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After sleeping, the second thing you will do most in life is work. It is estimated that human beings spend between 81,000 and 90,000 hours in paid labor activities — about 13 years out of an 80-year life expectancy. Given the central role work plays in our lives, it’s only natural that occupational medicine has grown into an increasingly vital specialty.
According to Fiocruz, “Occupational Medicine can be defined as the medical specialty that deals with the relationship between the health of working men and women and their work, aiming not only at the prevention of work-related illnesses and accidents but also at the promotion of health and quality of life...”.
With the advent of computers, smartphones, and other technologies, labor activities that are physically hazardous to health have come to represent a smaller portion of the current job market.
Even so, according to data from the Occupational Health and Safety Observatory (SmartLab), every 3 hours and 47 minutes a person dies due to a work-related accident. Per day, there are at least 70 accidents. Also according to SmartLab, in 2023, work-related accidents generated an average annual cost of R$ 13 billion for the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), considering the amounts paid in accident-related benefits.
Now, laws are beginning to be revised to meet the demands of digital life. In this regard, in 2022, NR-1 was updated and began to require companies to create a Risk Management Program (PGR), aiming to anticipate, recognize, assess, and control a broader range of risks, including psychosocial ones.
As a result, the regulation follows the global movement led by the World Health Organization (WHO), which began to recognize burnout as an occupational disease, in line with the high rates of mental illness observed in Brazil and around the world.
To understand how we reached this point — where mental health has come to be considered a legitimate occupational risk — it is important to look at the path that occupational medicine has taken since its beginnings. Below, a brief historical overview of this specialty.
The history of occupational safety and medicine
The origin of this medical field is closely tied to the history of industrialization. One of the earliest records of the harmful effects of work on health dates back to the 16th century, with the Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini, considered the “father of occupational medicine.”
In 1700, Ramazzini published the work De Morbis Artificum Diatriba (The Diseases of Workers), in which he described illnesses specific to the professions of the time — such as bakers, chimney sweeps, and miners. In the mid-18th century, the first phase of the Industrial Revolution emerged, giving strength to discussions about the relationship between work activity and health.
However, it was in the 19th century that the first labor and sanitary laws were enacted in Europe, driven by doctors, engineers, and social activists. In England, for example, the Factory Act of 1833 limited the number of working hours for children and imposed minimum safety regulations. These measures marked the beginning of systematic regulation regarding working conditions.
In Brazil, occupational medicine began to take shape in 1919 with Legislative Decree No. 3,724 — the first law on work-related accidents, which made it mandatory to compensate for harm caused by work-related illnesses. In 1921, the Labor Inspection was established, the first public agency designed to protect workers.
However, it was in 1936 that the regulations began to gain solidity, thanks to the creation of the National Department of Labor (DNT), responsible for enforcing laws related to the work environment, such as vacation, accidents, unions, and child labor. At the same time, regional inspectorates were also created — currently known as Regional Labor Offices.
In 1943, these actions culminated in the creation of the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), legislation that included guidelines focused on occupational health, such as the requirement for pre-employment and periodic medical examinations, as well as the involvement of physicians in companies.
In the following decades, the strengthening of this preventive agenda led to the creation of more specific initiatives, such as the Occupational Health Medical Control Program (PCMSO). Launched in 1994, its objective was to reinforce the obligation of preventive actions focused on promoting workers’ health, as established by NR-7 of the Ministry of Labor.
Recent changes in Brazilian legislation
In 2025, the updated NR-1 stands out, which, according to the Ministry of Labor and Employment, expands employers’ responsibility for protecting workers’ physical and mental health, requiring a more proactive and integrated approach — this includes everything from workstation ergonomics to identifying factors that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and burnout.
Additionally, after 24 years, the Ministry of Health updated the list of work-related illnesses. As a result, 165 new conditions were added, including: Covid-19, mental health disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and various types of cancer.
New work-related risks in contemporary life
Just like the laws, the risks associated with work have also changed over time. If in 19th-century factories the dangers were in the machines and exposure to toxic substances, today the challenges also include sedentary lifestyles, chronic stress, burnout, and the impacts of hyperconnectivity.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in work-related illnesses, especially those linked to mental health, with anxiety and depression standing out. According to G1, in 2024 the INSS granted 472,328 medical leaves related to mental disorders — a 68% increase compared to 2023.
Among the possible explanations for this scenario, debates suggest causes such as:
- Excessive workload;
- Increasing pressure for productivity (workaholic culture);
- Excessive screen time and social media use;
- Blurred boundaries between personal and professional life;
- Lack of professional recognition;
- Others.
The distribution of specialists in Brazil and future challenges
In a market with increasingly complex dynamics, occupational medicine is no longer just a legal requirement—it has become a strategic point for public health and business sustainability.
But is Brazil prepared for this new demand?
The numbers show that the presence of specialists is still far from ideal. In 2024, the National Association of Occupational Medicine (ANAMT) reported that interest in this field had grown, with 20 candidates per spot in 2023. Even so, the 2025 Medical Demographics report revealed a decline in the proportion of specialists: currently, only 3.3% of doctors work in this area, and 54.8% of them are concentrated in the Southeast region.
Despite the fluctuation in the number of professionals dedicated exclusively to occupational health, other efforts in the healthcare sector—aimed at increasing accessibility to services—may help preserve people’s well-being.
What’s your opinion?
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