Abstract
BACKGROUND: Given reports of health complaints by cash-in-transit (CIT) guards to their trade union, we conducted a study at private security companies. OBJECTIVES: To establish the health and safety at work (HSW) conditions to which employees from three companies in Portugal were subjected, characterize their working conditions and tasks, and identify aspects of their activity with influence on their health and safety, as well as self-reported health problems. METHODS: We performed an exploratory and descriptive study based on a questionnaire with three dimensions corresponding to the study aims. The questionnaire was applied by workers' representatives in the workplace without any participation of employers. RESULTS: The job of CIT guards poses several demands as concentration and precision, involves high physical load, atypical schedules, and exposure to emotionally disturbing situations and violence. The workers rated negative the influence of work on their physical and mental health and safety. CONCLUSION: We found considerable variability in working conditions and work demands between the analyzed companies. Such diversity points to the need to intervention on HSW through sensitization toward the legislation in force for the prevention of work-related diseases and accidents.