OntoKaire: an ontology-based reasoning for work-related stressors in industrial settings

Stress is a mental disorder responsible for impacting the industry through psychosomatic illnesses, loss of productivity, and accidents caused by stressful workplaces. Conversely, the literature indicates that fostering mental well-being among workers can boost motivation and performance while alleviating symptoms of stress. The fourth industrial revolution incorporated technologies into work that allowed the automation of processes and control of environments. The fifth revolution introduced the application of research and innovation aimed at a human-centered consciousness, enabling the advancement of mental health through sensors and wearables. Despite advancements in stress classification technologies, there remain opportunities for further research into identifying stress motivators within industrial work environments. In this sense, this paper proposes an ontology to identify stressors considering personal and environmental data, allowing knowledge generation related to work stressors for mitigating the problem. The methodology utilized in this ontology development consisted of seven stages and two evaluation phases. The findings addressed four key questions related to competency as outlined in the model. The results revealed potential stressful scenarios, including the timing of occurrence, shared locations, environmental factors, and identifying groups experiencing moments of stress. This study presents as a scientific contribution the first ontology to address the identification of work-related stressors in the industrial environment.