Enfermedades, lesiones y accidentes en trabajadores de la construcción en Uruguay, período 2014-2018

This study was carried out under the framework of the research and outreach activities of the Department of Occupational Health of the School of Medicine of the University of the Republic, as an initiative of the workers of its single union of construction and related industries. The objective was t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pisani, Adriana, Tomasina, Fernando
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/oaiart?codigo=8481765
Source:Salud de los Trabajadores, ISSN 1315-0138, Vol. 29, Nº. 2, 2021, pags. 146-156
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Summary: This study was carried out under the framework of the research and outreach activities of the Department of Occupational Health of the School of Medicine of the University of the Republic, as an initiative of the workers of its single union of construction and related industries. The objective was to describe the health and disease profile of workers in the sector in order to generate actions to promote their occupational health. The study was descriptive and consisted of a secondary analysis of existing data. Musculoskeletal disorders, traumatic injuries, poisonings and respiratory illnesses were the main cause of sickness absence. Musculoskeletal disorders were the main cause of both work-related and total disability. The cumulative incidence rate of injuries in 2014 was 81.8 per 1000 dues-paying construction workers, and subsequently declined until 2018, to an incidence of 62.2 per 1000 dues-paying workers. Overexertion was the most common mechanism of injury. With respect to fatal accidents, there was a marked decline between 2014 and 2016, followed by a progressive increase in 2018. This study underscores the need to improve the recognition of occupational illness and injury in the construction and related industries sector, and to add depth to safety and health interventions, with an emphasis on ergonomic aspects of physical loads.