A insegurança das barragens da Vale em Minas Gerais, Brasil: aplicação da teoria da atividade à análise de desastres / The insecurity of Vale's dams in Minas Gerais, Brazil: applying activity theory to disaster analysis

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é apontar hipóteses de contradições que estariam incubadas historicamente nos sistemas de atividades da Vale, e que podem ter levado ao maior desastre ambiental do Brasil: o rompimento da barragem B I em Brumadinho, bem como à interdição de muitas outras barragens da empresa no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Trata-se de uma análise de caso a partir de dados secundários disponíveis em entrevistas, documentos e textos publicados em diferentes mídias entre 2011 e 2021. Procuramos demonstrar, a partir da Teoria Histórico-Cultural da Atividade, as contradições verificadas em e entre sistemas de atividades da Vale, pois a empresa distribuiu dividendos vultosos aos seus acionistas, remunerou como nunca seus diretores, reduziu os custos em relação às receitas e diminuiu brutalmente a dívida interna, mas manteve investimentos insuficientes na gestão das barragens, culminando no rompimento da B I em 2019 e em 29 barragens interditadas em março de 2021. A financeirização tornou-se central para as operações da empresa. Este estudo aponta para um caminho metodológico do diálogo interdisciplinar que ajuda a esclarecer como as decisões gerenciais estratégicas, especialmente aquelas da gestão financeira, poderiam influenciar a gestão de produção, de manutenção e de segurança das barragens de rejeitos.

Abstract The objective of this article is to point out hypotheses of contradictions historically incubated in Vale's activity systems and that may have led to Brazil's biggest environmental disaster, the B I dam break in Brumadinho, and the interdiction of many other dams owned by Vale in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This is a case analysis from secondary data available in interviews, documents, and texts published in different media between 2011 and 2021. We try to demonstrate, from the Historical-Cultural Theory of Activity, the contradictions verified in and between Vale's activity systems, since the company distributed large dividends to its shareholders, remunerated its directors as never before, reduced costs in relation to incomes, and brutally reduced internal debt, but keeping insufficient investments in dam management, culminating with the break of B I in 2019 and with 29 dams interdicted in March 2021. Financialization has become central to the company's operations. This study points to a methodological path of the interdisciplinary dialogue to help clarify how strategic managerial decisions, especially those of financial management, could influence the production, maintenance, and safety management of tailings dams.

Challenging the immediate causes: A work accident investigation in an oil refinery using organizational analysis.

BACKGROUND: In many companies, investigations of accidents still blame the victims without exploring deeper causes. Those investigations are reactive and have no learning potential. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to debate the historical organizational aspects of a company whose policy was incubating an accident. METHODS: The empirical data are analyzed as part of a qualitative study of an accident that occurred in an oil refinery in Brazil in 2014. To investigate and analyse this case we used one-to-one and group interviews, participant observation, Collective Analyses of Work and a documentary review. The analysis was conducted on the basis of concepts of the Organizational Analysis of the event and the Model for Analysis and Prevention of Work Accidents. RESULTS: The accident had its origin in the interaction of social and organizational factors, among them being: excessively standardized culture, management tools and outcome indicators that give a false sense of safety, the decision to speed up the project, the change of operator to facilitate this outcome and performance management that encourages getting around the usual barriers. CONCLUSIONS: The superficial accident analysis conducted by the company that ignored human and organizational factors reinforces the traditional safety culture and favors the occurrence of new accidents.

Modelo de Análise e Prevenção de Acidentes - MAPA: ferramenta para a vigilância em Saúde do trabalhador / Model of Analysis and Prevention of Accidents - MAPA: tool for operational health surveillance

A análise de acidentes de trabalho é importante para a vigilância e a prevenção desses eventos. Métodos atuais de análise buscam superar visões reducionistas que enxergam essas ocorrências como eventos simples explicados por erros dos operadores. O objetivo do artigo é analisar o modelo de análise e prevenção de acidentes (MAPA) e seu uso em intervenções de vigilância, destacando aspectos vivenciados na apropriação da ferramenta. Optou-se por método descritivo analítico apresentando as etapas do modelo. Para ilustrar contribuições e ou dificuldades foram selecionados casos nos quais foi usada a ferramenta em contexto de serviço. O MAPA integra abordagens teóricas já experimentadas em estudos de acidentes fornecendo apoio conceitual útil desde a etapa de coleta de dados à conclusão e intervenção. Além de revelar fragilidades da abordagem tradicional, ajuda a identificar determinantes organizacionais como falhas gerenciais, de concepção de sistemas e da gestão de segurança envolvidas na acidentalidade. Os principais desafios encontram-se no domínio dos conceitos pelos usuários, na exploração de aspectos organizacionais mais à montante na cadeia de decisões ou em níveis superiores da hierarquia, bem como na intervenção para mudanças nos determinantes destes eventos.

The analysis of work-related accidents is important for accident surveillance and prevention. Current methods of analysis seek to overcome reductionist views that see these occurrences as simple events explained by operator error. The objective of this paper is to analyze the Model of Analysis and Prevention of Accidents (MAPA) and its use in monitoring interventions, duly highlighting aspects experienced in the use of the tool. The descriptive analytical method was used, introducing the steps of the model. To illustrate contributions and or difficulties, cases where the tool was used in the context of service were selected. MAPA integrates theoretical approaches that have already been tried in studies of accidents by providing useful conceptual support from the data collection stage until conclusion and intervention stages. Besides revealing weaknesses of the traditional approach, it helps identify organizational determinants, such as management failings, system design and safety management involved in the accident. The main challenges lie in the grasp of concepts by users, in exploring organizational aspects upstream in the chain of decisions or at higher levels of the hierarchy, as well as the intervention to change the determinants of these events.

[Model of Analysis and Prevention of Accidents - MAPA: tool for operational health surveillance]. / Modelo de Análise e Prevenção de Acidentes - MAPA: ferramenta para a vigilância em Saúde do trabalhador.

The analysis of work-related accidents is important for accident surveillance and prevention. Current methods of analysis seek to overcome reductionist views that see these occurrences as simple events explained by operator error. The objective of this paper is to analyze the Model of Analysis and Prevention of Accidents (MAPA) and its use in monitoring interventions, duly highlighting aspects experienced in the use of the tool. The descriptive analytical method was used, introducing the steps of the model. To illustrate contributions and or difficulties, cases where the tool was used in the context of service were selected. MAPA integrates theoretical approaches that have already been tried in studies of accidents by providing useful conceptual support from the data collection stage until conclusion and intervention stages. Besides revealing weaknesses of the traditional approach, it helps identify organizational determinants, such as management failings, system design and safety management involved in the accident. The main challenges lie in the grasp of concepts by users, in exploring organizational aspects upstream in the chain of decisions or at higher levels of the hierarchy, as well as the intervention to change the determinants of these events.