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.

Technology innovations facilitating flexible working practices

New technology and communication devices are making flexible and mobile working practices more and more commonplace. 

According to a recent study by Siemens Enterprise Communications, 85 per cent of communication devices used for team collaboration, including smart phones, laptops and mobile phones, are located outside the company headquarters. 

Siemens believe that this trend could result in the 'anywhere employee' - who can use modern technology to work from multiple locations - replacing the traditional office-based worker. 

The communications company says that in the past, staff would have had difficulty managing different platforms - such as email, mobile, landline and social media - outside of the office, whereas modern flexible and collaborative tools now mean this can be done seamlessly and irrespective of location. 

The increasing adoption of cloud computing is also helping organisations to enable remote working, said the study – with 40 per cent of the businesses surveyed intending to deploy some form of cloud computing in the next year.

"The rise of the anywhere employee has meant the end of the office worker," said Rob Keenan, head of UK portfolio management, deployment readiness management at Siemens Enterprise Communications. 

"Business tools, such as unified communications, are reshaping the way organisations collaborate and are helping deliver on the previously-too-difficult promise of enhanced communication. More than ever, work isn't where you go, it's what you do." 

Providing employees with the means to work flexibly can prove a useful absence management tool for employers, allowing staff to work from home or elsewhere should they be unable to make it into the office. 

A web-based time and attendance system would also provide employers with the capability to effectively manage and track their mobile workforce, regardless of their location.

With a web-based time and attendance system, staff can remotely clock in and out of tasks, appointments and projects via desktop PCs, laptops, notebooks and the latest communications devices and smart phones. They can also view their holiday entitlements, apply for leave, and request updates to their personal records without having to converse with HR staff. 

A web-based time and attendance system also facilitates real-time project tracking, providing accurate analysis of employee activity anytime, anywhere – increasing efficiency and ensuring that labour-related costs are genuine. 

For more information on how a web-based time and attendance system could help you embrace mobile/remote working contact Mitrefinch today on 1300 884 831 (+61 2 8762 7888) or visit www.mitrefinch.com.au