[Work absenteeism in a mining company: trends in 1985-1988]

The magnitude of medical and non medical absenteeism among male workers performing rotative shifts in a high altitude mining company was studied. There was a general rate of absenteeism of 8.8 absent days per 100 labor days, which means that 31.8% of the total labor force was absent every month. Absenteeism due to medical causes correspond to a mean of 85% of total lost days during the four years of the study. Common diseases (digestive, respiratory, and osteo-muscular diseases, traumatisms and poisonings) give account 84.3% of these lost days. Among these, respiratory diseases had the higher prevalence and traumatisms and osteo-muscular diseases the higher severity (with values over 10 days off). The production areas and people working in shifts had the higher prevalences of medical absenteeism. The numbers of days off for medical causes almost doubled during the four year period and in 1988 represented 14% of all the salaries paid during the year. This increasing tendency was associated with a massive entrance to private health systems. It is concluded that the problem of medical absenteeism in this company is complex and growing and its attenuation requires preventive measures.