Fatores laborais que predispõem à intoxicação por agrotóxicos : estudo em Pantano Grande/RS.

Abstract

Brasil is one of the main agricultural producers of the world and since 2008 has become the biggest consumer of agrochemicals, being responsible for 86% of the consumption in Latin America. Nevertheless, these agrochemicals present health risk to the exposed population, mainly, the farmers. The present study aimed to verify the work factors which the farmers in Pantano Grande/RS are predisposed to suffer from intoxication by agrochemicals, as well as to identify the sociodemographic and occupational profile of the farmers and to verify preventive measures adopted in relation to the intoxication by agrochemicals. It was a descriptive exploratory study with qualitative approach, with 12 interviews hold with farmers. The data were analyzed through the method of Content Analysis. The analysis of the data evinced that the farmers are exposed to work risk factors determinant to intoxication by agrochemicals, as, absence or inadequate wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), work practices which expose the farmers to the intoxication and the lack of orientation by health professionals. Connected to these factors one can still highlight as risk factors, characteristics of the occupational profile of these farmers as having initiated work precociously, the elevated time of use of agrochemicals and the long working hours. As for what it is concerned to the preventive measures adopted while handling agrochemicals to avoid intoxication, the most significant measures were: wearing personal protective equipment and the caution related to the climate conditions while applying the agrochemicals. Thus, it was verified that some of the farmers recognize the use of agrochemicals as pernicious and from that they protect themselves, although they don’t appropriately do it because of the lack of information.