The applicability of a methodology to analyze large industrial accidents using social-technical analysis developed by the Center of Studies on Worker's Health and Human Ecology (CESTEH/Fiocruz) was tested in a fungal contamination accident occurred in December 1997 at a public library in Rio de Janeiro. The accident was due to problems in controlling the ambient temperature, which resulted in discomfort, breathing symptoms, and sick leave. The library workers, through a signed petition, had already brought the problem forward. It was characterized as a case of Sick Building Syndrome, which is caused by bad indoor air quality, especially in acclimatized environments. The event made Brazilian librarians aware of an issue which, in spite of being rather ordinary, is still not very well known within the field of Public Health, particularly in the area of Worker's Health.
accident analysis; Sick Building Syndrome; worker's health
