A Study on Occupational Health in the Marble Industry in Mexico: The Case of Tepexi de Rodríguez-Puebla

Abstract

The existing literature lacks a unified perspective on the impact of occupational health in the marble industry, especially in developing countries. This study aims to enhance current knowledge by exploring how operational conditions and work activities affect workers' health. In the municipality of Tepexi de Rodríguez, Puebla, Mexico, two marble companies and 27 workers participated. In 2021, lighting, noise, and operational conditions were measured, and in 2024, sleep disorders and occupational fatigue were evaluated. The three-year gap between study periods resulted from accessibility and logistical issues. The study used the LEST method, NOM-011-STPS-2001 and NOM-025-STPS-2008 standards, and the Pittsburgh and Yoshitake instruments; data were processed using Ergoniza® software. Results show a physical workload of 7.7, mental workload of 3.0, psychosocial aspects of 4.3, and work time of 6.9 (on a scale of 0 to 10). Noise levels reached 92.26 dB, natural lighting was 899.6 lx, and artificial lighting was 269.4 lx. The sleep disorder index was 7.0, and occupational fatigue showed 2.3 out of 5 for physical fatigue, 1.9 for mental fatigue, and 2.1 for mixed fatigue. These findings reveal a severe physical workload in the cutting, polishing, and packaging areas, correlating sleep disorders to work areas. Increasing the sample size and randomly selecting workers for dynamic system modelling is recommended to explain the correlation between working conditions and productivity. This study underscores the need to improve working conditions to mitigate health impacts, offering practical insights for marble companies and health organizations.