The purpose of this article is to discuss the dangerous and strenuous work carried out within the ornamental stone sector and its effects from the mental health point of view . It is based on data obtained in the research "Men of/and stone: work and health in ornamental stone extraction and processing", conducted in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, in 2008. The qualitative approach allowed workers to make associations between their work and its possible negative effects on their health. Besides allergies and body pain, especially in the lumbar region, stress also came forth as resulting from pressure at work. Considering the panorama of those workers' culture and sociability, we selected the analysis categories among the sources of pressure: goals, workday, vertical and horizontal relationships, this last one being the counterpoise for pressure adverse effects. Then, the expressions of the effect of pressure are discussed: insomnia, irritability, lack of patience, submission, and symptoms related to family life. We observed that the psychological suffering expressed by the idea of "stress", which was not cited in previous studies, first emerged in the research mentioned above, bringing one more challenge and concern to the field of Worker's Health.
work and mental health; dangerous and strenuous work; work in the ornamental stone sector