AI Insight
This pilot study examined stress indicators and attentional performance in 30 male tunnel control room operators during 12-hour day shifts. A device-generated heart rate variability (HRV) stress index was significantly higher at the end of shifts compared to mid-shift measurements, though this cannot be definitively attributed to work strain due to methodological limitations including lack of baseline measurements and uncontrolled confounding factors. Most participants reported moderate perceived stress levels, and no significant decline in attentional performance was observed across shifts, with operators reporting highest use of Situation Control, Reaction Control, and Positive Self-Instructions as coping strategies.
Why it matters
Understanding stress responses and cognitive performance in safety-critical occupations like tunnel control operations is essential for workplace safety and operator wellbeing. The multidimensional assessment approach combining physiological, psychological, and performance measures could inform future monitoring protocols and intervention strategies in high-responsibility work environments.
Understand the Science
Safety-critical occupations place sustained demands on stress regulation, attentional functioning, and work performance under conditions of operational responsibility and time pressure. The aim of this pilot descriptive study was to examine perceived stress, coping strategies, attentional performance, and a device-generated HRV-based stress index in tunnel control room operators during a 12-h day shift. The study sample consisted of 30 male operators working in a road tunnel control centre. Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), coping strategies using the Stressverarbeitungsfragebogen (SVF-78), and selective attention performance using the d2 Test of Attention. The device-generated HRV-based stress index was recorded during sequential mid-shift and end-shift measurement blocks. Concentration Performance scores were measured at the beginning and end of the shift. Paired-samples t-tests were used for repeated measurements. Most participants were classified in the moderate perceived stress category. The device-generated HRV-based stress index was significantly higher during the end-shift measurement block than during the mid-shift measurement block. However, because no start-of-shift HRV baseline was obtained and time-of-day and meal-related factors were not controlled, this difference cannot be attributed specifically to cumulative shift-related strain. No statistically significant change in Concentration Performance scores was identified. The highest coping-strategy means were observed for Situation Control, Reaction Control, and Positive Self-Instructions. The findings provide a preliminary multidimensional account of occupational functioning in a safety-critical environment. The device-specific HRV-based index was treated as an exploratory output and should not be interpreted as a diagnostic measure of physiological stress. Given the pilot design, small single-site sample, and methodological limitations, the findings should be interpreted cautiously and regarded as a basis for further research.