Shift work is common in many industries that require 24/7 operations such as healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. Shift work involves working outside normal daytime hours from 7am to 6pm, including night shifts, evening shifts, and rotating shifts. Shift work can negatively impact health through disrupted sleep patterns and biological clocks. It is associated with increased risks of gastrointestinal issues, cardiovascular disease, accidents, and mental health issues. Employers can help mitigate these risks through proper shift scheduling, workplace design, education, and policies to address issues like violence.

1. SHIFT WORK
ANU STANLEY GEORGE ASHISH JOSHI
1

2. Shift work is a fact of modern society.
Police and Fire
protection Health Care Transportation
Garment
Textile Mills
manufacturing
Production of certain
goods
As a result, many workplaces operate 24 hours a
day.
INTRODUCTION 2

3. Shift work usually means regularly scheduled work conducted
outside of the normal daytime working hours of 7:00a.m to
6:00p.m and includes:
•Permanent night shifts, or other permanent shifts that
extend into the evening or night (such as afternoon and
evening shifts), or begin before 6:00 A.M.
•Variable or rotating shifts that change work times from
day to evening or day to night. The change may occur weekly
or monthly.
WHAT IS SHIFT WORK? 3

4. • The body has a 24 hour ‘biological clock’ (known as the circadian
rhythm) that tells it when to sleep and when to wake up. Sunlight
and darkness regulate this clock.(PICTURE OF THAT CLOCK)
• Normally, darkness triggers changes in the body that lead to sleep.
When falling asleep, the body’s blood pressure, heart rate, breathing
rate and temperature drop. Digestion also slows.
• Certain repair and maintenance processes occur during a phase of sleep
known as delta sleep. It takes the body some time to reach delta sleep.
Subsequent phases of sleep are important to psychological well-being.
• Working during normal sleep hours affects the body's ability to digest
food, rest, restore and repair itself and may affect a person’s sense of
well-being
How can shift work affect
the workers? 4

5. The Biological Clock 5

6. Problems associated with shift work can include:
•Health hazards
•Family and social issues
•Safety hazards
What are the HAZARDS? 6

7. • Disrupted sleep and eating patterns interfere with digestion.
• These disruptions can result in sleep and stress-related
disorders and may affect the cardiovascular system.
• Shift work often involves working in excess of 8 hours.
These extended shifts can expose workers to more chemical
and biological substances, noise, vibration and temperature
extremes.
HEALTH HAZARDS 7

8. Gastrointestinal problems, particularly ulcers, are more common
among shift workers. Factors that may contribute to these problems
include the following:
•Consumption of night time snacks in addition to daytime meals.
•Eat at night when digestion and other body functions are slowed
down.
•Consuming less nutritious foods on night shifts containing high
fat content.
•Drinking more coffee to stay alert at night. Heavy coffee
consumption increases the risk of developing ulcers.
GASTROINTESTINAL
PROBLEMS 8

9. • Shift work decreases the quality and amount of sleep
• An accumulated sleep deficit can lead to serious
problems like:
Chronic Muscle pain/
Mental Excessive
Fatigue Stiffness
Exhaustion and sleepiness during
irritability Insomnia Eye Fatigue the day
Frequent dizzy
spells
SLEEP AND STRESS RELATED
DISORDERS 9

10. • Some studies note that cardiovascular disease and heart
attacks occur more frequently in certain occupational
groups that work shifts.
REASONS:
• Altered eating habits of shift workers.
• Disrupted sleep patterns increases stress, blood pressure
and smoking.
• Reduced physical activity
CARDIOVASCULAR
PROBLEMS 10

11. •Asthma
•Diabetes
•Epilepsy
•Depression
may be made worse by shift work.
OTHER ILLNESSES 11

12. • Studies indicate that, compared to day workers,
certain groups of shift workers report using more alcohol,
caffeine and nicotine.
• Shift workers may use these substances to help them stay
awake on the job. Other study results show that some
groups of shift workers report using more over-the-counter
and prescription sleeping pills than day workers
DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE 12

13. • Shift workers usually have less time to spend with their
family and friends.
• They are often at work when social activities are scheduled
and at home when others at work.
• Fatigue may also prevent them from enjoying social
activities that they are able to participate in.
• These restrictions may strain relationships.
FAMILY & SOCIAL ISSUES 13

14. Safety problems associated with shift work
include:
•Performance
•Risk of Accidents
•Violence
SAFETY HAZARDS 14

15. • Performing tasks that require alertness may be worse at
night, when workers' bodies are prepared for sleep
Performance levels appear to be lowest between 3:30 A.M
and 5:30 P.M.
• An accumulated sleep deficit from prolonged shift work
can decrease a worker's level of performance and alertness.
• Working extended shifts can also cause poor performance
and decreased alertness. Performance deteriorates on
extended work that is physically and mentally demanding.
• Perception and decision-making ability may also be affected
on extended shifts.
PERFORMANCE 15

16. • Shift work can lead to sleepiness, decrease in performance,
alertness, perception and decision-making ability.
• Evidences suggests that shift workers have a decreased
ability to respond effectively to emergencies resulting into
accidents and injuries.
• Certain types of shift work involve working alone at night.
These workers may be more vulnerable to violence from
customers, residents, inmates, etc.
RISK OF ACCIDENTS &
VIOLENCE 16

17. Hazard controls for shift work include:
•Organisational controls
•Shift scheduling
•Workplace design
•Worker Education and instruction
•Violence Policies
How can shift hazards be
controlled? 17

18. • Limit shift work to essential jobs.
• Toughest and most dangerous tasks must be completed in
the dayshift and less demanding jobs in the night shift.
• Supervision is very important between 3:30a.m and 5:30p.m
when performance is at its lowest.
• Supervise inexperienced workers more closely.
• Allow adequate meal and rest break.
• Implement effective emergency response procedures.
Organizational Controls 18

19. • Concept of compressed work week: These shifts usually
involve three to four days of 10 to 12 hour shifts. It provides
more time between shift schedules and more opportunities for
family and social activities.
• But they increase fatigue and decrease performance at the end of
shifts.
• Also extend worker’s daily exposure to chemical, biological and
physical hazards.
• Permanent afternoon, evening or night shifts: - These shifts
allow workers time to adjust, but are disruptive to their
social lives and may also accumulate a greater sleep deficit.
SHIFT SCHEDULING 19

20. Rotating or Variable Shifts
Adapting to rotating shift schedules can be affected by
the:
•Length of the break before changing to a new shift
•Speed of the rotation: Longer rotations of 10 to 14 days
may allow more time for the body to adjust to shift.
•Direction of the rotation: Clockwise is favourable then
anticlockwise.
SHIFT SCHEDULING 20

21. • Avoid starting day shifts early in the morning
(before 5:00 A.M.).
• Regular schedules and the workers must be informed about
it well in advance.
• Avoid 2 shifts within a day.
• Avoid hazardous jobs at night that involve mental efforts
and monotonous operations in dimly lit environments.
• Also these jobs are preferred to be of 8hrs then 12hrs.
•
DECIDING SHIFT SCHEDULING 21

22. Workplace design can improve conditions for shift workers
by:
•Reducing night traffic, noise and distractions.
•Designing work areas to reduce physical, chemical and
biological hazards and limit exposures to harmful chemical
and biological substances and must not exceed the MEL.
•Allow workers to play music that will keep awake.
•Providing food preparation areas if a cafeteria is not available
•Providing good ventilation, temperature control, m/c
grading etc. for better working environment.
WORKPLACE DESIGN 22

23. • How to Recognize the symptoms of poor health.
• How to Control shift work hazards.
• How they can minimize the effects of shift work
on themselves.
Worker Education &
Instruction 23

24. • Protecting their sleep periods by maintaining regular rest
and wake routines, keeping light out of the bedroom,
disconnecting the phone, ensuring a quiet sleeping area and
so forth.
• Eating nutritious meals, keeping a regular meal routine and
selecting meals rich in carbohydrates—rather than heavy,
fatty, high protein meals—before bedtime.
• Maintaining physical fitness.
• Learning strategies to remain alert while on the job.
• Adjusting family and social life to spend sufficient social
time with family and friends.
Worker Education &
Instruction 24

25. Employers are required by The Health and Safety at work
etc Act, 1974, The Management of Health and Safety
Regulations 1999, to develop a policy to minimize or
eliminate the risk of violence. The policy must:
•Identify workers at risk and inform them about the
nature and degree of the risk.
•Identify actions to minimize or eliminate the risk.
•Identify how violent incidents involving workers will be
investigated and followed-up.
•Include worker training.
VIOLENCE POLICY 25

26. THANK YOU 26