Impacts on the health of operators on shift work in a state company

Abstract

This article presents part of an empirical study's results which objective was to investigate the work impacts caused by shift work regime. It consists on a descriptive exploratory research, based theoretically and methodologically on the Work Psychodynamics approach, carried out with a group composed of 12 employees of a state-owned electric power company – "substation and hydroelectric power operators " – who perform their activities in shift work. For the research data collection, three collective discussion sessions and one meeting for validation were developed. Data were examinated through the Clinical Work analysis. From the results, it was possible to conclude – regarding to shift work allied to the rigid and bureaucratic routine of the workers studied – the suffering experienced by them, manifested in difficulty of reconciling work and socio-family life; domestic overload; difficulty in detaching from work and the risks to which they are exposed by profession. It was found also that the shift that most impacts the workers' health is nocturnal, causing damages evidenced by the symptoms of irritability, discouragement, mood swings, headaches and fatigue, which causes  stress and depression in some of them.