Percepção dos catadores de lixo em relação a sua saúde e os riscos envolvidos na atividade de catador.

Abstract

With the continued rapid development of cities, appeared some problems related to environmental, social, and disposal of solid waste. In this context there is a marginal activity, but not of little relevance, which is scavenging of solid waste, or "garbage collector profession". These workers remain in direct contact with the material collected and shall be subject to different types of contamination risk by disease. The frequent contact with harmful agents makes a garbage collection of professional activities more risky and unhealthy. The survey was aimed at knowing the perception of garbage collectors in relation to their health and the risks involved in the activity of scavengers and specific objectives describe the perceptions of scavengers on health, illness and risks, identifying the main diseases caused by living and work at the landfill and capture the perception of the collectors on their work with the garbage and its influence on their health and illness. The present work consists of an exploratory - descriptive, qualitative and quantitative in nature. The study population was constituted by all people involved in scavenging garbage in the landfill, which are not registered with the city council of Sousa-PB. As an instrument of data collection used the semi-structured interview, and the open questions addressed by the content analysis Minayo (1993) and a questionnaire. The results indicate that the garbage collectors realize the relationship garbage-health, the trash can directly influence their health. Regarding socioeconomic aspects, we find the low remuneration for such activity, the low quality of life and the high risks of health professionals. However it is expected that these workers can be recognized for laboring and cool, with social guarantees and free from bias and the labels that society gives it, feeling citizen of law and fact, and leaving behind the condition deleted.