The Dirección de Higiene y Seguridad del Trabajo: tensions around the demarcation of its function in the Peronist State

Abstract

During Peron’s presidencies (1946-1952/1952-1955), the Argentinean State underwent a period of profound transformation. The Executive Power became more complex with the development of new areas of intervention, including the creation of the Secretaría de Trabajo y Previsión in 1943 and then of the Ministry six years later. The organization of this area included the construction of an approach designed to influence and control safety and health conditions in a wide range of work settings. This endeavor was led by Dr. Leopoldo Bard, a figure with considerable professional and political experience. The process created tensions with the Secretaría de Salud Pública, because both departments had an interest in the preservation of workers’ health as part of a wider strategy to develop health services for the majority of the population. It also represented the utilization of knowledge linked to occupational medicine, still a poorly-defined field in mid-20th century Argentina, in which various professions met and exchanged their expertise. Through analysis of specialist and state publications, this article first reconstructs some highlights of the process by which the field of occupational medicine was shaped during the first decades of the 20th century. It then focuses on the organization and functioning of the Dirección de Higiene y Seguridad del Trabajo of the Trabajo y Previsión area during the years of the so-called First Peronism.