Eletricista que trabalhava em locais sem banheiro disponível deverá receber indenização por danos morais

Um eletricista que trabalhava em locais onde não havia banheiro e que fazia refeições dentro do caminhão deverá receber indenização por danos morais. Segundo os desembargadores da 3ª Turma do Tribunal Regional do Trabalho da 4ª Região (RS), o empregado esteve submetido a condições precárias e degradantes devido à inexistência de instalações sanitárias e de local apropriado para as refeições. A decisão reformou a sentença proferida pelo juízo da 1ª Vara do Trabalho de Sapucaia do Sul.

De acordo com processo, a atividade do eletricista era desenvolvida em locais desertos, onde não havia estabelecimentos disponíveis para adquirir alimentação ou utilizar o banheiro. Segundo ele, suas necessidades fisiológicas eram feitas em algum matagal próximo ao caminhão. As refeições, por sua vez, eram levadas pelo empregado e armazenadas em temperatura ambiente, portanto estragavam. Além disso, não havia local próprio para comer, o que era feito dentro do próprio caminhão.

A juíza de primeiro grau entendeu não estar caracterizado o dano moral. Segundo ela, “é da essência da atividade externa  prestada  a  ausência  de  banheiro  à  disposição  a  qualquer  momento”. Além disso, a magistrada apontou não haver provas de que a empresa impedisse os empregados de se dirigir a um local onde houvesse banheiro, quando desejassem, bem como de que as condições de higiene fossem precárias.

O eletricista recorreu ao TRT-4. Para a relatora do caso na 3ª Turma, desembargadora Maria Madalena Telesca, é incontroverso que a empregadora não se preocupou em garantir um ambiente de trabalho sadio para os seus empregados. “A impossibilidade/restrição do uso do banheiro durante a jornada de trabalho, bem como a submissão do trabalhador a condições precárias para alimentação são abusivas, competindo às rés indenizarem o autor por danos morais”, declarou a magistrada.

A relatora citou ementas de acórdãos referentes a casos similares, em que outras Turmas do TRT-4 decidiram no mesmo sentido. Foi fixada uma indenização de R$ 5 mil.

A decisão foi unânime no colegiado. Também participaram do julgamento os desembargadores Gilberto Souza dos Santos e Ricardo Carvalho Fraga. O acórdão transitou em julgado sem interposição de recurso.

Fonte: Tribunal Regional do Trabalho 4ª Região Rio Grande do Sul, por Bárbara Frank, 13.10.2022

Samarco aumenta a segurança no Porto de Ubu com instalação de semáforos de aviso de ondas

Por Conexão Mineral 23/09/2022 – 21:28 hs

Foto: Samarco

Anteriormente, o monitoramento era realizado por meio uma boia instrumentada

Os semáforos de aviso de ondas fortes instalados pela Samarco no Porto de Ubu, em Anchieta (ES), trouxeram mais segurança para os empregados (as) e contratados (as) que precisam acessar o local. São três equipamentos na entrada e no meio do quebra-mar que funcionam 24 horas, diariamente, para alertar sobre a situação das ondas. O sinal vermelho do semáforo é um alerta para ninguém entrar no quebra-mar e quem estiver no local deverá sair para evitar riscos.     

As operações dos equipamentos foram iniciadas no final de julho, após simulações da lógica de controle e realização de testes. O sistema foi desenvolvido pela Samarco, que contratou a empresa Hidromares para fornecer os dados.  Anteriormente, o monitoramento era realizado por meio uma boia instrumentada, porém as informações geradas não alertavam para situações de risco, como acesso ao quebra-mar em momentos de ondas fortes.  

“Houve um ganho expressivo de segurança. O sistema fornece informação para quem trabalha no local. É um alerta importante a ser considerado na análise de risco ao adentrar ao quebra-mar, região do porto onde já tivemos ocorrência de projeção de pedras”, ressaltou o engenheiro de automação da Samarco, Luciano Rocha.      

Para acionar os sinais dos semáforos, conforme a altura das ondas, uma boia com sensores foi ancorada na região do Porto de Ubu. Os dados emitidos são acompanhados pela equipe de automação da Samarco.  Luciano explica que em algumas situações os equipamentos poderão ser acionados manualmente. “Em dias em que os marítimos avaliarem a necessidade de considerar outras características da maré para confirmar se há riscos, devido à altura da onda, temos essa possibilidade de acionamento manual”, disse o engenheiro. 

Prevention throug Design

Overview

One of the best ways to prevent and control occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities is to “design out” or minimize hazards and risks. NIOSH leads a national initiative called Prevention through Design (PtD). PtD’s purpose is to promote this concept and highlight its importance in all business decisions.

Program Mission

The mission of the Prevention through Design National initiative is to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities through the inclusion of prevention considerations in all designs that impact workers. The mission can be achieved by:

• Eliminating hazards and controlling risks to workers to an acceptable level “at the source” or as early as possible in the life cycle of items or workplaces.
• Including design, redesign and retrofit of new and existing work premises, structures, tools, facilities, equipment, machinery, products, substances, work processes and the organization of work.
• Enhancing the work environment through the inclusion of prevention methods in all designs that impact workers and others on the premises

The strategic plan establishes goals for the successful implementation of the PtD Plan for the National Initiative. This comprehensive approach, which includes worker health and safety in all aspects of design, redesign and retrofit, will provide a vital framework for saving lives and preventing work-related injuries and illness is the roadmap.

Defining PtD

PtD encompasses all of the efforts to anticipate and design out hazards to workers in facilities, work methods and operations, processes, equipment, tools, products, new technologies, and the organization of work. The focus of PtD is on workers who execute the designs or have to work with the products of the design. The initiative has been developed to support designing out hazards, the most reliable and effective type of prevention.

Approach to PtD

The approach that will be used to develop and implement the PtD National Initiative will be framed by industry sector and within four functional areas: Research, Education, Practice, and Policy. As the chart below indicates, this process encourages stakeholder input through a sector-based approach consistent with the one used under the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).

The ultimate goal of the PtD initiative is to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities through the inclusion of prevention considerations into all designs that impact workers. Along the way, intermediate goals will be identified to provide a path toward achieving the ultimate goal. NIOSH will serve as a catalyst to establish this Initiative, but in the end, the partners and stakeholders must actively participate in addressing these goals to make PtD business as usual in the 21^st century.

News & Events

The Prevention through Design program is pleased to announce the publication of the PtD Program-Performance One-Pager (PPOP)pdf icon, May 2016. We also invite you to view PPOP summary sheets for other NIOSH programs here: www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/ppop

The Prevention through Design program is pleased to announce the publication of The State of the National Initiative on Prevention through Design (PtD).

Engineering Modules Released
The Prevention through Design Program is pleased to announce the release of four education modules, consisting of an Instructor’s Manual and a slide deck. Each module outlines the motivations for PtD, encourages inclusion of worker health and safety considerations early in the design process, and identifies hazards associated with the topic.

Fonte: NIOSH

Hierarchy of Controls

Controlling exposures to hazards in the workplace is vital to protecting workers. The hierarchy of controls is a way of determining which actions will best control exposures. The hierarchy of controls has five levels of actions to reduce or remove hazards. The preferred order of action based on general effectiveness is:

1. Elimination
2. Substitution
3. Engineering controls
4. Administrative controls
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Using this hierarchy can lower worker exposures and reduce risk of illness or injury.

Elimination

Elimination removes the hazard at the source. This could include changing the work process to stop using a toxic chemical, heavy object, or sharp tool. It is the preferred solution to protect workers because no exposure can occur.

Substitution

Substitution is using a safer alternative to the source of the hazard. An example is using plant-based printing inks as a substitute for solvent-based inks.

When considering a substitute, it’s important to compare the potential new risks of the substitute to the original risks. This review should consider how the substitute will combine with other agents in the workplace. Effective substitutes reduce the potential for harmful effects and do not create new risks.

Elimination and substitution can be the most difficult actions to adopt into an existing process. These methods are best used at the design or development stage of a work process, place, or tool. At the development stage, elimination and substitution may be the simplest and cheapest option. Another good opportunity to use elimination and substitution is when selecting new equipment or procedures. Prevention through Design is an approach to proactively include prevention when designing work equipment, tools, operations, and spaces.

Engineering Controls

Engineering controls reduce or prevent hazards from coming into contact with workers. Engineering controls can include modifying equipment or the workspace, using protective barriers, ventilation, and more. The NIOSH Engineering Controls Database has examples of published engineering control research findings.

The most effective engineering controls:

• are part of the original equipment design
• remove or block the hazard at the source before it comes into contact with the worker
• prevent users from modifying or interfering with the control
• need minimal user input for the controls to work
• operate correctly without interfering with the work process or making the work process more difficult

Engineering controls can cost more upfront than administrative controls or PPE. However, long-term operating costs tend to be lower, especially when protecting multiple workers. In addition, engineering controls can save money in other areas of the work process or facility operation.

Administrative Controls

Administrative controls establish work practices that reduce the duration, frequency, or intensity of exposure to hazards. This may include:

• work process training
• job rotation
• ensuring adequate rest breaks
• limiting access to hazardous areas or machinery
• adjusting line speeds

PPE

PPE is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards. Examples of PPE include gloves, safety glasses, hearing protection, hard hats, and respirators. When employees use PPE, employers should implement a PPE program. While elements of the PPE program depend on the work process and the identified PPE, the program should address:

• workplace hazards assessment
• PPE selection and use
• inspection and replacement of damaged or worn-out PPE
• employee training
• program monitoring for continued effectiveness

Employers should not rely on PPE alone to control hazards when other effective control options are available. PPE can be effective, but only when workers use it correctly and consistently. PPE might seem to be less expensive than other controls, but can be costly over time. This is especially true when used for multiple workers on a daily basis.

When other control methods are unable to reduce the hazardous exposure to safe levels, employers must provide PPE. This includes:

• while other controls are under development
• when other controls cannot sufficiently reduce the hazardous exposure
• when PPE is the only control option available

Administrative controls and PPE require significant and ongoing effort by  workers and their supervisors. They are useful when employers are in the process of implementing other control methods from the hierarchy. Additionally, administrative controls and PPE are often applied to existing processes where hazards are not well controlled.

Fonte: NIOH

Mercury

On This Page

• Overview
• NIOSH Chemical Resources
• Related NIOSH Resources
• Selected Publications
• Related Resources
• International Resources

Overview

CAS No. 7439-97-6 (metal)

Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring metal. Metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid. When heated it becomes a colorless, odorless gas. Some of the health effects exposure to mercury may cause include: irritation to the eyes, skin, and stomach; cough, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, insomnia, irritability, indecision, headache, weakness or exhaustion, and weight loss. Workers may be harmed from exposure to mercury. The level of exposure depends upon the dose, duration, and work being done.

Mercury is used in many industries. It’s used to produce chlorine gas and caustic soda, and in thermometers, barometers, batteries , and electrical switches.  Some examples of workers at risk of being exposed to mercury include the following:

• Workers in facilities where electrical equipment is manufactured
• Workers in fluorescent light bulb (CFL) recycling facilities
• Workers in facilities where automotive parts are manufactured
• Workers in chemical processing plants that use mercury
• Workers in medical, dental, or other health services who work with equipment that contains mercury
• Dentists and their assistants when breathing in mercury vapor released from amalgam fillings

NIOSH recommends that employers use Hierarchy of Controls to prevent injuries.  If you work in an industry that uses mercury, please read chemical labels and the accompanying Safety Data Sheet for hazard information. Visit NIOSH’s page on Managing Chemical Safety in the Workplace to learn more about controlling chemical workplace exposures.

Fonte: NIOSH