A Comparison of Workers Employed in Hazardous Jobs in Terms of Job Satisfaction,Perceived Job Risk and Stress: Turkish Jean Sandblasting Workers,Dock Workers,Factory Workers and Miners

The purpose of this study is to compare job satisfaction, perception of job risk, stress symptoms and vulnerability to stress of miners, dock workers, jean sandblasting workers and factory workers. A job satisfaction scale and stress audit scale were applied to 220 workers. Results revealed that dock and jean sandblasting workers perceived their work as more risky compared to other workers. Jean sandblasting workers also had the lowest scores on job satisfaction subscales (organisational policies, physical conditions, interpersonal relations, individual factors, autonomy and wage) and total job satisfaction. Likewise, dock workers had lower scores on job satisfaction than factory workers and miners. Analyses also showed that miners did not differ from factory workers in terms of job satisfaction and stress symptoms. Moreover, jean sandblasting workers and dock workers obtained higher scores on stress symptoms. Jean sandblasting workers were also found to be the group that had the highest level of vulnerability to stress. Perceived job risk, vulnerability to stress and stress symptoms were the most important predictors of job satisfaction.