The opportunity to understand and promote occupational health literacy in Brazil

Abstract

This essay explores the potential of promoting occupational health literacy in Brazil, as a strategy to foster workers’ skills and competencies from an emancipatory perspective, enabling them to identify the determinants underlying the multiple crises observed in the relationship between health and work, as well as to develop individual and collective strategies to address them. The discussion begins by recognizing the central role of meaning-making in the interpretation of key health information for the promotion of safe and healthy work environments. It then examines the main components and domains of the concept of occupational health literacy and considers their application within workplace health and safety promotion strategies. Finally, the essay argues that advancing occupational health literacy can serve as a means not only to foster safer and healthier work environments but also to cultivate workers capable of engaging critically and collaboratively in decision-making processes that aim to ensure improved living and working conditions, both individually and collectively.