Occupational fatigue and health of gas station workers: A review.
Yimeng Yin, Xiaotong Tan, Jialin Fan
PMID 36938763WHAT IT FOUND
Gas station workers in 20 reviewed studies reported high rates of sleep problems, stress, back pain, and hearing and cognitive effects from shift work and chemical exposure.
No treatment was tested, and the studies were too different to pool.
Key findings
01The 20 included studies consistently reported that gas station workers experience sleep disturbances, stress, musculoskeletal disorders, and hearing and cognitive effects linked to their work environment.
02Chemical exposure, particularly to benzene and organic solvents, was associated with peripheral and central auditory dysfunction, visual impairment, and neurocognitive deficits across multiple included studies.
03Personal protective equipment use was very low across the included studies, with one study finding only boots and uniforms were actually used and another finding PPE awareness at 30.7% with use at 7.0%.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The 20 included studies were too heterogeneous in design, measures, and populations to allow statistical pooling, so the synthesis is qualitative and descriptive rather than quantitative. Most included studies used subjective measures (questionnaires, interviews) rather than objective physiological monitoring, and many were small cross-sectional surveys. The review covers a specific occupational group (gas station workers) and the findings are about workplace exposures and their health consequences, not about clinical conditions or treatments. The authors note a distinct lack of research on work demands, fatigue, well-being, psychosocial aspects, and individual differences in this population.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the high rates of musculoskeletal pain, hearing loss, or cognitive effects as a basis for a specific clinical protocol. The review describes workplace exposures and their health consequences in gas station workers. It does not test or recommend any clinical intervention, and the included studies are too different to support a unified clinical conclusion.
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