Work fatalities in a Brazilian oil and gas company: analysis of workers’ health and safety policy

Abstract This paper aims to discuss the changes in the safety and health policy (SHP) of an oil and gas company from the enlarged accident that occurred in 2001, seeking out to understand the consequences of these changes in the daily activity of workers. It is a mixed study employing an epidemiological data triangulation method, documental research, and qualitative approach. The 2001 oil platform accident (RJ) was considered a milestone in the process of changes in the company’s SHP. Several actions and programs have been implemented, and investments in health and safety have increased substantially. We identified that such initiatives had limited participation by workers in their planning and elaboration. They did not prioritize the most critical problems, and emphasis was placed on the establishment of standards and audits to assess compliance with the prescription. Finally, it was observed that learning about severe or fatal occupational accidents is incipient and unstructured, and the system of consequences triggers workers’ fear and insecurity, blaming, in general, the injured person for the occurrence, without considering the multiple factors that influence and condition the accident.

摘要
本研究旨在探讨某油气企业安全健康政策（Safety and Health Policy, SHP）因2001年重大事故发生的变革，并试图厘清此类变革对工人日常作业活动产生的影响。本研究为混合研究，采用流行病学数据三角验证法、文献研究法与质性研究路径。2001年石油平台事故（RJ）被视为该企业安全健康政策变革进程中的里程碑事件。企业已实施多项行动与项目，安全健康领域的投资亦大幅提升。研究发现，此类举措在规划与制定阶段的工人参与度十分有限；未优先聚焦最为迫切的核心问题，且工作重点偏向制定标准与开展合规审核以评估规范执行情况。最后，本研究观察到，针对重大或致命职业事故的经验总结工作尚处起步阶段且缺乏体系化；事故追责体系会引发工人的恐惧与不安全感，通常将事故发生归咎于伤者本人，却未考虑影响乃至促成事故发生的多重复杂因素。