Unfolding analysis of work conditions ffecting employees' health according to their positions in the area of solid waste

Due to the peculiarities of the tasks performed, the area of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has a long tradition in implementing risk prevention plans. But are these plans equally received by workers involved in the production chain? This research explores the concerns and worries of MSW sector employees in the Southern Spanish region of Andalusia; it deals with aspects of their work that may affect their health and that can be directly related to the plans and programs designed for the prevention of occupational hazards applied by their companies. The study is conducted through the multivariate statistical unfolding model and the graphic sets it generates. Perceptual maps are analyzed from a representative sample of household MSW workers doing business in Andalusia. The variables studied correspond to 18 work- related issues that can affect their health, such as lighting, body posture and positioning, physical exertion, noise and exposure to toxic substances. The aim is to create a map with all these aspects and employees' positions held in the company so that, through their interpretation, differences in perceptions on issues related to safety at work can be identified depending on their jobs. The study carried out demonstrates that both senior and middle man- agers are highly concerned and involved in prevention plans. The biggest concerns of the administration are work schedules and the noise in the place they work. Operators, on the other hand, are more concerned about aspects of their work related to the design of their tasks, such as timing, rhythm, monotony and relationships with peers and managers and, less so, with the danger involved in the tasks they often perform. This kind of information enables the various industry players to know the aspects of health and occupational risks that concern different groups operating in the sector, so as to identify needs for action and the necessary corrective and informative measures in the field of prevention of occupational hazards.