Abstract
Objective: To verify how the space and the relationships it contains influences occupational health and the way employees conceive their work. Methods: This was a qualitative categorical analysis. The sample, 34 professionals from the Sterilized Materials Center (SMC) of a teaching hospital, belongs to both sexes and is aged between 26 and 62 years. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, assessing the sector’s ambiance, it’s occupational health and what work meant for each participant. Results: The analysis highlighted the lack of workers, structural conditions and recognition, associated with the high incidence of health problems in the sample. In addition, employees described their work positively and covered more than it’s economic meanings. Conclusion: The research discusses little explored themes, as well as suggests changes to optimize the activities of the sector and develop the health of the workers. As the investigation is limited to a single site and to collect information, it is advantageous that future researches include other sectors that interact with the SMC and develop practical interventions.