Urban violence is the biggest cause of fatal work-related accidents in Brazil

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the occurrence of deaths directly associated with urban violence amongfatal work-related accidents.METHODS: Verbal autopsies were performed with the relatives and coworkers of residents of Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil, who died from external causes in 2015. We have also analyzedpolice reports and reports of the Legal Medical Institute related to these deaths.RESULTS: We have identified 82 fatal work-related accidents in Campinas in 2015, of which 25were murders, 35 were traffic accidents not directly related to work activities, and three weresuicides at work. The proportional mortality rate for homicides, traffic accidents, and suicidesamong fatal work-related accidents was estimated at 30.5%, 42.7%, and 3.7%, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Urban violence accounted for three-fourths of the fatal work-related accidentsrecorded in the period studied.