 |
Occupational Health & Safety Resource Kit. Proudly brought to you by CEPU: NSW Telcommunications & Services Division |
|
|
 |
||||
|
 |
|||
The traditional eight-hour day worked between 7am and 6pm has changed dramatically in recent years and many people now regularly work evening and night shifts and/or extended hours. Additionally, workers are often called upon to work these hours on their own.
Perceived economic pressures in a highly competitive environment have led to a trend by employers to reduce staffing levels and then to increase shift work and extended hours in an effort to cut costs and increase 'productivity'. It is estimated that over 75% of new EBAs or AWAs include changes to working hours. The move to 24 hour, 7 day (continuous) operations across industries is also increasing the pressure for work outside daytime hours. This trend has been accompanied by pressure from employers to eliminate traditional penalty rates for night work, overtime and weekend work – in effect, to treat all hours the same and pay for the work that is done, not when it is done.  Studies show that shiftwork and shifts with extended hours can have significant adverse effects on health, workplace accident rates, absenteeism and a worker's personal life. Telecommunications is an essential service that operates 24 hours a day and so it is not unusual to work shiftwork and alone. Most technical staff also work alone during normal day shifts. What are the health effects of shiftwork? Partial sleep deprivation is the main problem that affects the health of shift workers. |
Night work disturbs the circadian rhythm in the human body. This is an internal body clock that is synchronised to a 24-hour period. It regulates a number of physiological functions such as body temperature, hormone secretion, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion and mental alertness. It lets us know, among other things,when to sleep and when to eat.
Shift workers should have the same access as day workers to services such as counselling and the same opportunities for participation in training and meetings. Workplace safety committee meetings should also be scheduled for those on evening and night shifts.
Shift workers can have health problems because this internal clock is disturbed. Shift workers and extended hour workers suffer from sleep disturbances and the physiological consequences that result from it. The social effects extend to their family and friends.
Researchers have found several negative health effects in shift workers and workers on extended hours. Some of these are:
Some personal factors can make workers more susceptible to problems when doing shiftwork or extended hours. These include:
Addessing shiftwork problems There are a number of steps that employers can take to address the problems faced by shift workers. Some of the solutions suggested for employers are:
|