Assessment of Sickness Absence and Its Probable Reasons among Rail Transportation Workers

Introduction: Sickness absence is the most common health indicator of the workforce. The results of its analysis are of great importance for the economy because of the working days lost and the cost of sick leave benefits. Objective: To analyze sickness absence rates in rail transportation workers and their possible contributors.

Materials and Methods: We analyzed sickness absence among railway workers based on Statistical Data Form 16-VN, Information on sick leave reasons, and compared it with regional averages for 2014–2023. We also evaluated the results of a questionnaire-based survey of 300 railway workers aimed to establish the causes of health disorders, stress resistance, risks of the main general pathological syndromes, mental stress, and sleep quality, as well as the findings of special assessment of working conditions for 2019–2023 using Microsoft Excel.

Results: We found that incidence rates in railway workers ranged from 84.4 to 247.0 episodes per 100 workers-year in the period between 2014 and 2023, with the diseases of the respiratory system prevailing and being the reason for 47.9 % of cases. The incidence among railway workers was 1.2 to 2.4 times higher than the regional means for the working population and classified as high based on the E.L. Notkin scale. Workplace assessment showed that the main occupational risk factor for rail transportation workers were heavy workload combined with shift work.

Conclusion: Incidence rates in railway workers are higher than those among the general working population due to greater workplace stress.

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