Abstract:

The construction industry is undoubtedly one of the biggest generators of work risks; however, prevention programs do not make this situation evident. Workers in the construction industry work in precarious conditions, lack social security, and are completely unaware of their rights that are enshrined in them despite not signing a contract. It is imperative that both these workers and those responsible for their work, know the risk factors they are exposed to, but above all the serious health conditions they can cause, which go beyond the disabling musculoskeletal injuries so detailed in the bibliography. As the need for an adequate situational diagnosis within the industries is established, the prevention of pathologies considered merely general and whose origin is in the performance of the work, will lead the public health to the adoption of policies in improvement of the conditions thereof.

Objectives:

Identify the current diseases that are associated with the risk factors of the construction industry in Mexico.

Material and Methods:

Bibliographic review published from January 2000 to November 2016 in PUBMED, SciELO and Medline databases. Bibliographies were consulted in both English and Spanish. The keywords considered in the search included: construction industry, risk factors, work, diseases.

Conclusions:

The construction industry, presenting more ergonomic hazards in Mexico, should be one of the most closely monitored, epidemiologically speaking, because of it derives a large number of diseases that afflict the population and saturate daily the health system of Our country. It affects as well the economic development due to decreased performance and absenteeism of affected workers.

The demand for such epidemiological surveillance by the labor authorities should result in improved conditions within the workplace, from equipping workers suitable and specific tools for their activity, provide them with protective equipment personnel according to their anatomy and with the specific characteristics for the types of factors and substances to which they are exposed, as well as the reengineering of obsolete or artisanal construction processes with technology. But above all, communicate and keep workers informed about the risks they are exposed to by the type of work activity they perform.

It is essential that this commitment to oversee close and formal internal relationships between workers and employers, but it is also essential that a cross-sectoral commitment on legislation and regulations is created to truly implement and fulfill the obligations, duties and Rights that guarantee decent work for this sector of the population.