[Development and current aspects of occupational health in Brazil]

The main objective of this study is to describe and analyze the health situation of workers in Brazil in the 1980s, as a process with technical, political, socioeconomic, and cultural dimensions. The main sources of data and information were: the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), and international agencies like the International Labor Office (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and available specialized literature. The severity of the workers' patterns of morbidity and mortality emerges from this analysis, as well as the inadequacy of the public policies implemented by the State to deal with these issues and find efficient solutions. The study also points out the importance of the social process that occurred in this decade, with the participation of workers and health professionals, which was responsible for important achievements, particularly in the field of legislation. In conclusion, some issues and challenges for further improvement of the workers' quality of life, through the improvement of health and working conditions, are presented.