[Health and work ability of workers of the electricity sector in São Paulo].

The high risks for the health and work ability of the workers of the electricity sector notwithstanding, there is a lack of studies on this topic in Brazil. Our purpose is to identify the health and work ability profile of the workers of a private electricity company in São Paulo. A cross-sectional study analyzing 475 workers of a private electricity company was adopted and data were collected using structured questionnaires for measuring work ability, health status, work stress, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol dependence. The internal consistency of the questionnaires was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. The descriptive analysis was conducted using means, standard deviations, minimum and maximum values (continuous variables) and proportions (categorical variables). The health of the workers was found in good conditions, showing means ranging between 72.7 a 91.2 (in a score of 0.0 to 100.0 points). Work ability scored high as well, with a mean value of 41.8 (in a score of 7.0 to 49.0 points). The workers presented good health and work ability. Longitudinal studies should be conducted for evaluating causal relationships and the existence of the healthy worker effect.