Characterization of informal workers potentially exposed to chemical agents in the city of Bogotá

Abstract

This article characterizes the socio-demographic variables, work conditions and symptoms of informal workers in the city of Bogotá who may potentially be exposed to chemical substances while carrying out their activities, based on the actions carried out by the Public Health Surveillance components of the District Secretary of Health of Bogotá: the Subsystem of Occupational Epidemiological Surveillance of Informal Workers (SIVISTRA, for the Spanish original) and the Evaluation Project on Exposure to and Health Effects Related to Chemical Substances. 7,973 informal workers who use chemicals were approached from April 2017 to December 2022, and chemical risk controls implemented in work units was evaluated. Information was also collected on symptoms that could be related to occupational exposure to chemicals. The results obtained from the attributes of individual exposure provide a starting point for characterizing informal workers who use chemicals and, based on this information, the basis for public policies that help prevent health events and improve their work conditions associated with chemical risk factors.