The concealment of occupational illness in Brazil and the Caminhos do Trabalho Project

Abstract

This article has two main objectives: to analyze the recent dynamics of the concealment of occupational illness in Brazil; and to present the structure, results, and prospects of Caminhos do Trabalho (Paths of Work) in its nationalization process. The main arguments presented here are: 1) there are indications that the concealment of occupational injuries in Brazil has worsened in recent years, particularly with regard to the most serious accidents, with relevant explanatory factors being corporate strategies to evade protective labor regulations and tax evasion, and the decline in the determination of the nexus by the INSS; and 2) despite this harmful dynamic, there are legal instruments in place that can structurally reduce the underreporting of accidents, and Caminhos do Trabalho can be an important agent for a substantive change in the current scenario at the national level.