Desafios à implementação de normas de segurança e saúde do Ministério do Trabalho na construção civil de Minas Gerais

Abstract

This research undertakes a systematic analysis of the necessity to review the dimensioning of Specialized Services in Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine (SESMT), as provided for in NR-4 of the Ministry of Labor, for companies operating in the building construction industry. The territorial scope chosen for the research was the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The research investigates the high number of work accidents in the sector, the challenges in implementing the safety standards issued by the Ministry of Labor, and the socioeconomic impacts resulting from non-compliance with these regulations. Considering that the building construction industry occupies a prominent position in the statistics of work accidents, the study questions the adequacy of NR-4 to the reality of companies in the industry, taking into account the average profile of these organizations and their employees. In addition, the study examines the structure of the Ministry of Labor and the process of creating the Regulatory Standards on Health and Safety at Work. The research also assesses whether the agency follows good legislative and regulatory practices by comparing its performance with international recommendations, such as the guidelines of the Mandelkern Report and the Swiss Federal Legislation Drafting Guide. Finally, official statistical data on the construction industry in Minas Gerais are presented, in relation to the number of accidents, types of injuries, number of inspections and workplace compliance peanlties recognized out by the Ministry of Labor and the most frequent infractions, which justify the conclusions that the current SESMT sizing is insufficient and inadequate for micro and small companies operating in the buildings construction industry in Minas Gerais.