Fatigue plays a major role in shiftwork accidents. To minimize risks and prevent shiftwork injuries, take these tips from NIOSH.
NIOSH, which has studied shiftwork safety issues for years, suggests these seven practical strategies to improve the safety, health, and productivity of shiftworkers.
1. Keep the schedule regular and predictable. Shiftworkers should know their schedules well ahead of time so that they can plan their sleep and rest periods. Past studies of train accidents show a correlation between irregular schedules and accidents.
2. Keep consecutive night shifts to a minimum. Some researchers suggest that only two to four nights in a row should be worked before a few days off. This keeps circadian rhythms (the body’s “clock”) from being overly disturbed and limits sleep loss.
3. Avoid quick shift changes. A break of only 7 to 10 hours should be avoided before rotating to a new shift, such as from morning to night on the same day of the week. With so quick a change, it is difficult for a shiftworker to get much quality rest before having to go back to work. On the return to work, after a quick shift change, most workers feel very tired and sleepy, which, of course, can lead to accidents. At the end of a night shift, a break of at least 24 hours is recommended before rotating to another shift. Some researchers even suggest that 48 hours should be the minimum.
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4. Avoid several days of work followed by 4- to 7-day breaks. Working for several days in a row followed by several days off can be very fatiguing. Many shiftworkers find it difficult to return to the night shift after several days spent on a daytime schedule during their time off.
5. Keep long shifts to a minimum. If 12-hour shifts are used, two or three 12-hour shifts in a row should be the maximum. Longer night shifts should be avoided. When it’s not possible to avoid them, heavy work should be moved to shorter or day shifts and lighter work to the longer night shift.
6. Examine rest breaks. Standard lunch and rest breaks taken during the shift may not be enough for nightworkers to remain safe and productive. In jobs requiring repetitive physical work or great concentration, brief rest breaks each hour are better for recovery from physical and mental fatigue.
7. Be aware of high-risk times. Managers and supervisors of nightworkers should be aware of the high-risk times when workers may not realize they are tired. Most accidents occur between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., near the end of the shift, when activity levels are high in the work area, or on the first two night shifts after working days or having days off.
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Reduce Risks with Turnkey Training
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