Aiming to identify the workers’ needs and areas for improvement at PSA-Mangualde, a questionnaire was previously elaborated and presented to 100 workers with +50 years old.
The questionnaire comprised the four pillars of OptimaSteel project: workplace ergonomics, stress management, physical training and nutritional balance.
The majority (58%) of the questioned employees are included in the age range 50-54, 41% in the 55-60, and only one respondent is more than 61 years old. Importantly, almost two-thirds of the workers (64%) believe that they cannot continue to perform their tasks, or similar ones until they are 66 years old.
Indeed, almost everyone (87%) indicated that their jobs in the production line involve tiring positions and repetitive hand or arm movements; they spend most of the time on foot (92%) standing up for 6 to 8 hours per day. Moreover, more than a third of the workers (34%) feel emotionally distressed at work, and the assembly line is the most affected by stress.
Notably, a substantial fraction of the participants (39%) practice little physical activity, considering “few” as never, once per month or twice per month. A representative number of the participants (78%) considered a healthy diet of utmost importance for your wellbeing.
However, a vast part of the workers is overweight and obese (71%) and 44% have hypertension.
The questionnaire analyses will allow us to set the base for the needs identified at the PSA-Mangualde and find suitable solutions to improve the physical and mental health of the older steelworkers.
The complete results can be consulted here
Disclaimer – This project is financed by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel of the European Commission under Grant Agreement No [839990].
