INTRODUCTION: This paper describes the contribution of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) for a comprehensive approach to workers' health care as established by the National Occupational Safety and Health Plan (PNSST). It takes into account the Health Care Network organization, as well as the health surveillance coordination assigned to the Primary Health Care (PHC). METHOD: Through literature review and analysis of normative documents the authors identified health surveillance actions to be implemented by the PHC teams and their potentialities for workers' health purposes. RESULTS: The identified actions were organized and discussed according to: a) a situational diagnosis, including work activities held in the region; b) workers' demographic and epidemiological profiles; c) planning of actions with priority to interventions aimed at the most frequent, hazardous and vulnerable health problems; d) assistance to victims of work-related injuries or diseases; e) educational actions and health promotion; f) workers' health surveillance actions. The authors discuss the PHC's potentialities and limitations in implementing Workers' Health Care actions and recommend that Workers' Health Reference Centers (Cerest) and other organizations included in the SUS system should provide permanent educational programs and appropriate technical support.
public health policy; workers' health; primary health care; Brazilian national occupational safety and health plan (PNSST)