Equipamentos de Proteção Individual por trabalhadoras da construção civil de São Luís - MA: prospecção no Design

Abstract

Most of the Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) that women workers, construction technicians, engineers and architects use in construction sites are the same for men in the same functions. This occurs due to the occupational safety products have been historically projected and developed taking into account only the male gender, and there is the aggravating factor of the lack of updated official anthropometric information. It is emphasized that women have most of their anthropometric measurements smaller than those of men, which makes questionable the effective protection and adequacy of the PPEs that the workers women use. With this contextualization, this paper has the general objective to analyze the suitability of PPE, helmets, goggles and safety boots for use by female construction workers, considering the experiences of women at construction sites in São Luís - MA. To achieve this purpose, this research include the formation of a theoretical contribution based on literature and in normative aspects, the realization of four focus groups with construction workers women from São Luís - Maranhão and the description of copies of PPEs objects of study available in the markets local and national. From the results of the research, show up needs of improvements in the PPEs addressed with a focus on the anthropometric context of the female public, being that preliminary suggestions were elaborated as way to try attend the these needs. With the research fulfilled, emphasizes that the meeting of knowledges of the Design and of the Ergonomics can favor a positive change in toward the development of PPEs characterized as suitable to the use by women in civil construction.