Nível de entendimento das informações de primeiros socorros de bula e rótulo de agrotóxico por meeiros de plantações de tomate de Sumaré, SP / Level of understanding of first aid information contained in agrochemical labels by tomato growing tenant farmers in Sumaré, SP

Agrochemical product labels contain information required by law indicating how to use it and handle safely in order to prevent accidents, avoid intoxications and minimize damages to rural workers´health. The main objective of this work was to assess the level of understanding of first aid information contained in labels of agrochemical products by tenant farmers working on trained tomato plantations in the municipality of Sumaré-SP, Brazil. Eighty rural workers were interviewed from March to May 2006. Simple objective phrases and scores were created to evaluate rural workers’ understanding of each phrase. Only 10 percent of the workers understood the meaning of the phrase regarding ingestion, and 17,5 percent the one concerning inhalation. The difficulty to understand was related to the fact that rural workers did not know the meaning of the words “ingestion”and “inhalation”. The phrases regarding ocular exposure and skin exposure, were understood by 47,5 percent and 37,5 percent of the workers, respectively. This study leads to the conclusion that labels on agrochemical products should be simplified and contain information aimed at the final consumers and its language should be adapted in order to better instruct and inform rural workers.

Bulas e rótulos de agrotóxicos configuram documentos legais criados para estabelecerem regras de segurança para manuseio e aplicação destes para prevenir acidentes, intoxicações, e diminuir danos à saúde dos trabalhadores rurais. Sendo assim, o principal objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o nível de entendimento de meeiros de plantações de tomate estaqueado do município de Sumaré-SP acerca das informações de Primeiros Socorros que constam em bula/rótulo de agrotóxicos. Foram entrevistados 80 meeiros de março a maio de 2006. Foram selecionadas frases objetivas e criados escores para avaliar o entendimento do meeiro sobre o significado de cada frase. Apenas 10 por cento dos entrevistados compreenderam corretamente o significado da frase referente à ingestão contra 17,5 por cento para a frase referente à inalação. Essa dificuldade de compreensão deveu-se ao não conhecimento por parte dos meeiros dos significados das palavras “ingestão” e “inalação”. Já para as frases referentes à exposição ocular e cutânea, o índice de acerto foi maior: 47,5 por cento e 37,5 por cento respectivamente. Este estudo pôde concluir que bulas e rótulos de agrotóxicos devem ser simplificados, conter informações dirigidas e adaptadas ao público alvo para educar e orientar os trabalhadores rurais.

Acidente do trabalho por material perfurocortante em trabalhadores de enfermagem / Occupational accidents among nursing personnel caused by perforating instruments

The purpose was to conduct a survey on work accidents which occur due to sharp cutting instruments. The population studied consisted of nursing personnel who had suffered work accidents. A sample of 22 female workers was selected and the individuals were interviewed. The average age of this sample was 38 years old and there were 59.1 nursing assistants, 22.7 nurses, 9.1 nursing technicians and 9.1 nursing attendants. The highest number of accidents occurred during the month of June and most of them around 3 PM. Most of the accidents reported were from the neonatal unit. The hands were the most affected parts of the body and the majority of the accidents were due to perforating instruments. When the accidents occurred, 50 were wearing gloves and 86.4 were vaccinated.