Work Precariousness and Risk of Accidents in Civil Construction: A study based on the Collective Work Analysis

This paper aims to describe the construction workers' activities, as well as their perceptions about risks and workload. The study, based on the Collective Work Analysis, is part of a broader public policies project for the improvement of SIVAT (Surveillance System of Work Accidents) - in the city of Piracicaba (Southeastern Brazil). Civil construction was prioritized given the epidemiological magnitude of the occurrence of work accidents and the limited efficacy of traditional surveillance initiatives in this sector due to informal employment practices, outsourcing, high staff turnover, etc. The workers have a high level of awareness concerning the risk of accidents, but they believe that the main preventive measures hinder or even make it impossible for them to carry out the tasks. Our findings question the efficacy of traditional training for adherence to safety practices, thus highlighting the need for a transformative pedagogy for preventive practices and the health promotion of workers.

Social Networks, Segregation and Poverty in Sao Paulo

The associations between segregation and urban poverty have been intensely scrutinized by the sociology and urban studies literatures. More recently, several studies have emphasized the importance of social networks for living conditions. Yet relatively few studies have tested the precise effects of social networks, and fewer still have focused on the joint effects of residential segregation and social networks on living conditions. This article explores the associations between networks, segregation and some of the most important dimensions of access to goods and services obtained in markets: escaping from social precariousness and obtaining monetary income. It is based on a study of the personal networks of 209 individuals living in situations of poverty in seven locales in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo. Using network analysis and multivariate techniques, I show that relational settings strongly influence the access individuals have to markets, leading some individuals into worse living conditions and poverty. At the same time, although segregation plays an important role in poverty, its effects tend to be mediated by the networks in which individuals are embedded. Networks in this sense may enhance or mitigate the effects of isolation produced by space.

Precarização do trabalho e risco de acidentes na construção civil: um estudo com base na Análise Coletiva do Trabalho (ACT)

Este artigo descreve a atividade e a percepção dos trabalhadores da construção civil sobre os riscos e a carga de trabalho. O estudo, com base na Análise Coletiva de Trabalho (ACT), é parte de pesquisa em políticas públicas para aprimoramento do Sistema de Vigilância em Acidentes de Trabalho (SIVAT) de Piracicaba-SP. Priorizou-se a construção civil pela magnitude epidemiológica de ocorrência de acidentes de trabalho e a baixa eficácia das ações tradicionais de vigilância pelas características de informalidade, terceirização e rotatividade do setor. Os trabalhadores revelaram elevada percepção dos riscos de acidentes e que as medidas de segurança dificultam ou impedem a realização do trabalho. Os achados questionam a eficácia dos treinamentos para adesão às medidas de segurança e evidenciam a necessidade de uma pedagogia transformadora nas ações de promoção da saúde e prevenção dos acidentes de trabalho.