Analysis of impacts generated by the COVID-19 pandemic on refrigeration processes and workers' routines: The case of a slaughterhouse in Cacoal-RO

Abstract

This work analyzed the impacts generated by the Covid-19 pandemic on the slaughterhouse processes and on the routine of workers at a slaughterhouse in the city of Cacoal - RO. The research was descriptive and exploratory with a deductive method and a qualitative and quantitative approach. To analyze the impacts generated by the pandemic on the slaughterhouse processes, at first, a documentary analysis was carried out on the slaughterhouse documents to analyze the number of absences from work, as well as the impacts considering the number and average weight of cattle slaughters. In the second moment, to analyze the impacts generated in the workers' routine, a questionnaire was applied to the workers of the slaughterhouse studied. The main results obtained in relation to the impacts on the slaughterhouse processes were: the year 2017 had the highest number of cattle slaughters with 70630 head slaughtered, followed by the year 2020 with 70438 head slaughtered. Considering the average weight slaughtered, the year 2021 was the one with the highest average weight with 21.36 arrobas, followed by 2020 with 18.59 and 2022 with 18.06. Regarding the impacts on the lives of workers, the main results were that: 49% of the workers interviewed were removed from work more than once due to suspicion and those who were removed from work due to diagnosis through examination was 47%. Therefore, 43% of those confirmed with Covid-19 believe that the company provided all possible assistance. In addition, 78% of workers believe that the use of personal protective equipment and preventive actions by the company were important during the pandemic to reduce virus contamination inside the slaughterhouse. Also, 70% of the workers saw that the Covid-19 pandemic negatively interfered with the execution of tasks within the slaughterhouse. The percentage of employees who were afraid of losing their jobs at the peak of the pandemic (2020 and 2021) was 70% and after the peak of the pandemic (2022) it was 54%. In addition, 39% believe that they started to drink more alcoholic beverages due to the pandemic and the lack of family interaction (social isolation) was pointed out as one of the biggest difficulties faced. This study can be used as a basis for other studies involving slaughterhouses in Rondônia and Brazil.