Resumo

GUERRERO ZARRAGA, Clara  e  CRUZ FLORES, Adriana Cecilia. An approach to the work and safety conditions at a small Mexican company. Salud de los Trabajadores [online]. 2010, vol.18, n.1, pp.35-45. ISSN 1315-0138.

Recent studies in occupational health have underscored the adverse health effects of flexible work conditions and labor relations among workers at medium and large companies. These effects have not been rigorously studied in small companies, despite what is generally known about their poor working conditions. Objective: To identify the work and safety conditions at a small company in Mexico City. An analytical and observational study was conducted in a company of 37 workers. Guidelines for observation of work process and for hygiene and safety, based on the"Verification, Diagnosis and Occupational Health Surveillance in a Company" holistic model, which consists of 16 sections, of which 14 were used. In general, hygiene and safety conditions in this company were nonexistent, and there was little to no compliance with existing official regulations. The lack of economic resources and modern control technologies that characterize this small company, require it to restructure the way its work is organized in order to survive, subjecting workers to highly precarious working conditions and endangering their health.

Palavras-chave : Workers; Working Conditions; Occupational Health.