Major work accident: the collapse of the Fundão dam in the newspapers of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Abstract Introduction: the Fundão Dam failure (FDF), which occurred in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2015, is characterized as a major work accident (MWA). Objective: to develop a protocol and verify its applicability for collecting, classifying and analysing news related to MWA in print newspapers. Method: descriptive study with a qualitative and quantitative approach. The protocol proposal was based on information from scientific literature and on protocols used by observatories on health media. Its validation was analyzed by the investigation of the FDF coverage carried out by the two main newspapers of the Espírito Santo State, in Brazil. Results: the accident was widely covered by the media, however, the narratives were superficial. Nature (inclement weather) was commonly mentioned as the main cause of the disaster, the suffering of the population is emphasized by the decrease in income, with health aspects scarcely addressed. Accidents and occupational diseases were not portrayed as a serious public health problem. We found that the media highlighted the coverage of the response and reconstruction phases instead of the real cause of the MWA. Conclusion: the protocol enabled us to classify and analyze the newspapers approach, and showed potentiality to be applied in other MWA cases of different magnitudes.