Psychosocial Factors of Potato Harvesters in the Carchi Province

The objective of this research was to identify the psychosocial factors that affect the performance of potato harvesters or growers in the Carchi province, located in the northern part of Ecuador. For this, an evaluation of the psychosocial risks was carried out on all the potato (Solanum tuberosum) harvesters in the Carchi province, through a test or questionnaire for the evaluation of psychosocial risks and daily experiential stories that the workers occur. The evaluation was applied in situ in the workplace in groups of 10 people who constitute the entire universe in the Carchi province, who were located in 9 production units in the area, the evaluation was carried out using the “SUSESO/ISTAS21”. Which served as a psychosocial risk assessment tool, which allowed identifying and measuring the factors that constitute risks in occupational health, to make a situational diagnosis in psychosocial aspects, which may be affecting occupational health and the productivity of workers and formulate recommendations for a better development of their activities and quality of life, through a Prevention Plan in Occupational Safety. The results show that potato harvesters, especially those migrants, present serious psychosocial problems such as disinterest and lack of motivation to carry out this work activity, which manifests itself in emotional problems that affect family and personal relationships and leads to physical problems, the loss appetite, so it is recommended to establish a prevention plan to mitigate psychosocial risks, reduce emotional effects and increase work performance.