Introduction to Work Safety
Work safety is a discipline that arises from the need to create a safe work environment that guarantees the health and physical integrity of workers. This discipline is concerned with the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases, promoting the health and safety of workers in their respective work environments. Workplace safety is, therefore, a multidisciplinary area of study that involves several fields of knowledge, including engineering, medicine, psychology, sociology, among others.
With the advent of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, working conditions deteriorated dramatically. Workers were subjected to long working hours, in unhealthy and dangerous environments. It was in this context that work safety began to gain relevance, as a response to the need to protect workers from the risks associated with industrial work.
Today, work safety is regulated by a series of laws and regulations, which establish the rights and duties of employers and employees in relation to health and safety at work. In Brazil, for example, work safety is regulated by the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) and the Regulatory Norms (NRs) of the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
Work safety involves a series of activities, ranging from the identification and assessment of risks in the work environment, to the implementation of control measures to eliminate or minimize these risks. These activities are carried out by specialized professionals, such as occupational safety technicians, occupational safety engineers, occupational physicians, among others.
The risks in the work environment can be classified into five categories: physical risks, chemical risks, biological risks, ergonomic risks and accident risks. Physical risks are related to exposure to noise, vibration, radiation, heat, cold, among others. Chemical risks are related to exposure to chemical substances, such as gases, vapors, dust, fumes, among others. Biological risks are related to exposure to microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, among others. Ergonomic risks are related to inadequate posture, weight lifting, repetitive effort, among others. And the risks of accidents are related to falls, electric shocks, fires, explosions, among others.
To eliminate or minimize these risks, control measures are implemented, which can be classified into collective control measures and individual control measures. Collective control measures are those that benefit all workers, such as ventilation of the environment, adequate lighting, organization of the environment, among others. Individual control measures are those that benefit each worker individually, such as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as goggles, ear protectors, gloves, boots, among others.
Work safety is, therefore, a fundamental discipline to guarantee the health and physical integrity of workers. It involves a series of activities, ranging from the identification and assessment of risks in the work environment, to the implementation of control measures to eliminate or minimize these risks. Workplace safety is a shared responsibility between employers and employees, and all must commit to promoting health and safety at work.
