This research work investigates the real conditions of working environments in the construction industry, considering problems related to occupational safety in construction sites. The hypothesis that the degree of compliance to NR-18 (Brazilian Regulation for Occupational Safety and Health at Construction sites) varies according to project size (small, medium, and large) was formulated. Based on a check-list for verifying the compliance to NR-18 requirements, 115 construction sites from Chapecó, State of Santa Catarina, were evaluated. A score was given for each item of the check-list, and, after processing the data, an analysis was made according to the research objectives. A critical analysis of the five worst and the five best items for small, medium and large construction sites. The results indicated that the degree of compliance to NR-18 depends on the size of the construction site. Large sites had an average degree of compliance (6.47) significantly higher than small sites (1.97), corroborating the hypothesis formulated at the beginning of this investigation. This difference can be explained by several factors, among which stands out the lack of safety and health management skills in small companies. Another contribution of this investigation was the proposal of a new NR-18 check-list to assess construction sites.
Occupational safety; Degree of compliance to NR-18; Check-list
