Abstract
Objective: to describe the occupational accidents characteristics and the profile of their victims assisted by the Emergency Trauma Care Integrated Service (SIATE) in Londrina, PR, Brazil.
Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study; data was collected from July 1st to December 31st, 2008, through telephone interviews with the victims or their relatives. Additional information was collected from SIATE rescuers’ reports.
Results: 1,312 interviews were performed and 465 (35.4%) cases were considered occupational accidents. The predominant profile of such victims was of a young male legally employed. Most occupational accidents occurred in the street, and 376 (80.9%) were traffic-related. Of those, approximately 65.0% were identified as occupational route accidents. None of the identified cases had been reported to the Ministry of Health Information System. The Social Security system shows 40.0% underreporting involving formal workers accidents.
Conclusion: occupational health services should prioritize prevention actions on accidents occurred in the streets, as well as implement systematic routines aiming at enhancing the reporting of these cases in databases of national interest, in accordance with the Ministry of Health.
Keywords:
occupational accidents; workers’ health; traffic accidents; route accidents; underreporting