Orientation to Shift Work Continued
THE NEXT FIVE REASONS NOT TO WORK
A SHIFT WORK SCHEDULE
S/he's hot, sweat drops, round the clock...
and the noise never stops...
Talking about a bunch of shift work.
A big ol' pile of shift work.
(“Shiftwork," sung by Kenny Chesney...
slightly adjusted by YM, 2007)
- SHIFT WORK IS BAD FOR THE LONG TERM HEALTH OF THE SHIFT WORKER.
There’s no need for a University of Michigan ISR study to conclude that shift work is hazardous to long-term health.
The deleterious impact of shift work on long-term health is the subject of a myriad websites and studies that are easily accessible and corroborate each others’ findings.
PTOA Readers can prove it by inserting the term “Shift Work” into the search engine of your choice.The below citing of health issues related to shift work is from this now defunct web link:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Shiftwork_health_effects
“A person working night shift, which causes disruption to the circadian rhythm, is at greater risk of various disorders, accidents and misfortunes, including:
- Increased likelihood of obesity
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
- Higher risk of mood changes
- Increased risk of gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation and stomach discomfort
- Higher risk of motor vehicle accidents and work-related accidents
- Increased likelihood of family problems, including divorce
- Probable increased risk of cancer, especially breast cancer.
In addition:
- Sleep deprivation caused by shift work may increase the risk of epilepsy in pre-disposed people.
- Shift workers with diabetes can experience difficulties in controlling their blood sugar levels.”
- Shift Disharmony.
You may not hit it off with a member of your shift or a shift leader.
You try everything you can to improve communications and get along to no avail. This situation will truly make your life miserable.
Try to cover an outage of a shift worker on a different shift. Make a favorable impression upon this shift supervisor and you might be able to move to that shift when there is an opening.
In the meantime, do not participate in the behind-the-back downgrading of the shift supervisor no matter what.
Try to remember that nobody really wants to be known as a jerk. The ability to communicate and solve problems is valued by employers.
Make a personal project out of discovering what is bugging the obnoxious person and your ability to cope may be rewarded later.
Your efforts will be noted by weary Janice in the Human Resources department at corporate headquarters who no doubt has already received complaints on the malcontent individual.
- Remote Locations are in extreme environments and/or surrounded by water.
Typical remote locations are extremely hot, extremely cold, or otherwise extremely uncomfortable locations.
This generalization is due to the fact that industrial processes must be built near the natural resource of interest (and there also needs to be access to water for processing).
If these locations were habitable, there would already be people there. Hence, the location would not be “remote.”
- Using Weeks Off for Endless Travel Time is a Myth for those with School Aged Children.
Shift Workers that plan to use their weeks off for extended travel time will find that the commitments of other family members will preclude them from doing so.
- The Shift Worker will miss many important milestones that will be celebrated by the rest of the family.
The vast majority of important family events and milestones will appear to take place only during the times that Shift Worker must report to work.
In reality, the Shift Worker Parent with a 50-50 evenly split shift between work and home will have a 50-50 chance of being present.
Take Home Message: Long term shift work is unhealthy. Shift workers will miss many important family milestones. Incompatible shift mates can make the work shift miserable.
Photo credit: www.coreofgoodness.wordpress.com
©2014 PTOA Orientation Segment 8
You need to login or register to bookmark/favorite this content.