aria Maeno Settimi, Fabio de Oliveira**, Alexandre Bonneti Lima*, Mirian Pedrollo Silvestre*,
Lucia Fonseca de Toledo*, Celia Cristina Capucci*
R ein tro d u ctio n o f p atien ts su fferin g fro m
rep etitiv e strain in ju ry in th e Jo b M ark et: p ilo t-p ro ject
p relim in ary d ata o f th e first p h ase
*Centro de Referenda
em Saude do Trabalhador
**Nucleo de Investigafilo
em Trabalho e Satlde da Secretaria de Estado da Saude de Silo Paulo
R e p e titiv e S tra in In ju rie s (R S I) a re in c re a s in g ly im p o
r-ta n t o c u p p a tio n a l h a z a rd in B ra z il, le a d in g to c o n s id e ra b le
a b s e n c e fro m w o rk . T o d a te , th e re a re n o a d itio n a l d a ta h o w
-e v -e r, d a ta fro m w o rk -e rs ' h e a lth re fe re n c e c e n tre s in v a rio u s
s ta te s s h o w th a t th e p re v a le n c e o fR S I is v e y s ig n ific a n t.
W o rk e rs fro m m a n y d iffe re n t p ro fe s s io n a l c a te g o rie s a n d
o c u p a tio n s h a v e a p p e a re d s u ffe rin g fro m th e s y m to m s o fR S I;
a m o n g th e m , a s s e m b ly -lin e w o rk e rs , k e y b o a rd w o rk e rs , c a s h
-ie rs , b a n k w o rk e rs , c le rk s , p a c k in g w o rk e rs , te l~ p h o n e s e
r-v ic e o p e ra to rs , te le m a rk e tin g o p e ra to rs a n d m a c h in e o p e ra
-to rs .
T h e m a in a im o f th is p ilo t re s e a rc h p ro je c t w a s to in
-v e s tig a te th e w a y s u n e m p lo y e d w o rk e rs re g is te re d a s s u ffe
rin g fro m R S I re e n te r to jo b m a rk e t. W o rk e rs fro m a m u ltrin a
-tio n a l c o m p a n y re s p o n s ib le fo r a s s e m b lin g c a r ra d io a n d ta p e
re c o rd e rs w e re s tu d ie d . T h is c o m p a n y is b a s e d in S a o P a u lo
a n d E m p lo y s 5 .0 0 0 p e o p le . T h e m a jo rity o f th e m a re w o m e n .
T w o m a in lin e s o f in v e s tig a tio n a re to b e fo llo w e d .
F irs tly a tte m p ts h a v e b e e n m a d e to id e n tify th e fa c to rs w h ic h
p re v e n te d a ll th o s e w o rk e rs w h o h a v e b e e n m a d e re d u n ta n t
a s R S I s u ffe rs fro m re e n te rin g th e jo b m a rk e t. S e c o n d ly a
g ro u p o f 5 0 e x -w o rk e rs a n d R S I s u ffe rs w ill b e fo c u s e d o n to
id e n tify in m o re d e ta il th e p ro b le m s fa c e d .
In 1 9 8 7 th e c o m p a n y is s u e d o n ly 3
I
R e p o rts o f A c c i-d e n ts a t W o rk i-d u e to R S I. H o w e v e r in th e y e a rs 1 9 8 8 to 1 9 9 2th e c o m p a n y is s u e d 8 1 3 s u c h re p o rts .
A s a re s u lt o f th is h ig h in c id e n c e o fR S I th e c o m p a n y is
n o w b e in g s u e d .
U s in g th is to ta l o f 8 4 4 R e p o rts o f A c c id e n ts a t w e W o rk
h a v e m a ile d a q u e s tio n n a ire to a ll w h o s e a d d re s s e s w e re a v a
il-a b le , 7 2 2 in to til-a l. In d iv id u il-a ls w e re a s k e d to g iv e o p in io n s
a b o u t th e ir a tte m p ts to fin d n e w jo b s .
T o d a te w e h a v e re c e iv e d 2 3 0 q u e s tio n n a ire s (3 0 ,9 % ),
a h ig h p e rc e n ta g e , c o n s id e rin g th a t p e o p le in B ra z il a re n o t
u s e d to a n s w e rin g q u e s tio n s b y m a il. H o w e v e r, w e h a v e n o t
c o n s id e re d th e s e re p lie s re p re s e n ta tiv e b e c a u s e o f th e m a n y
fa c to rs th a t m a y h a v e in fu e n c e d p e o p le to re p ly .
O f th e 2 3 0 re p lie s , 1 7 7 s a id th e y h a v e n o t w o rk e d fo r
th e c o m p a n y a n y m o re (5 4 ,3 s a id th e y le ft th e c o m p a n y in
1 9 9 2 ).
A m o n g p e o p le w h o le ft th e c o m p a n y , o n ly 1 8 a n s w e re d
th a t n o w a d a y s th e y w o rk fo r a n o th e r c o m p a n y a n d 7 2 ,2 % o f
th e m h a v e b e e n in a n e w jo f o n ly s in c e 1 9 9 3 (1 5 s a id th a t
th e y a re re g is te re d a n d 1 4 s a id th a t th e y d o n o t d o w h a t th e y
w o u ld lik e to ).
T h e 1 8 p e o p le w o rk in d iffe re n t c a te g o rie s , fo r e x a m p le ,
b u s in e s s ( 1 6 ,7 % ) , c lo th e s in d u s tr y ( 1 1 ,1 % ) , h o s p ita l/H e a lth S e r v ic e ( 1 6 ,7 % ) , c o m p u te r a s s e m b ly ( 5 ,6 % ) , p la s tic / c h e m ic a l in d u s tr y ( 1 1 ,2 % ) , e le tr o c h e m ic a l in d u s tr y ( 5 ,6 % ) , s e r v ic e s ( 2 2 ,2 % ) . te x tile in d u s tr y ( 5 ,6 % ) a n d f o o d p r o c e s s in g ( 5 ,6 % ) .
T h e s p e c if ic jo b s c a r r ie d o u t b y th e s e p e o p le w ith in th e a b o v e c a te g o r ie s in c lu d e c le r k ( 5 ,6 % ) , s e c r e ta r y ( 5 ,6 % ) , s h o p s a le s m a n ( 5 ,6 % ) , c a s h ie r ( 5 ,6 % ) , m a c h in e o p e r a to r ( 1 1 ,2 % ) , a s s e m b ly - lin e w o r k e r ( 5 ,6 % ) , n u r s e a u x ilia r y ( 5 ,6 % ) , s tu d e n t
m o n ito r ( 1 6 ,7 % ) , s e a m s tr e s s ( 5 ,6 % ) , s to c k ta k e r ( 5 ,6 % ) , e le tr o n ic a u x ilia r y ( 5 ,6 % ) , tr a d e a g e n t ( 5 ,6 % ) , e le c tr o c a r d io -g r a m o p e r a to r ( 5 ,6 % ) te a c h e r ( 5 ,6 % ) a n d p a c k in g w o r k e r ( 5 ,6 % ) .
O f th e 1 7 7 p e o p le w h o d o n o t w o r k f o r th e c o m p a n y a n y m o r e ; 1 5 9 a r e s till u n im p lo y e d . T h e r e a s o n s g iv e n f o r th is
u n e m p lo y e m e n t w e r e : p r o b le m s in u p p e r lim b s ( p a r e s th e s ia , p a in , n u m b n e s s ) ( 8 4 ) , n o p h y s ic a l c o n d itio n s to f o llo w th e w o r k r y th m in th e c o m p a n ie s ( 4 1 ) , b a d w o r k r e f e r e n c e ( 2 7 % ) , n o
-b o d y w a n ts to h ir e e x - w o r k e r f r o m th a t c o m p a n y ( 2 3 ) , to o o ld f o r th e jo b m a r k e t ( 1 3 ) , c h ild r e n ( 1 2 ) , tr e a tm e n t ( 1 0 ) , d if ic u lty o f a lim ite d p e r s o n to r e e n te r th e jo b m a k e t ( 5 ) , la c k o f e x p e r ie n c e in a n o th e r jo b ( 3 ) , s u e in g th e S o c ia l S e c u r ity ( 2 ) , p r e g n a n c y ( 2 ) , n o jo b a s a s s e m b li- lin e w o r k e r ( 1 ) , n o t p r e p a r e d p s y c h o lo g ic a lJ y s p e a k in g ( 1 ) , n o t s k ille d to d o a lig h te r jo b ( 1 ) , d e d ic a tio n to h o m e a n d s tu d y ( 1 ) , d id n o t k n o w
w h y w a s r e f u s e d in m a n y c o m p a n ie s ( 4 ) .
T h e jo b s lo o k e d f o r th e 1 7 7 w o r k e r s n o lo n g e r w o r k -in g f o r th e c o m p a n y w e r e : c o m p a n y w ith o u t a n y s p e c if ic a -tio n ( 3 6 ) , a s s e m b ly - lin e w o r k e r ( 3 3 ) , te le p h o n e o p e r a to r ( 3 3 ) , m a id /c le a n e r ( 1 5 ) , g e n e r a l h e lp e r ( 1 4 ) , s h o p s a le s m a n ( 1 3 ) ,
s e a m s tr e s s ( 1 2 ) , in f o r m a l jo b a t h o m e ( 6 ) , c a s h ie r ( 5 ) , c h e f ( 5 ) , q u a lity in s p e c to r ( 4 ) , m a c h in e o p e r a to r ( 3 ) , te x tile o p e r a -to r ( 3 ) , p a c k in g w o r k e r ( 3 ) , te a c h e r ( 3 ) , s tu d e n t m o n ito r ( 2 ) ,
's tr e e t m a r k e t s a le s m a n ( 2 ) , p u b lic s e r v ic e w o r k e r ( 2 ) , s e lf -e m p lo y -e d ( 1 ) , h a ir d r e s s e r ( 1 ) , d r iv e r ( 1 ) , te le v is io n e x tr a ( 1 ) , s e c u r ity a g e n t ( 1 ) , n o t lo o k e d f o r a n e w jo b ( 2 2 ) .
A p r e lim in a r y a n a ly s is o f th e d a ta a b o v e s h o w th a t th e m a jo r ity o f p e o p le w h o le f t th e c o m p a n y a r e s till u n e m p lo y e d .
P h y s ic a l lim ita tio n s p r o d u c e d d ir e c tly o r in d ir e c c ty b y R S I h a v e b e in g m a n y d if f ic u lty , M o s t o f th e jo p b s lo o k e d f o r d e -m a n d r e p e titiv e m o v e m e n ts o f u p p e r lim b s a n d m a n y o f th e s e
jo b s a r e a s s o c ia te d w ith th e o c c u r e c c e o f m u s c u lo s k e ta l in ju -r ie s .
T h e f ir s t p h a s e h a s g iv e n u s a b a s is to p r e p a r e a n in te r -v ie w p r o to c o l w ic h w ilJ b e a p p lie d to 5 0 w o r k e r s s tilJ u n e m
-p lo y e d . T h e o b je c tiv e w o r th e s e c o n d p h a s e is a d e e p e r a n a ly -s i-s o f th e f a c to r s w h ic h w ill m a k e it e a s y d p r d if f ic u lt f o r th e s e w o r k e r s to r e e n te r th e jo b m a r k e t a n d a n e v a lu a tio n o f th e s o c ia l, f a m ily , p h y s ic a l, p s y c o lo g ic a l f u n c tio n in g a n d th e h e a lth p e r c e p tio n .
