Revista Caribeña de Sistemas de Gestión | v.3.n.1 | p.1-19 | e03124 | 2024.

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PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS IN INFORMAL WORKERS IN THE AGROINDUSTRIAL

SECTOR IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SANTO TOMÁS (COLOMBIAN

CARIBBEAN)

Keywords: agrarian economy, job security, work environment, quality of work life, mental

health.

0006-5792-6877 - natalia.lizarazo@uniminuto.edu.co

0002-4397-2120 - jose.palacio@uniminuto.edu

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en empresa el riesgo es medio.

Palabras clave: economía agraria, seguridad en el trabajo, ambiente de trabajo, calidad de la

vida laboral, salud mental.

Introduction

In the municipality of Santo Tomás, located in the department of Atlántico, various

agroeconomic activities are developed that contribute significantly to the local economy.

Among these activities that stand out according to the mayor of Santo Tomas (2023) are fish

farming, pig farming and the cultivation of lemons, as well as other fruits. Pisciculture, which

consists of raising fish in ponds or controlled bodies of water, is an important source of income

for the inhabitants of the region. On the other hand, pig farming, dedicated to pig breeding and

production, also plays a fundamental role in generating employment and wealth in the area.

Furthermore, the cultivation of lemons and other fruits, taking advantage of the favorable

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sector were found, and in 2020 only 3 registered companies were found, in 2021 there were 7

companies and in 2022 the increase in registered companies could be observed. which for this

period there are 17, likewise Fasecolda (2023), assures that there are currently 16 companies in

the municipality of Santo Tomas belonging to the agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry and

fishing sector; and reports that 48 workers in the agroindustrial sector are registered in the

municipality of Santo Tomas, likewise Fasecolda has no records of work accidents,

occupational diseases or deaths in the last five years in the agroindustrial sector of the

municipality of Santo Tomas, for What we can deduce is that there are many informal workers

working in this sector, therefore, as they are not affiliated with the general occupational risk

system, it is not possible to evidence ATEL reports in the occupational risk administrators.

according to Nucci and Morales (2009) The agroindustry in Colombia is one of the least

explored economic sectors in the country. The available studies usually focus on very general

levels of analysis, which makes it difficult to observe the particular and specific characteristics

of this industry.

Likewise, the problem is caused because the psychosocial risk to workers in the agroindustrial

sector of the municipality of Santo Tomas/Atlántico has not been technically evaluated in the

period 2023; This is perhaps due to ignorance since in 2008, the Ministry of Social Protection

of Colombia issued Resolution 2646, which established the obligations of employers in the

country in relation to the prevention, diagnosis, intervention and control of the factors

individual characteristics of the workers and the environment that encompasses the personal,

social and work-related (Polanco, 2017).

Santo Tomas/Atlántico will increase, which are mentioned below:

Increase in accidents among workers in the agroindustrial sector of the municipality of Santo

Tomas/ Atlántico in the period 2023, according to data provided by the Colombian Safety

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the municipality of Santo Tomas/Atlántico in the period 2023, taking into account that work

absenteeism is a global phenomenon of great relevance, which represents a serious challenge

with broad implications in the social, economic and human spheres. This phenomenon affects

three fundamental levels: the business, the individual and the social, as Ferro Soto, García

Alonso and Lareo Lodeiro point out in their 2014 study. It is a problem that impacts the entire

society, but its influence is particularly significant in companies, which justifies the need to be

investigated and addressed, especially by organizations, since they are the ones that most

directly experience the consequences of this phenomenon.

Likewise, the proposed analysis contributes to the symptoms in workers in the agroindustrial

dynamics and social relationships in the workplace; and reward, which refers to the

remuneration that workers receive for their contributions and efforts to benefit the growth of

the organization.

Likewise, another consequence of the problem under investigation is the low productivity of

workers in the agroindustrial sector of the municipality of Santo Tomas/ Atlántico in the period

2023.

Productivity can be considered as the result of the performance of personnel, who, when found

in an environment that guarantees basic conditions of safety and well-being at work, can deploy

their maximum potential to produce goods and services efficiently. In this sense, any effort

Tomas/Atlántico in the period 2023.

In the context of the growth of the informal economy and the importance of the agroindustrial

sector in the municipality of Santo Tomás, Atlántico, the need arises to understand and address

the psychosocial risks faced by informal workers in this sector. The theoretical study of these

risks is presented as a fundamental component to identify working conditions and their

implications on the mental health and well-being of workers. In this research framework, the

main theories and models related to psychosocial risks in the workplace will be examined, as

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The research article: Workers' Health is found within the research background. Maracay-

Venezuela (Delgado, L., Silveira, R. & Luna, J., 2016), which constitutes a relevant point in

the research background, since it addresses the participation of the psychologist in the General

System of Occupational Risks, a fundamental aspect in occupational health policy in Colombia.

Given that this participation takes place in diverse environments with specific characteristics,

the need for an appropriate methodological approach to understand the work of these

professionals is recognized. In this sense, it was determined that the analysis of said work, with

the objective of understanding it instead of judging it, required a different approach than

surveys or structured interviews. Instead, it was decided to use conversations that, over several

meetings, allowed the construction of narratives as analysis tools. This approach was

mental disorders, according to research, are depression and anxiety. Depression affects

approximately 10-25% of women and 5-12% of men, while anxiety affects 3-5% of the general

population throughout life (American Psychiatric Association, 2002) . In Colombia, according

to the National Mental Health Study carried out by Torres and Montoya (1997) with a sample

of 2,100 participants, the prevalence of major depression was reported to be lower, with rates

of 5-9% for women and 2 -3% for men. However, a subsequent study in 2003 revealed that

14.9% of women and 8.6% of men had experienced a depressive episode at some point in their

lives (Ministry of Social Protection, 2003).

Likewise, in their research article "Psychosocial factors at work (demand-control and effort-

the mental and physical health of workers in Latin America, specifically including Colombia.

As can be seen in the study Psychosocial risk factors and job satisfaction in seasonal workers

in Chile, published in the journal Panam Salud Pública (2015), the degree of psychosocial risk

was found to be high in two dimensions (presence of double working hours and work activity

with growth opportunities), while it was moderate in the other areas; In contrast, job satisfaction

was high in all dimensions. A negative correlation was observed between the perception of

psychosocial risk factors and job satisfaction in three specific areas: work activity with

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Likewise, Lina Lumbaque (2021) Bogotá – Colombia, in her degree work Risk factors in

workers in the agricultural sector, a bibliographic review mentions that six studies investigated

exposure to psychosocial risk derived from stress, which arises from various factors such as

emotional problems. production due to drought and financial difficulties, psychiatric disorders

attributed to economic worries and feelings of personal failure, as well as a history of low

education and dysfunctional family environments during childhood. Other factors identified

include alcohol consumption, interpersonal conflicts, violence, feelings of hopelessness, lack

of survival resources, and easy access to pesticides as a method of self-harm. In addition, the

perception of work pressure, levels of job satisfaction and the lack of social support in both the

diagnosed depression and reports of suicide among workers in the agricultural sector, which

could be attributed to interruptions in labor production and the consequent loss of income for

sustenance.

Therefore, as can be seen in the article: The quality of work life in companies in the agricultural

and agroindustrial sector (Restrepo. F and López. A) 2016, Colombia, results of a research

carried out in 12 companies in the agricultural and agroindustrial sector of the city of Medellín:

The quality of work life in Antioquia companies, financed by the University of Antioquia and

the Colombian Association of Labor Relations -Ascort-, shows The most common symptoms

and with the highest scores include "physical fatigue", "mental load", "back pain" and "muscle

direct consequence of the working conditions of the sector and the requirements of the

production process. By studying these problems from the perspective of women workers, we

can understand them as lived experiences that reveal the multiple ways in which capital is

accumulated and, at the same time, reflect an ethical-political commitment to the struggles of

women working in the agroindustry of flowers.

Taking into account the SG-SST documentary proposal for a company in the agroindustrial

sector in Villavicencio – Colombia (Diana Taborda 2023), in this context, employees express

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2016), mental health is influenced by

social, psychological and biological factors. In this sense, continued socioeconomic pressures

represent a risk to mental health at both the individual and community levels. Examples of

indicators of this risk include poverty and low educational attainment. Likewise, the WHO

(2016) establishes a relationship between "poor mental health" and situations such as rapid

social changes, gender discrimination, social exclusion, stressful work environments, violence,

physical health problems and human rights violations.

Materials and methods

intervention strategies aimed at improving the psychosocial health of these workers.

agroindustrial sector of Santo Tomas, Atlántico , it was appliedthe instrument

Results and discussion

Once the research instrument is applied, we obtain the following results:

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41% of workers stated that they can do their work calmly and keep it up to date "Many times",

while 20% indicated that they do it "Always". In addition, 17% responded that they achieve it

"Sometimes", another 17% mentioned doing it "Only sometimes", and 5% admitted not being

able to do it "Never". The survey results suggest that while most workers can do their jobs

comfortably and keep up to date to some extent, there are still areas for improvement that need

to be addressed to mitigate psychosocial risk in the workplace.

According to the survey conducted, 51% of workers indicated that they have to face difficult

decisions at work "Sometimes." Furthermore, 25% stated that they never face these types of

decisions, while 22% indicated that they do so "Many times." Only 2% mentioned doing it

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48% of workers admitted to having to keep their emotions to themselves and not express them

in their work "Only sometimes." Additionally, 30% indicated that they do it "Sometimes," while

15% stated that they never have to contain their emotions at work. On the other hand, 5%

mentioned doing it "Many times", and only 2% indicated that they always have to keep their

emotions to themselves. The survey results suggest that a significant proportion of workers face

the need to contain their emotions at work, which may have implications for their emotional

well-being and job performance. Employers should take steps to address this issue and promote

a work environment that encourages authentic and healthy emotional expression.

According to the data collected, it appears that a large portion of workers require constant

being and productivity.

Based on the survey results, it appears that a significant portion of workers have influence over

the amount of work assigned to them in their jobs. Specifically, 43% of respondents indicated

that they have "Many times" influence on the amount of work assigned, followed by 33% who

mentioned having "Sometimes" influence. Additionally, 12% reported having influence

"Always" and another 12% reported it as "Only some of the time." It is notable that no worker

surveyed answered that he never has influence over the amount of work assigned. The survey

results suggest that a significant proportion of workers have influence over the amount of work

assigned, which can have both positive and negative implications for workplace well-being.

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maintain focus on their work responsibilities, a significant proportion find that these concerns

arise intermittently during the workday. Employers can help mitigate these concerns by creating

a work environment that promotes work-life balance and effective stress management.

Which can be represented in the following figure 6:

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Furthermore, the dimension ratingSocial support in a company, the risk is high in the

representative sample of 60 informal workers in the agroindustrial sector of Santo Tomas,

Atlántico.

Likewise, the rating of the dimensionCompensations in companies, the risk is medium in the

representative sample of 60 informal workers in the agroindustrial sector of Santo Tomas,

Atlántico.

Also, the dimension qualificationDouble presence in a company, the risk is medium in the

representative sample of 60 informal workers in the agroindustrial sector of Santo Tomas,

productive work environment for everyone. It is essential that the results of this analysis be

used as a guide for the implementation of policies and practices that promote the psychosocial

well-being of workers. Only through a continued commitment to these improvements can we

achieve a more prosperous and equitable work future for the agribusiness community in Santo

Tomás, Atlántico.

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of workers in the agribusiness sector.

References

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Giraldo, J. (2005). Perspectiva del acoso laboral en el contexto colombiano. Diversitas: Perspectivas en

psicología, 1(2), 205-216.

Gómez, V., Segura Camacho, S., Castrillón, D. & Perilla, L. E. (2016). Estandarización de una batería para la

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de riesgo psicosociales y ambientales asociados a trastornos mentales. Suma psicológica, 17(1), 59-68.

Lumbaque Melo, L. M. (2021). Factores de riesgo en trabajadores del sector agrícola, una revisión bibliográfica.

Nucci, L., Morales Miranda, (2009). Presente y perspectivas de la agroindustria frutícola exportadora en el

departamento del atlántico. Desarrollo gerencia 1(1). Universidad Simón Bolívar

Polanco-Carrasco, R., Gallegos, M., Salas, G., & López-López, W. (2017). Las revistas de psicología en Chile:

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