Evaluating Occupational Stress Levels of the Railway Workers

AIM: This study aimed to determine the levels of stress that are experienced by railway workers. METHOD: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the facilities of Turkish State Railways. The study sample included 322 male workers. The study data were collected between February and April 2015. A personal information form and the Doetinchem Organizational Stress Questionnaire were used to collect data. RESULTS: It was determined that the employees are influenced by all sub-dimensions of the groups of stressors, social changes, psychological tensions, and complaints about health, and they have a medium level of stress. The study found that the workers were mostly influenced by their responsibilities and occupational uncertainty in future. CONCLUSION: Descriptive characteristics of the workers and work-related and occupational characteristics showed statistically significant difference in mean scores of the subscales of stressors, social variables, psychological variables, and health complaints. In future, defining stress-related factors by determining the stress levels of employees will guide the initiatives intended to reduce work-related stress.