Profile of child labor accidents involving adolescents

Objective: To describe the profile of child labor accidents with adolescents in the municipalities of Sobral – Ceara, Brazil. Methods: Epidemiological, descriptive and retrospective study, held at the Worker's Health Reference Center (CEREST) Sobral - Ceara, with 139 cases of child labor accidents, reported in the National System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2013, with adolescents aged 10 to 17 years. Results: Most adolescents observed were in the age group 14-17 years old, male, brown, with incomplete primary education and living in the countryside. Most are students, with the situation of precarious labor condition. The highest incidence of reported accidents occurs in the contractor’s own premises; the most affected part of the body is the hand. Regarding the evolution of the cases, most were characterized as temporary disability. Conclusion: Child labor leads them to a vulnerable situation and this should be considered and recognized as a macroeconomic problem of capitalist production. They are exposed to diseases and disorders related to work, thus they need to be cared, protected and understood throughout a socio-health network.