The living work of workers who deal with death

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research which took place in the NUMOL (Center for Forensic Medicine and Odontology) of Campina Grande (PB, Brazil). It shows the work activity and highlights the risk factors, as well as the defense strategies used to confront and transform such risks. The theoretical approaches and methods used are the Located Ergonomics and Work Psychodynamic. Fifteen work systematic observations and four interviews with NUMOL teams were made. We identified biohealth, ergonomic, psychological, and accident risk factors. It was realized that workers are mobilized in face of the work variability through work cooperation, developing defense strategies. It was concluded that workers are active and use their knowledge of prudence elaborating strategies to protect themselves from the risks of work and to transform the suffering.