PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS IN OCCUPATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT: TENSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE UPDATE OF REGULATORY STANDARD 01 (NR-01)

The update of Regulatory Standard No. 01 (NR-01), with the inclusion of psychosocial factors as a dimension of occupational risk management, marks a step forward in recognizing mental health as an integral part of worker health in Brazil. This essay aimed to critically analyze the tensions and implications of this regulatory change, articulating frameworks from the social sciences, occupational clinics, and public health, with an emphasis on the concepts of psychosocial factors, psychosocial risk, and subjectivity at work. Methodologically, it is characterized as qualitative research, based on a documentary analysis of NR-01 and national and international regulatory frameworks, combined with a literature review and critical-interpretative analysis grounded in approaches to the psychodynamics of work and recent studies on psychosocial risks. The results indicate that, although the standard broadens the scope of protection by including mental health, it presents weaknesses such as the lack of robust technical criteria, the possibility of market appropriation, and the risk of medicalization and individual accountability for suffering. It is concluded that the effectiveness of NR-01 will depend on the adoption of critical epistemologies, participatory methodologies, and institutional policies committed to transforming working conditions. It is recommended that future research empirically investigate the implementation of the standard, its effects on workers, and institutional care and prevention strategies.