The exact causes of this association are still not known. The results are consistent with animal studies showing that constant light, dim light at night, or simulated chronic jet lag can increase tumour development. These studies have involved mainly nurses and flight attendants. IARC based its conclusion on studies on long-term night shift workers who have shown a higher risk of breast cancer than women who do not work at night. Group 2A means that this conclusion was based on "limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals". The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified night shift as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A carcinogen). cause sleep deprivation and disorders of the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems,.upset one's circadian rhythm (24-hour body cycle),.On the other hand, some workers prefer shiftwork because it usually allows for more free time.Ī shift worker, particularly one who works nights, must function on a schedule that is not "natural". Many workers find that shiftwork disrupts their family and personal life and leads to health problems including chronic fatigue and gastrointestinal disorders. Many more women than men work in the healthcare sector, while many more men than women work in manufacturing. However, there are gender differences in shift work patterns by sector of employment. The overall prevalence of shiftwork is similar for women and men. Shiftwork is also common in workplaces where technical processes cannot be interrupted without affecting the product and where expensive equipment is used more profitably when in constant operation. transportation services – trucking, airlines.emergency response – police, fire, ambulance.Interest in the effects of shiftwork on people has developed because many experts have named rotating shifts for the "human error" connected with nuclear power plant incidents, air crashes, and other catastrophic incidents.Īlternating day, night and afternoon shifts are common in Shiftwork is a reality for many working people. Why study the effects of shiftwork? Back to top NOTE: In this document, instead of "rotational shiftwork" we will use, for simplicity, the term "shiftwork". Specific concerns about the extended workdays (10-12 hour shifts) are discussed in the Extended Workday OSH Answers document. The length of a shift can vary between 8 and 12 hours. However, workers on fixed night shifts and workers on rotational shiftwork schedules have much in common due to the constantly changing schedules, night work and potential disruption to family and social lives. The definition of rotational shiftwork in this document does not include fixed shifts like straight nights, straight afternoons or straight days. Workers take turns working on all shifts that are part of a particular system. These shifts can be either continuous, running 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, or semi-continuous, running 2 or 3 shifts per day with or without weekends. The term "rotational shiftwork" covers a wide variety of work schedules and implies that shifts rotate or change according to a set schedule. What is the definition of "rotational shiftwork"? Back to top
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