A system for occupational injury surveillance in Piracicaba, southeastern Brazil

This article describes the experience of developing the Occupational Injury Surveillance System in the city of Piracicaba, in upstate São Paulo, Brazil. The system has the following characteristics: the information entered into the system is obtained directly, in real time, where the injured individuals receive medical treatment; the system has universal coverage, including all accidents occurring on the job in Piracicaba regardless of the worker's employment status, workplace, and place of residence; the health monitoring and promotion actions are activated in response to the identification of sentinel events; and the analysis of spatial distribution of occupational injuries is a basic tool for elaborating strategies for treating the injured as well as policies for accident prevention. The system began operating on November 1, 2003. 10,777 occupational injuries had been identified by October 31, 2005, corresponding to an annual incidence proportion of 3.8% in the city. We present a brief description of a detailed investigation of one of the injuries.