Influences of working conditions and organization in a sugar cane transformation industry in the event of accidents at work

Abstract

The present study is about the relationship between the work conditions and organization as elements that contribute to work accidents. The data were collected in a sugar cane industry that produces sugar, alcohol and other derivates located in the State of São Paulo. For data collection we have used direct observation of work and conducted semi-directed personal interviews with 22 workers from the sugar production division. Sugar production was indicated by the Work Safety and Hygienic Team as the section where most accidents occurred. We have used the Psychodynamics of the work view (Dejours, 1994) as the theoretical framework to assess data obtained in the interview because it highlights the role the men-work relationship plays in the physical and psychological health of workers. The interviews analysis involved three aspects: working conditions, working organization and dissatisfaction. Results showed that the studied environment presents physical, chemical and biological factors that are unfavorable to workers' health. As for the working organization, data showed that the working division, as well as the tasks overloaded workers. Reports on dissatisfaction involved: lack of perspective of professional development, lack of technical training, difficulty in dealing with equipment and inappropriate protection equipment. In the workers' speech one can stand out the inefficiency of the organizational actions to eliminate or neutralize the working accident's risks and the prevalence of the "Unsafe Act" theory in the investigation of the working accidents' cause.