Abstract

VELLOSO, Marta Pimenta; VALADARES, Jorge de Campos  and  SANTOS, Elizabeth Moreira dos. Home garbage collecting in the city of Rio de Janeiro: a case study discloses the sanitation workers point of view. Ciênc. saúde coletiva [online]. 1998, vol.3, n.2, pp. 143-150. ISSN 1413-8123.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81231998000200013.

This article discloses the sanitation workers point of view on specific topics such as health risks and unsafe conditions met during home garbage collecting process. Located in Rio Comprido neighbourhood, the choosen workplace unit was the East Cleaning Management District (Gerência de Limpeza Leste, LGL-3), branch of Rio's Street Cleaning Municipal Company (COMLURB). The method employed in this survey consisted of tape recorded single interviews and video recording sanitation workers daily operations, with written notes and comments by the researchers. Instead of being considered merely "garbage carriers", the sanitation workers are now asking for the basic improvements in order to make this particular acitivity more suitable to meet the best of their human expectations. Besides, the sanitation workers are claiming the company implementation of new services like full health coverage and professional training courses. According to sanitation workers, the disregard and professional underrating shown both by the company, and the general population, are their main sources of concern.

Keywords : Workers' Health; Occupational Health; Occupational Accidents; Accidents; Workplace.