Posted By Fintan Byrne Hi, I would appreciate any suggests or help in relation to the risks associated with night shift work or shift work change overs. I am due to give a power point presentation on night shift work and the risks to employees health and safety. I have just read a few articles from Sweden in relation to breast cancer and night work. Would it be seen as scaremongering to highlight this issue in the power point presentation? Also i have read articles in relation to driving at night. One article stated that drinking coffee does not fight off sleep, while another recommended drinking coffee. I was approaching this issue in relation to driving home after a tough night shift. Anyone any suggestion for definate aspects of night shift and the risks, that i can highlight? Thanks.

Posted By Peter_hse There are many many aspects to this area of risk - but to reply to just a couple of your concerns I would document that all workers who are doing night shifts should be on a good rota to ensure proper sleep patterns. You know when you have got this right because workers will not arrive at work too tired to do a good day's work. Workers at the end of a night shift should only be as tired as you or I feel at 5pm when we head home! Other factors include lone working (potentially) and personal security - but the list goes on.

Posted By andy.c. Fintan alot depends on what shift pattern you are dealing with, Continental, rotating 3 shift, or permanent nights, whichever pattern, the important thing is a good nightshift medical questionaire, and education on correct diet and sleeping patterns. different things affect different poeple, some have trouble getting enough sleep during the longer summer days, others can feel depressed on 12 hour winter nighshifts and not seeing daylight The report about breast cancer from what i remember was questioned as to the direct link to night work, ie: would the condition have developed anyway, but it would not in my opinion be scaremongering to highlight that nightshifts workers should make time to perform all the usual personal checks, but i would err away from stating there is an increased risk. I have worked permanent nights for the majority of the last 25 years and now seem to function better at night, but i still believe that some poeple just can not get on with nightshifts. Radio 2 had a professor on the "up all night program" i think it was early sat mornin he was talking about functioning a night. might be on i player Andy