In the current labor context, it is essential that Worker's Health Surveillance can promote workers' health and prevent work related diseases and accidents by means of research, analysis and intervention on the processes, work environments, organizations and labor relations. The objective of this essay is to bethink workers' health surveillance process, particularly in the city of São Paulo. Based on literature review and documental analysis, we discuss the current flow and the impediments of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) actions concerning workers' health surveillance, approaching the gap between theoretical knowledge, its understanding and applicability. We start by a historical and conceptual retrospective of the Worker's Health subject. Then, we analyze the Brazilian governmental policies on Worker's Health Surveillance as well as the concepts of Health Surveillance and Worker's Health Surveillance, considering perspectives of different authors on Surveillance of Worker's Health. We conclude by pointing at the need of re-qualifying the Brazilian public health organizational structure, including the qualitative indicators of the actions impact, taking into account the different work processes and the diversity of needs in each of SUS' Worker's Health services.
occupational health; worker's health surveillance; health policy; occupational health services; national health programs