Work accidents: a Brazil that’s out of line

High number of occupational accidents in the country is associated with disregard for safety norms

According to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO), which, since 2003, adopted April 28 as ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work’, 270 million workplace accidents occur annually worldwide. Approximately 2.2 million result in death. In Brazil, according to the ILO, 1.3 million cases are reported annually caused mainly by failure to comply with basic standards for the protection of workers and poor conditions in the workplace and in work processes.

According to the ILO study, Brazil presently ranks 4th in the world in the number of work-related fatalities, with 2,503 deaths. The country is preceded only by China (14,924 deaths), the United States (5,764) and Russia (3,090). In 1970, Brazil recorded an average of 3,604 deaths for 12,428,826 workers. In the 1980s, the number of workers increased to 21,077,804 and deaths reached 4,672. In the 1990s, there was a drop in the rate of fatalities: 3,925 deaths for a workforce of 23,648,341.

Brazil’s ‘Anuário Estatístico da Previdência Social’ (Statistical Yearbook of Social Security) 2006, the last edition published by INSS (Department of Social Security), shows that the number of work-related deaths decreased 2.5% compared to the previous year. However, workplace accidents increased in number and exceeded 500,000 cases. Data from the Brazilian Ministries of Labor and Employment and Social Security for 2005 show that the areas of activity with the highest number of deaths are: Transports, Storage and Communications, with seven deaths reported among 3,855 workers; the Construction Industry, with six deaths for 6,908 workers; and Commerce and Repair of Vehicles with five deaths among 24,782 workers.

Work accidents

On the average, some 700,000 cases of work accidents are recorded in Brazil every year not to mention cases that are not officially reported, according to the Ministry of Social Security. The country spends about R$ 70 billion (US$ 35 Bn) annually due to this type of accident. Among the causes of these accidents are old and unprotected machinery, outdated technology, inappropriate furniture, rushing of work, harassment, excessive pressure to perform and disregard for the various workers’ rights. The most frequent types of accidents are those that cause fractures, dislocations, amputations and other injuries. Many lead to the death of the worker. Constant technological updating in factories and the adoption of effective safety measures would avoid most of these fatalities.

In second place are cases of Repetitive Strain Injuries and Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (RSI /WMSDs), which include back pain. Prevention involves postural correction, appropriateness of furniture and work tools and instruments and apportioning of the workload. Thirdly, we find mental and behavioral disorders, such as episodes of depression, anxiety and stress. According to Remígio Todeschini, director of the Department of Health Policy and Occupational Safety of the Ministry of Social Security, solving these particular work-related problems is more complex.

Besides the social and legal impact of accidents at work, companies are subject to a greater financial cost due to the number of accident occurrences. The application of the ‘Fator Acidentário de Prevenção’ (FAP - Accident Prevention Factor) as of 2010 required companies to pay higher payroll taxes depending on the rate of accidents at work. These taxes are used to fund the ‘Seguro Acidente de Trabalho’ (SAT - Work Accident Insurance), to provide funding for benefits or retirement resulting from accidents. As of 2011, a new National Policy on Safety and Health at Work was created by reversing the previous rationale of rehabilitation and treatment to that of prevention, which integrates the actions of three ministries - Social Security, Labor, and Health - working jointly.

Situation at work sites is of concern

Still to be included in these statistics, increases in production at construction sites have contributed to raise the number of accidents at work sites across the country, mostly on account of cave-ins or landslides, falls or electric shock. According to information provided by auditor Francisco Luiz Lima, of the ‘Sindicato Nacional dos Auditores Fiscais do Trabalho’  (National Union of the Labor Auditors) in a meeting of the Brazilian Senate’s ‘Comissão de Direitos Humanos e Legislação Participativa’ (CDH - Commission on Human Rights and Participative Legislation) - improvisation in civil construction exacerbates the problem observed in different regions whether in the construction of homes, with the support of the “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” program, or in major works for the construction of new hydropower plants or for the sporting events that the country is scheduled to host.

Auditor Luiz Lima reports an increase of tension at work sites due to pressure for productivity and provides evidence of by examining the reduction in the time required to build one square meter:  In 1995, one square meter was expected to take 42 hours to build and today this has been reduced to 36 hours. Jeferson Seidler, representative of the Ministry of Labor, said that the number of accidents at major works has remained stable at the average for recent years. “There has not been an increase compared to the historical average but, even though the work sites are more structured, when the audit team makes its rounds, it finds many irregularities,” he said.

Accidents, however, are prevalent in all economic sectors. According to Justice Sebastião Geraldo de Oliveira of the ‘Tribunal Superior do Trabalho’ (TST - Superior Court of Labor), every single day in 2011, the market lost 50 workers on the average as a result of death or permanent disability, victims of accidents in all sectors of production. That year, some 18,000 accidents were reported that resulted in death or permanent disability. And another 300 000 accidents, also in 2011, caused temporary disability in workers - a number that may actually be much higher since there is no record for the informal job market. The information was published in the Journal of the Senate.

Among the causes of so many accidents, Sebastião de Oliveira pointed out the lack of a culture of prevention and an increasingly greater work pace that is “denser, tenser and more intense.” “Some may think that accidents are inherent to production; that they are fortuitous. No!  Accidents are mainly attributable to neglect, the lack of a culture of prevention,” he said on the occasion, underscoring the increased tension in the workplace.

The debate in the Senate spotlighted difficulties in inspection, whether due to the insufficient number of inspectors or because of the poor working conditions and risks that these professionals face. The size of the staff of inspectors is inadequate to act in the fight against child and slave labor, which are no longer found just in rural settings but also in capital cities. “Their numbers are also insufficient to act against illegal outsourcing of labor; a huge problem in the country and one which civil construction makes even worse since everything in building is outsourced nowadays,” said Francisco Lima.

According to Senator Ataídes de Oliveira (PSDB-TO), the training offered in the country to qualify manpower is inefficient, compromising professional qualification in occupational safety. To him, this inefficiency is the result of a misapplication of funds raised by the organizations that comprise the ‘S’ System (i.e. Senai, Senac, Sesi, among others) responsible for training workers.

“In 2012, the ‘S’ System collected R$ 15 billion (US$ 7.5 Bn) for the task of qualifying the workforce. Where has this money been applied?”, questioned the senator for the state of Tocantins. In the debate, Senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS) lamented the situation of outsourced, contract workers considered by experts to be more exposed to accidents than others. “For every ten accidents, eight involve outsourced labor. Something's wrong here,” said the senator.

While commenting on the matter, Renato Henry Sant’anna, president of the ‘Associação Nacional dos Magistrados da Justiça do Trabalho’ (ANAMATRA - National Association of Labor Court Magistrates) has called for Congress to set clear rules for the regulation of outsourced work. The organization even launched a booklet on ‘Safe and Healthy Work’. The association’s president, Renato Sant’anna, explained that the booklet aims to promote a culture of prevention of accidents at work and will be distributed to workers, employers and students preparing to enter the market. “The objective of the labor court judges in releasing this booklet is to awaken the public to a reality that shames Brazil and its Judiciary system,” he said, referring to the fourth place occupied by the country in the world ranking of occupational accidents.

Aerial work platforms: the benefits and risks of working from heights

With the expansion of economic activity in Brazil, the use of aerial work platforms, which enable the execution of various types of work from heights, also grew. In 2012, 6,035 new units entered the market, equivalent to US$ 293.74 million. For 2013, the expectation is that there will be further growth, reaching a record number of 6,500 units of this kind of equipment. The figures were announced during a presentation by Raphael Cardoso, director of the aerial work platform business area of Terex Latin America during the Sobratema Workshop 2013 (held on April 3rd in the city of São Paulo) which discussed ‘Vertical Movement and Working from Heights’. The event addressed the changes in Regulatory Standards NR18 and the new NR35, and actions to prevent accidents while operating from heights.

“Between January and February this year, about 1,600 new units arrived in Brazil, which demonstrates the potential for growth in the Brazilian market for aerial work platforms and the speed at which this growth is happening,” says Raphael Cardoso.

The executive notes that the ‘working-from-heights’ market began to change with the publication of Regulatory Standard 18 (NR-18) in July 2007 and, with that, there was a significant increase in the entry of aerial work platforms in Brazil. “In 2002, about 80 units arrived compared to 2,950 new units in 2008,” he explains. “Our estimate is that there are currently about 22,000 aerial work platforms throughout the country,” he adds.

Raphael Cardoso also pointed out that aerial work platforms are the best method for moving people and professionals who work from heights, regardless of the segment. “When the time comes to opt for a type of platform, it is necessary to observe certain variables, such as the ground the equipment will work on, so as to ensure operator safety and productivity of the equipment,” he concludes.

A comparative study presented by Caio Melo, technical director at Montarte, showed that the productivity of a rack lift, which uses a rack and pinion system, is almost twice that of an elevator that uses steel cables. The study compared the two devices over a period of 12 months in a tower of the same height (100 meters) and an equal number of stops (30). “Under identical conditions, the rack lift transported about 25 million units of cargo compared to just over 12.6 million units of cargo handled by the steel cable elevator,” said Caio.

In terms of passenger transport, the difference is greater. More than 347,000 people were transported by the rack lift compared to some 164,000 passengers moved by the steel cable elevator. “The ultimate gain was 182.5 thousand persons and 12.4 million units of cargo,” the executive assessed in his presentation at the Sobratema Workshop 2013. The study found that the rack lift has a higher load and passenger capacity than the steel cable elevator, besides having a cabin speed about 52% greater: 33.5 m/min compared to 22 m/min . “It is the ideal equipment to be used at work sites for construction of infrastructure and realty, and for industrial purposes,” said Caio.

New regulatory norms target an increase in safety when operating from heights

To Antônio Pereira, Labor Auditor of the ‘Superintendência Regional do Trabalho e Emprego – SP’ (SRTE-SP - Regional Superintendency of Labor and Employment) and Coordinator of the São Paulo State Program for Construction, the reformulations of NR 18 and the new NR 35 are important starting points for a new phase in which there is no more room for improvisations at construction sites, especially in view of the use of modern equipment such as aerial work platforms. “The revision of the NR 18 already mentions the use of a ‘Rigger’, the general plan of movement, use of mini-gantries… That is, it includes a series of mechanization processes that are already widely used in construction, but that until then were not duly regulated,” he said. According to him, the professional who suffers the most fatal accidents in construction is the carpenter: “he is the one who assembles and disassembles formwork”. But one should include in this list the rebar tier and the electrician.

Safety is an issue of concern not just because of its social impact but also because of its legal and social security implications. Because of this, reports suggest that certain construction companies that build residential and commercial properties estimate that 2% to 5% of the cost of the project results from actions for prevention and safety, including Safety and Health Programs, collective and individual protection measures and management of outsourced companies, especially.

According to Antônio Pereira, while NR18 said little about the working from heights, the deaths caused by falling objects or persons represent 50% of the total number of accidents. “If we consider heavy construction, there are other aggravating issues such people being run over, or buried by landslides or cave-ins. But in the case of equipment used in light construction, half of the deaths that occur are caused by falls,” he points out. He also emphasizes that “there’s just no way” we can go on pinning the responsibility on the worker. “If the company fails to provide reasonable conditions of operation, the main contractor is responsible for third-party workers that are on duty,” he advises.

“The changes that are occurring in the norms bring greater support in terms of legal and normative frameworks for working from heights. The other regulatory norms (NRs) said or showed very little on how to limit or mitigate the risk of falling. Today there are already 35 regulatory norms and, by the end of the year, there will be two more making that a total of 37 NRs. Furthermore, it is important to point out that NRs are enforceable as laws,” he warns.

Pereira believes that in practice there is a shift of focus. “I see many companies showing greater concern for the management of the paperwork, for ISO certification, than for the day-to-day activities of the construction site. I arrived at a company in which the procedures for checking the rack lift actually referred to a steel cable elevator. So you have to be careful about managing paper,” he emphasizes

Among the many changes that are underway, one change (that has the support of Sobratema besides) concerns the ‘signalman’. “He is as important as the crane operator because he’s the one who is supporting the operation on land and, very often, he cannot even read or write, or properly size up the center of gravity of a plate, slab, staircase or precast element," said Pereira.

In his view, it’s no use having a wonderful machine if you don’t have the technical training, or if you don’t have a professional operator. Or, furthermore, if you don’t have a supervisor, a foreman; someone in charge to support the operation. “It’s no use having thousands of procedures if the basic procedures are not observed.” Pereira cautioned regarding laxness in the use of equipment with the adoption of procedures that put the safety of workers at risk, further noting the issue of civil and criminal liability of the engineer responsible for the work.

To the auditor, the occurrence of an accident is the culmination of a series of mistakes and failures, as in what happened in the tragedy of Santa Maria (the negligent fire in a nightclub that killed over 240 young people in January 2013). “Every accident has multiple causes. Only one day something different happens, something new, like the wind, the rain, the operator who is a little more tired, the machine with a certain problem. It is not one single cause, but a succession of mistakes, and one day there was the proverbial ‘last straw’. This has happened when we look at major accidents involving airlines and so on,” he commented.

Pereira believes that, in their new phase of development, such norms make it a point of not stifling processes but rather seek to give companies a greater chance and conditions to prevent incidents. However, he is reticent with regard to awareness among business owners. “I think a large number of the sector’s companies are still more concerned with the issue of cost.  With the exception of large construction companies, such as Camargo Corrêa, Odebrecht, Andrade Gutierrez, Racional Engenharia, HM, among others, many companies do not see the issue of cost effectiveness. They think, for example, “this shoe is more expensive”, but don’t see the quality and comfort for the worker on whose behalf they are making this investment. This is something that’s enrooted in their behavior,” he comments.

Pereira stressed that companies should, however, evaluate the cost which may ensue from a lack of prevention. “Today, companies are being impacted by a number of demands such as fines, third-party claims brought by the Office of the Attorney General, the Public Ministry, or the Ministry of Labor and Employment, in addition to the cost of social security. Companies with higher rates of accidents or sick workers pay higher rates on their payroll; companies that violate terms of conduct end up suffering civil suits. In other words, this is money that comes out of the company and, very often, winds up not getting passed on to the worker. So, the more a company invests in qualification, in training, the better. It is essential that all our entrepreneurs desire this change and involve all the hierarchical levels in their companies, generating awareness and commitment,” he concludes.

Entity certifies aerial work platform companies

Even though there has been a greater amount of investment in training, companies should concern themselves with the quality of operator qualification and seek training that is certified. To Antônio Barbosa, national manager of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), it is important that companies seek adequate and accredited training. The federation is present in 44 countries, has 1000 members and focuses on the interests of manufacturers, rental companies and distributors of aerial work platforms. “We gather all the companies that, in one way or another, have something to do with the use of this equipment.”

Recently, the IPAF released a study showing that, in 2012, there were 31 fatal accidents involving aerial work platforms worldwide. “Most accidents are caused by human error, lack of preparation for their operation and maintenance issues,” says Barbosa. “All this could be minimized with the development of awareness as to the proper use of platforms and their maintenance,” he adds.

According to the manager, during training the operator is instructed on the operation of the equipment and, particularly, on the dangers involved. In their training, these professionals learn how to assess climatic, atmospheric and soil conditions and any obstacles, such as telephone poles, structures, power grids, buildings, etc.. Information is also provided to enable operators to evaluate risks and safety conditions in the event of an emergency.

In the case of the aerial work platforms, one of the causes of accidents is tipping (tip-overs) of the equipment. “Several reasons lead to tip-overs, including operation on unsuitable land which compromises stability, lack of a parapet around the platform, platform overload, the use of an auxiliary ladder leaning on the equipment and climatic conditions,” Barbosa exemplifies.

To Wilson Mello Jr., director of Sobratema’s ‘Instituto Opus’ (Opus Institute), the Sobratema workshop reflects the changes that are happening at work sites, whether due to increasing mechanization, new safety regulations or labor laws, or on account of the change in the behavior of companies that are willing to invest more in qualification and accident prevention.

Changes foreseen

NR 18

Changes are anticipated in the organizational structure of construction projects as regards the ‘Programa de Condições e Meio Ambiente de Trabalho’ (PCMAT – Program for Labor Conditions and Environment), the ‘Serviços Especializados em Engenharia de Segurança e Medicina do Trabalho’ (SEESMT – Specialized Services in Safety Engineering and Occupational Medicine) of the construction site, the organization of an Internal Committee for Prevention of Accidents (aka CIPA), living areas, and other aspects. As refers to construction processes, there is an adjustment in wording regarding the introduction of structural masonry, the use of metallic structures, precast elements, etc.

As for equipment, specific topics have been introduced such as cranes, small hoisting equipment, a plan for moving of cargo and people, with the introduction of the position of Rigger and respective Rigging plan, etc.

As for training and qualification, the intention is to set minimum standards for workers and their instructors regarding work hours, minimum level of formal education and particular topics to be covered.

NR 35

The concepts of planning and risk analysis are the main points of NR 35, as well as training of those involved and permission to work from heights.

The use of gantry cranes, construction elevators, small hoists or mini-cranes, aerial work platforms, etc. will require greater training and frequency of such training for the qualification of those involved.

Talking to the machine

In recent times, Brazil has witnessed several accidents of different magnitudes, often caused by lack of maintenance. Accident prevention is a process that is directly linked to the maintenance of equipment and materials used in an operation, or to checking safety procedures which not only refer to industrial initiatives but also to construction sites in general and public or private enterprises such as stadiums, amusement parks, theaters, etc.

‘Conversando com a Máquina’ (Talking to the Machine), a book by Silvimar Fernando Reis - a mechanical engineer with postgraduate studies at the Military Institute of Engineering - RJ and an Executive MBA from IBMEC/SP (published by Sobratema) seeks to shed light on the subject of maintenance. Silvimar Fernando Reis has worked for major construction companies in Brazil and abroad and served in countries like Iraq, Tanzania and Bolivia facing many logistical challenges such as war, difficulties of access and extreme temperatures.

The book summarizes these experiences and discusses tools for the correct diagnosis of the conditions of equipment based on technologies developed by major research centers of the Brazilian Army, the U.S. Navy and Air Force, NASA and several Brazilian companies. Silvimar points out the chapter on the maintenance and care of equipment oil as one of his favorites. “One study estimated that 6% of the USA’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is spent on repairing problems caused by mechanical and electro-mechanical wear. Therefore, any gain in the area of maintenance is very important,” he points out.