The occurrence of accidents and injury in mining shift worker influenced by food intake, a short review

Abstract

Introduction: Identifying factors that contribute to occupational accidents has been a general concern of companies in the present millennium. One of the factors identified is the quality and quantity of food, as well as meals times. In this context, the present systematic review aimed to identify how food intake influences the occurrence of accidents in shift work, with some focus, although not exclusive, on the mining industry. Methodology: The research-based literature was carried out in four electronic databases: Medline/PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. Have been combined the following words “occupational accident” and “food intake”; “mining injury” and “food choice”; “meal timing” and “workplace”; “eating at night” and “mining injury”;“Circadian rhythm” and “diet shift”; “Food safety” and “ Health risk”; “workplace accidents” and “food choice”. Results: It was possible to identify 24 articles related to food intake. To better understand the analysis, the results were organized into five groups: Author surname and year, Study type, Accidents/injury causes, risk factor, Conditions for accidents/injuries to occur. Through the groups of causes, it was possible to regrouped on three, which facilitated the discussion of the topic; food choice n=10 (42%) articles, eating habits n=9 (37.5%), and emotional commitment n=5 (20.5%), showed the relativity of food intake causes for the occurrence of accidents and illnesses in shift workers. Discussion: The reviewed articles demonstrated that the materialisation of accidents was due to the relationship between food intake and consumption of nutrient-poor foods in shift work. That can develop chronic diseases, metabolic disorders such as blood pressure abnormalities, blood sugar fluctuation (dyslipidemia, dysglycemia), and obesity, neurobehavioural performance. Foods contain high content As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Fe, and Mn above the recommended standards by the FAO/WHO. Sleep disturbance during the 12-hour shift interferes with circadian rhythm and, consequently,with performance. These factors can be related to food and the precarious physical environment, increased workload, fatigue and poor diet, especially at night. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study demonstrated how food intake impacted workers health on shifts but did not determine the causes or risk factors contributing to accidents/injuries. Further studies are needed to demonstrate a direct relationship which the risk factor of food intake and causes accidents/injuries.