Abstract

BENAVIDES, Fernando G. Causality and responsibility in occupational health. Gac Sanit [online]. 2021, vol.35, n.5, pp.502-505.  Epub Jan 24, 2022. ISSN 0213-9111.  https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2020.03.005.

The objective of this work is to review the imperfect relationship between causality and responsibility, from the perspective of occupational health, where this tension occurs so frequently when addressing the prevention of illnesses and occupational injuries. From epidemiology, we are very demanding in our observations, both in terms of internal and external validity, when establishing causal relationships. An essential rigor in the analysis of causality, which does not prevent us from myopia when a purely biomedical vision is adopted, forgetting the causes at different levels and of an economic and political nature. In turn, we need a governance (administrations, companies and governments) that assumes responsibility through the establishment of policies, many of them based on legal norms. Rules resulting from participatory processes, broad in democratic societies, in which conflicting interests intervene, and sometimes extends for years, which can lead to unacceptable situations of unrecognized suffering. So, helping us with some prosthesis, a glasses for science, to provide evidence that explains from macro to micro the process that takes us from health to disease, and a hearing aids for politics, to assume with all consequences their responsibility for taking preventive measures listening to the interests of the most vulnerable people, we could enjoy a long and healthy life.

Keywords : Occupational health; Law Causal inference; Precautionary principle.

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