[Personal evaluation of the stress by train machinists and conductors]

The aim of the research was to develop, together with the workers, a methodology and a questionnaire for the identification, detection and assessment of risk factors work related stress, in rail workers.

We carried 12 meetings of "homogeneous group" with train drivers and train conductors. This experience allowed the production of an questionnaire to detect and evaluate risk factors. The instrument detects the subjective evaluation workers' levels of anxiety, irritation, strain, fatigue etc. for each hour of the total working time and in the three preceding and following hours of work. Were also administered the test MSP and the survey SHC. Research partecipants were 451 rail workers: 254 train drivers and 197 train conductors (73 Female and 124 Males).

The active workers partecipation of the first phase ("omogeneous group" encounters) has had an important roles for the individuation of specific risk factors working stresses.

In particular: the levels of anxiety, irritation, strain, fatigue, etc. showed differences in different days and at different hours of the same. The workers showed at the test MSP more elevated values respect to the validation sample test. The result does not appear influenced by socio-demographic variables but, in the train drivers, from service variables (type of driven train, single train driver at driving). The results have shown a strong relationship between stress and health problems. Finally, a brief exploration of the "company's social climate" showed a positive correlation between perceived stress and the mental representations of the company's control system.