NR-1 in Brazil: GRO, PGR and coordination with the PCMSO

In Brazil, NR-1 establishes general safety and health provisions and requirements for Gerenciamento de Riscos Ocupacionais, or GRO. Applying it means connecting workplace hazards with preventive decisions, rather than simply keeping a document.

In brief

The Programa de Gerenciamento de Riscos, PGR, and the Programa de Controle Médico de Saúde Ocupacional, PCMSO, serve different functions. Coordinating them connects technical prevention with health surveillance while respecting the scope and conditions of each standard.

Contents
  1. Check which standards apply
  2. Distinguish the process from its documents
  3. Turn assessment into action
  4. Include psychosocial factors at work
  5. Connect with the PCMSO under NR-7
  6. Hypothetical example: modifying a production line
  7. Related concepts
  8. References

A–Z dictionary →

Check which standards apply

NR-1 does not replace the other Normas Regulamentadoras. The activities, equipment and conditions at the establishment determine which additional provisions must be consulted. A legal requirements register can help maintain these connections and their versions.

Differentiated arrangements also exist for certain small organisations. Before applying an exception, its conditions must be checked: business size does not automatically mean that preventive obligations disappear.

Distinguish the process from its documents

GRO is a continuous process of hazard identification, assessment and control. The PGR formalises its implementation and contains, as a minimum, the occupational risk inventory and action plan.

To work with these documents, it should be possible to trace each risk to the measure controlling it. A generic description of the sector provides less operational information than identifying the process, exposure and people affected.

Turn assessment into action

The inventory provides a basis for setting priorities. The action plan must connect with implementation and monitoring of measures. Preventive planning helps organise responsibilities, resources and checks.

A process change can alter the conditions recorded. It is therefore useful for production, maintenance and prevention teams to share information about modifications, incidents and difficulties applying the planned controls.

Include psychosocial factors at work

The revision of chapter 1.5, in force since 26 May 2026, expressly includes work-related psychosocial risk factors in GRO.

The preventive focus is on the working conditions that create exposure. Assessing them should not be confused with diagnosing individuals. Worker participation helps identify differences between work as planned and work as actually performed.

Connect with the PCMSO under NR-7

The PCMSO organises health protection and monitoring according to occupational risks. NR-7 places it within planned action, rather than an isolated succession of medical examinations.

Health surveillance requires technical and medical coordination. Sharing preventive information does not mean distributing medical records or replacing the responsible professional’s judgement with administrative decisions.

Hypothetical example: modifying a production line

A plant modifies a production line and its shift arrangements. It reviews exposures, updates the inventory and agrees outstanding measures with those who must implement them. The health team receives the relevant preventive information to review its programme.

The changes are then checked at the workstation to see whether they work. The useful outcome is consistency between actual conditions, measures and monitoring, alongside the required documentation.

References

  1. Brazilian Ministry of Labour. NR-1 and the development of GRO. Official source
  2. Brazilian Ministry of Labour. Current text of NR-1. Official source
  3. Brazilian Ministry of Labour. NR-7 and PCMSO. Official source
  4. Brazilian Ministry of Labour. Current Normas Regulamentadoras. Official source

Editorial information

Publication date: 19 October 2026.

Editorial responsibility: Sabentis Editorial Team.

Author: Pablo RodríguezLinkedIn

Executive Vice President of the ORP International Foundation and Chief Financial Officer of Sabentis.

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