Increased Fatigue and Health Risks associated with Shift Work

Working irregular hours could increase the risk of developing significant health problems such as heart disease or a stroke, new research suggests. 

Publishing their work in the British Medical Journal, a team of researchers from Canada and Norway analysed data from a number of previous studies involving shift workers. 

They calculated incidences of coronary events, heart attacks and strokes across more than two million employees, and found that these events were more common in shift workers than any other group.

In total, there were 17,359 coronary events of some kind, including cardiac arrests, 6,598 heart attacks and 1,854 strokes caused by lack of blood to the brain. 

The researchers calculated that shift work is linked to a 23 per cent increase in the risk of having a heart attack, a 24 per cent rise in the risk of a coronary event and a five per cent greater chance of suffering a stroke. 

Dan Hackam, associate professor at Western University, London, Ontario in Canada and leader of the study said shift workers were more prone to sleeping and eating badly, the BBC reports. 

Shift work patterns and extended working hours can also impact on fatigue, increasing the potential for workplace Health and Safety issues. 

Ensuring that workers are given adequate time to rest between shifts, is key to managing fatigue successfully. Employers may find that carefully planned Rosters and Work Schedules can help minimise the disruption to employees' body clocks caused by working outside normal waking hours and mitigate some of the health risks associated with shift work. 

Jane White, research and information services manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, told BBC News: "Avoiding permanent night shifts, limiting shifts to a maximum of 12 hours and ensuring workers have a minimum of two full nights' sleep between day and night shifts are simple, practical solutions that can help people to cope with shift work." 

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland advises organisations to consider the following factors when reviewing Roster design: 

• Length of shifts - depends on physical and mental load of the work 
• Distribution of leisure time - allow for adequate rest and recovery 
• Regularity of shift system - allows workers to prepare for work 
• Length of shifts worked - this can contribute to fatigue 
• Previous hours and days worked - the effects of fatigue are cumulative, workers may have sleep debt due to the length of previous shifts 
• Type of work being performed - pay particular attention to the level of physical and/or mental effort required 
• Time of the day when the work is being performed - remember that disrupting the body's circadian rhythms can cause fatigue and affect performance 

An automated time management system can also assist organisations in implementing an effective Fatigue Management plan. 

By tracking and monitoring employee time and attendance data, a time management system allows you to analyse the amount of time your staff are spending at work, overtime hours, and associated productivity levels. 

Alerts can be set to notify Supervisors or HR when a particular employee is approaching their work hour limit, enabling them to adjust rosters and shifts accordingly. 

A time management system also automates compliance with current workplace legislation and modern awards, as well as any organisation-specific work rules, and can easily accommodate any new changes. 

This ensures that employees are only permitted to work if they satisfy all the associated rules, providing you with ‘peace of mind’ that they are alert to perform their duties in a safe manner. 

In addition, by automating annual reporting and maintaining a complete audit trail, a time management system ensures you have all the required information to hand in the unfortunate event of an accident and subsequent legal action. 

For more information on how an automated time management system can assist with effective fatigue management contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 (+61 2 8672 7888 outside Australia), email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online.

Fatigue amounts to billions in lost productivity for Aussie Businesses

Yawning while reading this? Need to reach for the coffee for an extra boost? 

If you are, it seems you aren’t alone, as Australia’s largest-ever sleep census, conducted by bed manufacturer Sealy and CQUniversity, reveals some alarming data on the economic impact of sleepless nights. 

38 per cent of Aussies admit to falling asleep at work or in meetings

The Sealy Sleep Census polled over 13,000 respondents from across Australia and found that 96 per cent are waking up tired each morning, with only four per cent saying they feel refreshed. 

The survey concluded that this is having a serious impact on the nation’s businesses, with sick days, lost man hours, and reduced productivity, all contributing to a combined loss of millions of dollars in lost productivity every year. Not forgetting the increased potential for workplace injuries and safety concerns. 

According to the poll: 

• A third of Australians have called in sick to work due to lack of sleep; 
• 70 per cent of Aussies admit their professional productivity is negatively impacted from feeling tired; and 
• At least 167,000,000 man hours are lost every year as a result, equating to almost $5 billion in lost productivity. 

“The study gives us valuable insight not only into the sleeping habits of Australians but how sleep issues can impact directly on Australian commerce, with some alarming findings,” Sealy’s spokesperson Ross Gage says. 

Perhaps the most shocking result from the Sealy Sleep Census is that 38 per cent of respondents said they have fallen asleep at work or during a work meeting. 

If you are experiencing excessive tiredness at work it is important to identify the factors that are contributing to the fatigue (e.g. workload, roster, personal circumstances), discuss these issues with your employer, make changes as required, and seek professional help if necessary. 

An automated time management system can also assist organisations in implementing an effective Fatigue Management plan. 

By tracking and monitoring employee time and attendance data, a time management system allows you to analyse the amount of time your staff are spending at work, overtime hours, and associated productivity levels. Alerts can be set to notify Supervisors or HR when a particular employee is approaching their work hour limit, enabling them to adjust rosters and shifts accordingly. 

A time management system also automates compliance with current workplace legislation and modern awards, as well as any organisation-specific work rules, and can easily accommodate any new changes. This ensures that employees are only permitted to work if they satisfy all the associated rules, providing you with ‘peace of mind’ that they are alert to perform their duties in a safe manner. 

In addition, by automating annual reporting and maintaining a complete audit trail, a time management system ensures you have all the required information to hand in the unfortunate event of an accident and subsequent legal action. 

For more information on how an automated time management system can assist with effective fatigue management contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 (+61 2 8672 7888 outside Australia), email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or visit us online. 

Source: My Business: "Lack of sleep costing business millions in lost productivity"

Click here for more information on the Sealy Sleep Census

Failure to comply with Fatigue Management laws costs Perth Truck company - how are you managing Fatigue?

Industry Search reports that a West Australian truck company has been fined $20,000 for failing to comply with fatigue management laws for its drivers.

Holm, trading as Cockburn Transport, employs drivers to transport freight across Australia on journeys that can take more than two weeks.

In July and August 2008, WorkSafe inspectors investigated the company's fatigue management practices and found it had failed to keep records of work time, breaks from driving or non-work time for trips undertaken by two drivers, and did not ensure that drivers observed fatigue management regulations on three occasions.

Interestingly, the company had been convicted of two similar charges and fined $10,000 in June 2007.

Acting WorkSafe WA commissioner Lex McCulloch said it was "disappointing" that some companies are still failing to comply with laws that have been in place since 1998.

Workplace fatigue is not isolated to the transport and logistics industry. Regardless of what sector you operate in, fatigue can significantly affect a worker’s ability to operate effectively, with side effects including reduced performance and productivity, and greater potential for workplace accidents.

Automated Time and Attendance systems can assist organisations with effective fatigue management, enabling them to proactively monitor staff work and break hours.

Employees have the ability to clock in/out or on/off jobs via wall mounted devices at the depot, head office or manufacturing plant, or via the Internet and mobile or wireless devices for remote staff. This attendance data is recorded and Supervisors and HR are sent an alert when an employee is approaching their work hour limit, enabling them to adjust rosters and shifts accordingly, and enforce minimum break times.

In addition, and automated Time and Attendance system can accommodate current workplace legislation and modern awards, as well as any organisation-specific work rules, and can easily accommodate any new legislative changes. This ensures that your staff are only permitted to work if they satisfy all the associated rules, providing you with ‘peace of mind’ that they are alert to perform their duties in a safe manner.

By automating annual reporting and maintaining a complete audit trail, an effective Time and Attendance system will also arm you with all the information needed in the unfortunate event of legal action.

Ask yourself, how does your fatigue management plan stack up? If you haven't got the processes in place maybe it's time you took a look at a system that will help safeguard your employees and your business. 

To find out more about how an automated Time and Attendance system could help you apply Fatigue Management procedures within your organisation check us out online, email sales@mitrefinch.com.au or call us on +61 2 8762 7888

How does your Fatigue Management processes stack up? Running the risk of a costly court case?

A recent court ruling saw VicRoads win the largest Chain of Responsibility fatigue case to date with a trucking company from Gippsland fined $95,000.

As reported in the latest edition of the Logistics Magazine, VicRoads spent six months investigating this case and found that the company was allowing its drivers to exceed safe working hours and possessed false driving records.

Don Hogben, Director for Vehicle Management and Safety, said that “the outcome of this investigation sends a clear message that if heavy vehicle operators do not comply with the Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue laws, they will be caught and prosecuted.”

The Australian Transport Council reports that, "Australia has the highest proportion of single heavy vehicle fatal crashes compared with five other OECD nations". The majority of these incidents are likely to be associated with fatigue.

While VicRoads advises that driving while tired amounts to around 20% of all road deaths, making it one of the biggest killers on Australian roads and as dangerous as drink driving.

In an effort to combat this trend, the Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue reform was introduced back in September 2008, and aims to ensure heavy vehicle drivers are not behind the wheel for long stretches and are getting adequate rest between shifts.

This legislation now holds all parties within the ‘Chain of Responsibility’ liable for any breaches of the legislation.

Workplace fatigue is not isolated to the transport and logistics industry. At Mitrefinch we understand that not matter what sector you operate in fatigue can significantly affect a worker’s ability to operate effectively, with side effects including reduced performance and productivity, and greater potential for workplace accidents.

For the past 30 years our Time and Attendance system has been assisting organisations with effective fatigue management, enabling them to proactively monitor staff work and break hours.

Mitrefinch Time and Attendance enables employees to clock in/out or on/off jobs via wall mounted devices at the depot, head office or manufacturing plant, or via the Internet and mobile or wireless devices for remote staff. This attendance data is recorded and Supervisors and HR are sent an alert when an employee is approaching their work hour limit, enabling them to adjust rosters and shifts accordingly.

The Mitrefinch system supports current workplace legislation and modern awards, as well as any organisation-specific work rules, and can easily accommodate any new legislative changes. This ensures that your staff are only permitted to work if they satisfy all the associated rules, providing you with ‘peace of mind’ that they are alert to perform their duties in a safe manner.

In addition, by automating annual reporting and maintaining a complete audit trail, Mitrefinch Time and Attendance arms you with all the information needed in the unfortunate event of legal action.

Ask yourself, how does your fatigue management plan stack up? If you haven't got the processes in place maybe it's time you took a look at a system that will help safeguard your business.

Contact Mitrefinch on 1300 884 831 or sales@mitrefinch.com.au to find out more.