High Work Accident (WA) rates continue to occur in the Civil Construction (CC) sector, in spite of governmental, corporate and union efforts to reduce them. A research was carried out at a University Hospital in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, to survey the occurrence of AT and their possible relations with the occupation of patients/workers who sought medical assistance during two consecutive years. 6,122 records were analyzed with a view to examining the amount of worker victims, as well the characteristics of victims and accidents, such as causes, affected body parts and medical diagnoses reached. 150 out of 6,122 hospital records referred to ICC workers. Predominant age range was 31-40 years old (34.7%), all victims were male and 55.3% were from the Ribeirão Preto. The most frequent causes were falls (37.7%); the most affected body parts were the superior limbs (30.7%) and fractures were observed in 24% of the diagnoses. None of the records examined contained a copy of the Work Accident Communication (CAT). Suggestions are made with a view to minimizing WA in Civil Construction, and health teams are alerted about the need to question patients/victims about their occupation, thus seeking to establish a relation between the WA that occurred and the work carried out by the victims.
civil construction worker; work accidents; work conditions
