Riscos ergonômicos em trabalhadores no setor de mineração e propostas de intervenção: uma revisão integrativa

Abstract

Introduction: among the risks present in the work environment are ergonomic risks characterized by physical effort, uncomfortable or uncomfortable postures, monotony at work, productivity control, among others. Objective: To identify and analyze in the scientific literature the ergonomic risks that affect the locomotor system of workers in the mining sector and intervention strategies to reduce the impact on these workers' health. Method: integrative literature review (IR) performed by consulting the Medline, LILACS, Scopus, Web of Science databases and the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) website from November 2020 to April 2021. For the electronic searches, the following Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) from the Virtual Health Library (VHL) and the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were used: ergonomics, worker health, man-machine system; occupational hazards; mining; mining industry and mineralogy, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, associated through the Boolean OR/AND connectors, as appropriate. Initially, 151 articles published in the last eleven years were identified, which were selected for analysis, based on the reading of the title and abstract; after applying the exclusion criteria, 16 articles were analyzed. Results: 16 publications that met the inclusion criteria were selected, of which (n=07; 44%) were found in the Medline database. As for the ergonomic risks present in the mining sector, more than half of the articles included (n=10; 63%) identified manual handling of loads and volumes as predominant, followed by uncomfortable working postures (n=09; 56%) and those involving psychophysiological factors (n=07; 44%). The predominant study design consisted of cross sectional studies (n=10; 63%). The results revealed a prevalence (n=07; 44%) of pain complaints and discomfort in the locomotor system involving the spinal areas. Final considerations: the ergonomic risks prevalent in the mining work environment are a threat to the worker's health, as the results found raise a discussion about the working conditions of miners, the lack of planning and strategies in Ergonomics. Thus, intervention measures to mitigate these ergonomic risk factors must be implemented with the design of prevention programs, the assessment and identification of ergonomic risks, such as administrative measures and implementation of the Ergonomics management program in a participatory manner with the involvement of managers and workers at all stages of the program.