Relação entre dor e qualidade de vida no trabalho em trabalhadores da indústria metalúrgica

Abstract

This study was conducted with employees of a large company in the metal industry, which manufactures structures for handling and storage of materials. The objective was to analyze the correlation between the occurrence of pain and the quality level of work life (QWL) of workers in the various sectors of work, and to determine the occurrence of pain, as to its intensity, duration, frequency, and body location ; QVT check the level of workers; assess the posture by REBA method; and propose improvements in terms of posture and workplace to minimize the occurrence of pain and improve QWL. This is a descriptive study, quantitative, exploratory, conducted with 110 workers, distributed representatively in percentage, the Production Assistant functions; Lecturer; Industrial controller; Industrial leader; Forklift operator; Operator Welding; Industrial operator; and painter. They were applied as data collection instruments a general questionnaire to characterize the sample; Diagram Corlett and Manenica; Questionnaire Roland and Morris; McGill questionnaire; Questionnaire based on the Walton model; REBA method of postural assessment; as well as observations, filming and documentary analysis of the company. As a result, the profile of workers surveyed for the most part (44.5%) have not completed high school, is married and has up to three years of service in the company. The average age of workers, which in their totality are male, is approximately 33 (± 11) years. A significant occurrence of pain was found, since there were 548 occurrences of pain in various body regions, although the pain index found is not considered high. The level of QVT presented by the studied workers can be considered high, since all five criteria obtained an average of over 50%. The forklift operator functions and welding operator were, respectively, the two functions where he hears a higher occurrence of pain and lower level of QWL among the analyzed functions. It can be seen that there was a weak correlation between the occurrence of pain and the quality level of life at work in the metal industry workers surveyed. Therefore it can be said that in this study, pain minimally influences QLW workers. Regarding the posture evaluated by Reba for both functions with a higher incidence of pain was observed that in both functions the average score was 6, corresponding to a risk considered medium, where there is need for intervention. Finally, it is noteworthy that the results found in this study are limited to employees of the metals and therefore should not be generalized to other populations of workers. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out further studies, which evaluate and analyze a greater number of workers, including those from other branches as well as more diversified occupational activities.