Fumicultura, saúde e segurança no trabalhador: uma avaliação dos riscos ocupacionais em unidades de produção no município de Canguçu (RS).

Abstract

Agriculture is a primary sector of the economy that, undoubtedly, represents a fundamental practice for the development of society, being one of the bases for the maintenance of the world economy. In this scenario, tobacco farming represents an important Brazilian agricultural sector. Currently, Brazil is the second largest producer of tobacco in the world and, since 1993, the largest exporter of the product in the world, with the municipality of Canguçu being the largest producer of tobacco in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) since 2016. However, in this scenario, the levels of exposure to occupational hazards are indeed worrying. The literature on the subject points out that, although all the stages involved in the tobacco production cycle expose the worker to a series of occupational risks with different levels of intensity, the harvest phase is more critical from the point of view of Health and Safety of the worker. Work (SST). Thus, the objective of the present study was to analyze the occupational risks present in tobacco harvesting in the municipality of Canguçu through a multicriteria model. To meet this objective, the Multicriteria Decision Support Methodology (MCDA) was used with a focus on evaluation, so that the occupational hazards most present in the tobacco growers' routine were ordered. Three Production Units (UPs) were visited, one where the harvest is carried out in a semi-mechanized way and two where it is carried out manually. It was possible to perceive that in terms of occupational health and safety, the demands indicated here in their order of importance are those related to biomechanics, physiology and thermal comfort, all of which seem to be in fact critical. It was found that all PUs analyzed performed below what would be ideal for a job considered adequate in terms of OSH. At the same time, through the model, it was possible to perceive that the UPs where the harvest is done manually, obtained a lower global evaluation than the UP that uses a machine to harvest tobacco, indicating that the harvest performed in a semi-mechanized way can mitigate the risks considered more present in this scenario. Finally, the robustness of the model was verified through sensitivity analysis, where it was possible to confirm its stability. It is expected that the results generated will serve as a subsidy for the agencies that work in tobacco farming, helping to define priorities for intervention in the sector and thus, in the elaboration and implementation of public policies, laws and regulatory norms. Enabling the exercise of occupational activities with less exposure to risks, expanding the quality of life and development of all those involved in agricultural activities, directly or indirectly.