Severe occupational accidents reported at a sentinel unit from 2008 to 2018

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational accidents are a major public health problem. In addition to damages to workers’ health, they are also associated with economic and social losses. Since 2004, this type of accident has become of mandatory reporting through the Notifiable Diseases Information System. However, underreporting still reaches high levels. Objectives: To identify and describe data on severe occupational accidents reported at an Occupational Health Unit. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study based on data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Occupational accidents that occurred from 2008 to 2018 in the state of Paraná, Brazil, and reported by the Occupational Health Unit, located in Hospital do Trabalhador in Curitiba. Results: Overall, 7,396 occupational accidents were reported, and most workers evolved with temporary disability (86%). The most frequently affected occupations were related to the area of construction industry (3.4%); however, it is worth highlighting the significant absence of this information in the reports (16.4%). Upper limbs were the most affected body region (42.5%). Conclusions: The report of occupational accidents has significantly improved in the last years, but underreporting remains a significant issue and there is a gap in data about the accident circumstances. Therefore, this study aimed to generate data to assist in the development of policies for the promotion and care of workers’ health, in addition to being used for comparison in future statistics.