Lack of sleep, diet put shift workers at risk.

Publication: Occupational Health Management

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COPYRIGHT 2006 A Thomson Healthcare Company

Lack of sleep, diet put shift workers at risk

Work with employee, employer to minimize risks

Technology and transportation have made the United States a 24-hour society, with many manufacturers, services, and utilities operating 'round the clock, either because the services are required at all times, the production process cannot be interrupted, or it makes financial sense to operate continuously.

To keep this perpetually moving society operating requires workers, and according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 8 million American adults work in the evening, at night, or rotating or irregular shifts. For those people, sleeping at night and working during the day is a rare occurrence, and one that can have considerable effects on their health.

In humans, the desire to sleep is strongest between midnight and 6 a.m. Not surprisingly, the National Sleep Foundation says surveys of night shift workers reveal that 10% to 20% report they doze off on the job. Some shift workers are...

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