Work conditions and health symptoms of ragickers in Curitiba

Abstract

The objective of this research was to characterize the work conditions of the ragpickers and investigate symptoms related to worker's health, and with the job connected to institutions of materials collections in Curitiba city. The methodology consisted in two steps: selection of two institutions and interview of their owners, about the rag pickers' work, and selection of 22 ragpickers, eleven of each institution, for the tasks and activities analyses, based on Ergonomics (Guérin et al., 1994); application of a questionnaire consisted on demographic data, social-economic data, symptoms of health with week frequency in the last 30 days (based on UCU-Stress Model Questionnaire), and questions related about how they fell at work (anxious, helplessness, frustrated, and humiliation). The interviewers, 72.7% were masculine and 27.3% feminine. The results indicated a precarious work conditions in the categories: social-demografic profile, physical and physiological conditions, ambiental conditions, affairs and distrusts, organization and work processes. In the results were observed the presence of musculoskeletal disorder in 90.9% of the workers, and physical exhaustion in 95.5% of the interviewers. Other symptoms found: 81.8% of headaches, 27.3% of skin eruptions, 45.5% of indigestion, 63.6% of humor changes, 45,5% difficulty of concentration, 27.3% of insomnia, and others. Also were found: anxiety (68.2%), helplessness (54.5%), frustration (59.1%), and humiliation (40.9%) in the workers interviewed. The conclusion was that the work activity can affect the mental and the physical health, and public political structures are necessaries for a better work conditions.