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Occupational Medicine 53:95-101 (2003)
Copyright © 2003 Society of Occupational Medicine

Shift work, safety and productivity

Simon Folkard and Philip Tucker

Body Rhythms and Shiftwork Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Wales Swansea, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK.

Correspondence to (current address): S. Folkard, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Appliquée, UPRES Ergonomie, Université René Descartes-Paris V, 45 rue Saints-Pères, F-75006 Paris, France. E-mail: S.Folkard{at}Swansea.ac.uk

Abstract

The arguments in favour of introducing shift work clearly depend on productivity and safety being maintained at an acceptable level. However, the evidence reviewed in this paper clearly indicates that both productivity and safety may be compromised at night. More specifically, safety declines over successive night shifts, with increasing hours on duty and between successive rest breaks. The only known way to minimize these problems is to improve shift systems with respect to these factors. However, these factors need to be considered in combination with one another since, for example, a long night shift that includes frequent rest breaks might well prove safer than a shorter night shift with less frequent breaks.

Keywords      Circadian rhythms; fatigue; performance; productivity; safety; shift work; sleep


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