Abstract

MELENDI, Daniel L.; SCAFATI, Laura; VOLKHEIMER, Wolfgang  and  CHAVEZ, Ramón F.. Técnicas extractivas y preparativas en Paleontología: Aspectos ambientales y de seguridad laboral. Rev. Mus. Argent. Cienc. Nat. [online]. 2009, vol.11, n.1, pp.107-129. ISSN 1853-0400.

Extractive and preparation techniques in Paleontology. Environmental aspects and labor safety. The objective of this paper is to analyze the working conditions in which the paleontologic work is developed, especially in Paleopalynology and Paleovertebrat ology. This analysis is also valid for other academic and scientific activities. During fieldwork and in the paleontologic research a wide range of processes are applied, which proceed from the fields of physics and chemistry. They are characterized by different degrees of complexity and present different types of risks for the people who apply them, for other people, for physical objects and for the environment. For the applications of all these technical activities, some aspects must be taken into account that are not perceived as scientific matter and consequently do not receive attention: the safety of working conditions. This situation determines a state of precarious conditions of the labor environment and certain degree of stress, which potentiates the generation of accidents and damages and is hurting the legislation and the codes of professional ethics. The violation and absence of application of these rules are occurring frequently. The origin of this behavior may be due to the lack of knowledge and interest, and a certain degree of collective anomie that characterizes our society. In our labor environment -even without existing statistics- the cases of accidents and damage affecting health, as well as factors of risk and probable dysfunctional behaviors which are producing them, are frequent. This paper introduces in the problematic of the risks, exposes the normative marks and develops an interpretation of the possible causes that would explain the breach of the established thing in the matter of labor safety. It also proposes possible strategies destined to mitigate, to correct and to revert this problem.

Keywords : Palynology; Vertebrate Paleontology; Techniques; Labor Safety; Risks; Prevention.

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