National Sleep Foundation studies have found that most shift workers don't get enough sleep, and the sleep that they do get is less restful. During night shifts, workers are fighting the natural wake-sleep pattern, making it hard to stay alert at night and just as hard to fall asleep and stay asleep during the day.
Safety Issues
It is difficult to reset the internal circadian clock, the Foundation says. It is not surprising that 10 percent to 20 percent of nightshift workers report falling asleep on the job, usually during the second half of the shift. That's one reason why shift workers who work all night may find it difficult to sleep during the day, even though they are tired.
When sleep deprived, people think and move more slowly, make more mistakes, and have difficulty remembering things. Those negative effects result in lower job productivity and a higher rate of accidents. The financial loss to U.S. businesses is estimated to be at least $18 billion each year, according to the Foundation.
Health Issues
Chronic lack of sleep harms a person's health, safety, productivity, memory, and mood. Lack of sleep is associated with irritability, impatience, anxiety, and depression, the Foundation reports.
Those problems can upset job and family relationships, and spoil social activities. Shift workers experience more stomach problems (especially heartburn and indigestion), menstrual irregularities, colds, flu, and weight gain than day workers. Heart problems are more likely, too, as well as higher blood pressure.
A Two-Pronged Approach
The shift work training meeting in Safety Meetings Library says workers can protect themselves from shift work hazards by focusing their efforts in two directions:
-- Getting a Good Day's Sleep
-- Maximizing Safety While Awake and Working
Focus on Sleep
To ensure getting enough rest, the meeting tells employees to:
-- Always go to bed at the same time, preferably as soon as possible after work.
-- Sleep in a dark, quiet room. Use room-darkening shades or drapes and turn off the phone.
-- Eat balanced, nutritious meals. Eat only light snacks before bed. Avoid food that's heavy, rich, or spicy.
-- Exercise regularly, though not in the 2 hours before trying to sleep.
-- Avoid sleeping pills. If you have trouble sleeping, talk with your doctor.
Focus on Safety
The second prong of minimizing shift work hazards is maximizing safety during working hours. Here, the meeting advises employees to:
-- Turn on all the lights in your work area and in hallways, stairways, bathrooms, etc.
-- Replace or report any burned out bulbs promptly.
-- Check that you have adequate task lighting. If you can't see your equipment controls, read container labels, or have
other similar problems, let your supervisor know.
-- Be sure all work areas are ventilated, and report any ventilation systems that aren't working properly.
-- Keep temperatures comfortable. Again, if you can't get a comfortable temperature, let a supervisor know.
That's just a smidgen of the tips in the comprehensive meeting outline, which includes suggested discussion questions as well as a shift work checklist and quiz.
Thanks to BLR
