WORKPLACE SAFETY

Unfortunately, Brazil is one of the countries in which the most accidents at work occur in the world: there are more than 700 thousand per year. And this data is quite worrying.

Let’s talk a little bit about this very important topic and give you some fundamental information about safety at work.

Work safety is a serious thing

More than a group of professions focused on worker care, Occupational Safety is a science that studies the occurrence of accidents at work, looking for a way to prevent them and to protect the health and well-being of the worker.

To perform this function, Occupational Safety involves knowledge of areas such as medicine, engineering, nursing, statistics and epidemiology, developing various technologies, such as PPE (personal protective equipment).

Work Safety Team

The Specialized Services in Safety Engineering and Occupational Medicine (SESMT), regulated by labor legislation, are composed of a physician specialized in occupational medicine, occupational safety engineer, occupational nurse, occupational safety technician and nursing assistant . In this way, a multidisciplinary team is trained to address any issue related to Work Safety.

It is important to say that the professionals required in the company’s SESMT depend on the number of employees and the degree of risk that that production has for the worker. For example: companies with grade 2 risk and more than 1,000 employees need a doctor and a part-time engineer and a full-time job safety technician and nursing assistant.

Regulation by laws

With 36 regulatory norms (NRs) and several ordinances, decrees and complementary laws, Brazilian labor law determines how work safety should be put into practice in each type of company.

These texts also describe the penalties and fines that companies will suffer if they do not meet the necessary requirements.

Investing in Workplace Safety is key

Perhaps this type of expense seems unnecessary or costly to the company. But it is important that the company is aware that good management in Workplace Safety ensures that its workforce will be healthy to produce efficiently, reducing absences due to health problems, the payment of indemnities and the number of accidents and absences for sick leave. What’s more, fines and other penalties are avoided.

Therefore, expenses are compensated, including increasing production and profit, in addition to valuing and increasing the company’s credibility.