Work Context and Screening Process in Brazilian Civil Aviation

https://doi.org/10.5935/rpot/2025.25489

Authors

Abstract

The work of Brazilian civil aviation protection agents (APACs) involves complex technical requirements that are crucial to airport security and have an impact on well-being.  This study assessed the work context of APACs at screening checkpoints in Brazilian airports using the Work Context Assessment Scale (WCAES) from the Inventory of Work and Risk of Illness (IWRI). The sample included 475 APACs from eleven airports, covering 71% of Brazil's scheduled aviation passenger traffic. Analyses showed that 59.4% of participants are female, 64.4% completed high school, and 71.2% work 6 to 8 hours daily. APACs rated work organization negatively/seriously, while other WCAES dimensions were moderate/critical. Analysis of variance revealed differences in perception based on sociodemographic variables. The use of EACT introduces theoretical contributions from activity ergonomics and work psychodynamics to the work context in airport screening processes.

Keywords: airports, ergonomics, task performance and analysis.

Author Biographies

  • Michelle Salgado Ferreira Arcúrio, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil

    O Programa de Pós-Graduação em Transportes da Universidade de Brasília, foi criado em 1988 como Mestrado em Transportes Urbanos – MTU. Constitui-se naquele momento um importante passo para suprir as carências de formação de recursos humanos altamente qualificados na Área de Transportes Urbanos, sobretudo nas regiões Norte e Centro-Oeste do País. A sua implantação ocorreu através de um convênio firmado entre essa Universidade e o Governo Federal, com apoio da Empresa Brasileira de Transportes Urbanos (EBTU). O curso foi oferecido, inicialmente, de forma conjunta pelos então Departamentos de Engenharia Civil, da Faculdade de Tecnologia, e de Urbanismo, da Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo. 

    A partir de 1990, o Mestrado em Transportes Urbanos passou a ser administrado exclusivamente pelo Departamento de Engenharia Civil e, com a contratação de novos profissionais, o curso foi amadurecendo e incorporando novas áreas de pesquisa e atividades de extensão.

    Em 1998, os professores do curso implementaram na Universidade de Brasília um projeto arrojado, em parceria com a Agência Internacional de Cooperação Japonesa (JICA) e com o Ministério dos Transportes, envolvendo a criação do Centro Interdisciplinar de Estudos em Transportes (CEFTRU). OCeftru oferece cursos de extensão (cursos de curta duração) e de especialização, tanto para quadros técnicos de empresas de transporte e órgãos públicos quanto para profissionais que desejam se qualificar para futura atuação na área de transportes.

  • Mário César Ferreira, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, DF, Brazil

    Mario César Ferreira, Degree and Graduation in Psychology, Specialization in Social Psychology, master’s in psychology, Dîplome d´Études Appronfondies en Ergonomie, Doctorat en Ergonomie, Postdoctoral Internship in Activity Ergonomics Applied to Quality of Life at Work. He is currently Professor at the Department of Social and Occupational Psychology at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Brasília (UnB) teaching subjects in the undergraduate course and in the Graduate Program in Social, Occupational and Organizational Psychology from the Institute of Psychology.

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Published

2025-04-30

Issue

Vol. 25 No. contínuo (2025): rPOT Continuous numbering/2025

Section

Empirical Research Reports

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