An international team of sleep researchers has developed the world?s first screening tool to help reduce workplace accidents and illnesses caused by shift work, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Shift work affects 13% of the full-time workforce in France, 15% in the US, 16% in Australia, 18% in the UK and almost 23% in Japan. In the United States, some eight million people regularly work overnight hours while an estimated 20 million people have unusually early work start times (between 02h30 and 07h00).
Shift work disorder or SWD is a very real problem and the new tool will enable health professionals and industry to better understand individual vulnerability to the health and safety impacts of shift work. SWD is characterised by extreme sleepiness and-or insomnia, and is thought to affect around 10% of shift workers.
Shift work, especially overnight, is associated with a higher rate of car crashes, industrial accidents, actual and near-miss injuries and quality control errors on the job. Secondary health problems linked with shift work include cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases and mood disorders, including depression.
* A report on the research was published in the journal Sleep.
Jean Cannon
Jean is an award winning small business management expert. She gives you the almost paperless ISO Quality, Safety and Environment certification that protects your business and saves you time and money. For more information go to
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Source: http://www.envirojean.com/2012/12/11/sleep-issues-in-workplace-safety/
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