Workers in the mining industry are exposed to several risks and hazards in the
underground environment. Shift work is a common working arrangement in the mining industry
and is associated with many adverse health outcomes. In Canada, there is limited research
between rotating shift work in the minerals industry and the effects on health and wellbeing of
workers, especially utilizing a qualitative design. This thesis aimed to understand the impact of
rotating shift work on perceived health and wellbeing among some underground workers in
Sudbury, Ontario.
This qualitative descriptive study utilized individual, semistructured interviews with a
sample of underground workers (n = 12) employed in Sudbury, Ontario. Interviews were
digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s 2006 version of
thematic analysis. Participants in this study perceived both advantages and disadvantages of
working on a rotating shift schedule in relation to their health and wellbeing. Final themes that
emerged from the data included: strong preference for the night shift, challenges associated with
impact on personal wellbeing, advantages and disadvantages on work environment wellbeing,
benefits and challenges of wellbeing external to work, strategies for coping with shift work,
family advantages, challenges with partner relationships, challenges and opportunities in
relationships with children, and strategies used to protect family wellbeing. The findings of this
study may influence future research studies using a quantitative or mixed-method design, and
larger samples.Master of Arts (MA) in Interdisciplinary Healt