According to data from the International Labor Organization (ILO), Brazil occupies the fourth position in the world ranking of occupational accidents, behind only countries like China, India and Indonesia. This year, on the National Day for the Prevention of Accidents at Work, July 27, companies in the country, especially occupational health and safety (OSH) professionals, have an even greater responsibility: in addition to working to fight viruses, they need to maintain the health and emotional aspects of the entire team up to date, minimizing the risks of occurrences.

According to a survey by the Digital Observatory for Occupational Safety and Health, every 3 hours and 40 minutes a worker dies as a result of work accidents. The Social Security numbers register about 700 thousand cases of occupational accidents in the country.

Resulting from several factors, what occupies a prominent place as a cause of accidents at work is the human factor, which comprises the psychosocial characteristics of the worker, negative attitudes towards preventive activities, aspects of personality, lack of attention, among other behaviors.

“What some people are unaware of is that the emotional aspects are directly linked to the safety of employees. With the uncertainty and fear of the current scenario, many become more stressed and anxious, which can influence professional performance, ability to concentrate, reason and memory, increasing the risk of accidents ”, explains psychologist Nayara Teixeira (photo), technical manager at MAP Evaluations.

Another aspect listed by the specialist is that anxiety, fear and stress at work can also lead to behavioral problems, including alcohol and drug abuse. "Some disorders cause cognitive and neurophysiological changes, causing the employee to present some confusion in relation to reality, including in the reduction of the perception of risk and imminent danger, contributing to the increased risk of accidents", points out the expert.

Employees working in essential services 

Some sectors of the economy are essential for society and cannot stop, they are called essential services. The International Labor Organization (ILO) emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the adoption of safe practices in the workplace and the role that occupational health and safety services play.

“For these employees and entrepreneurs, the burden is even greater, because, in addition to the pressure on global uncertainties, there is the fear of being exposed to risks in the environment. In these companies, the Occupational Safety team must be even more aligned and attentive about the physical and emotional aspects ”, explains the MAPA psychologist.

Risks identified through data 

With the MAPA test, it is possible to make an individual assessment of each employee, allowing them to consider their characteristics and competencies in a contextualized way, as well as accident risk indicators. “With the result, we were able to visualize, in indicators, the personal characteristics that can prevent or contribute, to a lesser or greater degree, with the employee's involvement in accidents”, he comments.

According to the psychologist, the indicators refer to accidents caused by a behavior characterized as hasty and / or negligent, considered the main reasons that cause human failure. “In addition, coping strategies are verified, which allow employees to deal with work adversities and protect themselves from exposure to risk”, concludes Nayara.