The introduction of new technologies at work in the context of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has led to the emergence of risks for health, even if they are still underexplored. However, their understanding does not usually adopt a gender perspective, even though the gendered division of work has differentiated health outcomes. As sustainability is at the top of the political agenda and in consideration of the gender segregation that exists at work, it is pertinent to question how I4.0 technologies are reconfiguring workplaces and impacting women and men’s health. Following a systematic review approach using the PRISMA protocol, this study explores how gender is integrated in I4.0-themed studies, exploring employment, work, and health. After the identification and screening phases were completed, a total of 16 papers were included. Literature exploring technological transformation from a gender point of view is scarce, as well as research developed in concrete work contexts. The literature in this domain tends to address employment prospects, and women are generally described as being more at risk for job loss through automation processes. Health risks in the literature found in this review were mostly neither considered nor differentiated for women and men. Future studies should consider the specificities of different work contexts through the development of case studies in different activity sectors so that the risks for women and men can become visible. This way, interventions at a work organization level are enabled to create more sustainable working conditions.

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) promises to transform jobs and working conditions through the implementation of unprecedented human-machine interaction modes. As the operator working in these new settings, known as the Operator 4.0, is a relatively recent concept, and although technological developments are expected to support workers and require higher labor skills, the risks and health impacts resulting from these changes remain underexplored. This systematic review aims to (i) systematize literature findings on how workers are perceived and participate in I4.0 work systems; (ii) identify the main technological changes driven by I4.0; and (iii) instigate discussion regarding the impacts these changes may have for workers and the sustainability of work systems. Following a systematic review approach using the PRISMA protocol, the articles were organized into two main analysis axes: the technical changes brought about by I4.0, and the representation of the human worker within these new work settings. The findings reveal that a techno-centered approach still seems to be dominant in guiding the implementation of I4.0 models; secondly, as a consequence, the social dimensions of work tend to remain as residual issues, overshadowed by the promises related with technology (e.g., productivity, efficiency); finally, the representation of the Operator 4.0 remains blurry, as he/she is perceived as gender neutral, skillful, and perfectly fit for work, assuring the functioning (and compensating for the limits) of these systems. While I4.0 promises safer and more productive workplaces, issues related to employment conditions, emerging risks and health impacts become more prominent when analyzed from an activity-centered perspective. In terms of future research, a more heuristic analysis could be achieved through a participatory and work-centered approach and following a gender perspective. This way, visibility could be conferred to another side of I4.0, thus guaranteeing conditions for the sustainable development of these work situations.

At a time when the transformation of human-machine relationships is instigated by technological advances, the redefinition of know-how, the relationships with the worker collective and the risks and impacts on health have been pushed aside by the emphasis given to technological potential. More than in technology itself, it is through the technical act that these relationships are embodied: a process developed through experience which is not neutral to its socio-technical and organizational context, generating both pleasure and suffering. Through the analysis of work activity, using observations, individual and auto-confrontation interviews, a case study was conducted in a garment factory. Results give insight into four different dimensions which define efficient technical acts: understanding the machine, relationship with others, a job well done and risks and impacts on health. The management of these work dimensions is done to pursue a balance (which is always fragile) between work demands and health preservation.

In the current framework of Industry 4.0 technological transformations, the viewpoint of those who integrate the workplaces being transformed is frequently dismissed. Therefore, this paper explores decision-makers’ views concerning such changes and their impacts, considering they also have the power to act on how these processes are employed. The study was developed at an automotive manufacturer in Portugal, through 26 semi-structured interviews. Our findings come to show the decision-makers’ perspectives regarding how work is organized, their own operational leeway to manage new work demands stemming from the human-technology interaction, and the perceived impacts of technological change. These results shed light on how technological introduction interacts with the daily conflict to manage productivity and quality demands with health and well-being at work. This will support the next phases of the research, which will include workers from different areas of the company.

With the current technological transformations being developed, the focus seems to rely mainly on the increase of productivity and on promises of the reduction of physical constraints for workers. However, in the analysis of the new human-machine relationships induced by technological advances, other less visible impacts should be debated, namely for workers’ health and well-being. In a garment factory in Portugal, characterized by rigorous quality demands, sectored and short production cycles, with production times controlled by the minute, this study aims to analyze human-machine interactions from the point of view of their protagonists. A qualitative and participatory methodology was used (observations; individual and collective interviews; and moments of auto-confrontation). The results show how these work situations potentiate a "contained" suffering due to the lack of space for its verbalization, which ends up being managed individually, under penalty of being considered unfit for the work’s current demands.