Health and work of cassinu community fishermen, in rio de janeiro, brazil: social (in) visibility and struggle for recognition

Objective: to discuss the health and work of artisanal fishermen from the fishing village of Gradim Z-08, in Cassinu community. Method: field research, of quantitative and qualitative nature, carried out from January to May 2013 with artisanal fishermen from a village located in Cassinu community-RJ. Results: 35 fishermen were interviewed, prevalently aged between 40 and 55 years old; 34,3% had completed primary school, 42,9% received monthly income between 1 and 2 minimum wages, 71,4% used PPE partially and 91,4% had suffered some injury in the profession. It was identified, through testimonials and local observations, that they faced precarious working conditions and risks associated with environmental pollution. Conclusion: this study showed that there are risks of injury and contamination by microorganisms in water arising from partial use of PPE, poor housing conditions and ineffective sanitation. These conditions are aggravated by lack of labor protection, informality of artisanal labor, low education and low income from the activity. Nurses and other health professionals should worry about the "invisible" populations, developing actions and investigations that generate reflections on strategies that promote improvements in education and health