possible alternatives to overcome them.
Method Through a critical view of statistics about fatal and nonfatal accidents at workplace originating from Annual Relation of Social Information and Yearly Workplace Accident Records, it is intended to measure differentials about the accident results i.e. temporary incapacity, death and disability, conceive benefits, lost work time, accident description, ages, sex, instruction degree and occupation.
Results From 2000 to 2010, workplace accidents in the mining sector kept a relatively high level. In fact, they are rising. Except for 2001 and mainly for 2003, when it fell, this trend remained practically unchanged in the period. Yet, this fall may not reflect larger outsourcing and/or an increase in informal work relations. Moreover, accident and death rates or lethality rates place the sector in an uncomfortable rank.
Conclusions The data found in these records can be intrinsically improved and their cover range can be broadened. Even keeping the particularities of mining sector on a regional scale, this work shows a concrete analysis followed by propositions of intervention to achieve a better workplace accidents statistics.