Abstract

VARONA, Marcela E et al. State of supply services for industrial hygiene and safety in Colombia. Biomédica [online]. 2012, vol.32, n.1, pp.60-70. ISSN 0120-4157.

Introduction. Institutions that supply occupational health services must offer services that are reliable and of high quality across the spectrum of industrial hygiene and safety needs. Objective. Services for occupational health were identified at several institutions, and the technical quality and reliability of these services were compared in different regions of Colombia. Materials and methods. This descriptive study identified the services available for industrial hygiene and safety in 15 cities of Colombia. A survey was conducted in 192 institutions offering such services and a statistical analysis of these results was undertaken. This sample was taken from a nationwide list of institutions purportedly licensed for this activity. Results. Thirty-two percent (61) of the evaluated institutions provided hygiene services, and 48% (93) provided safety services. The range of health services was provided on a subcontract basis both for professional personnel and the equipment. Six institutions in the area of industrial hygiene and 1 in the area of industrial security were supplying services with pending or suspended institutional licenses. Conclusion. Deficiencies in the quality, infrastructure and levels of automation were identified at  institutions that supply services of hygiene and industrial security. The resulting recommendatios are  that the Ministry of the Social Protection fortifies mechanisms for (1) the evaluation and control of the supplied services, and (2) verify that the institutional activity is in accordance with current and valid licensing.

Keywords : Occupational health; occupational risks; Colombia.

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