Hazards

Dusts, gases, fumes, mists and vapors are common hazards in workplace air. These can seriously affect the health of workers. Breathing in asbestos fibres can lead to asbestosis and lung cancer while crippling lung diseases can be caused by the inhalation of certain dusts.

Mobile phones and telephone towers emit microwave radiation, which is in the radio frequency radiation (RFR) part of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves.

The revolution in communication technology in recent years has seen widespread use of products that emit such radiation. Increasing exposure from the use of devices such as mobile phones, or from living close to TV or phone towers, are a growing concern for the community.

Loud noise is dangerous to your health

What is noise?

The cells bend and sway in the sound waves like trees in the wind. However if the wind blows too hard or for too long, the tree may loose its resilience and become permanently bent or broken. In the same way, the hair cells in the ear can be damaged.

At first, given quiet periods, like the trees, they rebound and recover. But repeated noise will damage them permanently. The damaged cells cannot transmit messages to the brain. The result is deafness to a greater or lesser degree.

The higher pitched sounds are the first to be affected and so a person is deafened to sounds such as frying bacon and the higher pitched sounds of speech, such as 'S', 'T', 'K' and 'C'. This partial deafness leads to misunderstandings when listening to others speak.

What are the danger signals?

• Do you have to shout to be heard at work?

• Is your hearing dulled after work?

• Do you have ringing in the ears?

• Do you have trouble following a conversation in a crowded place?

• Have your friends or family complained that you have the TV or radio turned up too loudly?

If your answer is YES

Health effects of excessive noise

• Excessive noise can cause ringing in the ears. This is temporary at first but can become permanent. This ringing can be very distracting and cause severe difficulties in concentration or sleep.

• Noise can affect the sense of balance and cause dizziness.

• Noise is a source of stress, which can lead to tiredness, irritability and headaches.

• Noise can raise blood pressure, putting strain on the heart.

• Noise affects the eyes causing loss of clarity, colour perception and night vision. Fine close work becomes difficult as noise causes the pupils of the eyes to dilate, forcing the eyes to constantly refocus.

• Noise increases the risk of accidents by masking sounds of approaching danger or warnings.

• Noise also increases the risk of accidents through its effect on balance and concentration.

• Noise interacts with other workplace hazards. Workers exposed to noise together with some other workplace hazards may have an increased risk of hearing loss. These hazards include carbon monoxide, trichlorethylene, vibration and heat.

• There is evidence that "irritating" background noise (such as is often found in offices) causes stress resulting in an increased metabolic rate and lowers an individual's resistance to noise; this can lead to noise induced hearing loss.

Measuring noise

A device called a sound level meter, which gives a reading in decibels, measures noise. Noise loud enough to cause pain in the ears is about ten million times as intense as the quietest sound that can be heard. To measure such a wide range in sound intensity, a special logarithmic scale is used.

On a logarithmic scale a sound increase of 10 dBA means that the sound intensity has been multiplied by ten. Roughly every increase of 3db on the scale means a doubling of sound intensity.

The chart shows the noise levels produced by various noise sources. The units on the scale are called decibels (dBA).

Reducing noise

There are four ways to reduce noise.

1. Reduce the noise at its source

• Replace outdated and noisy machinery

• Use quieter materials and equipment. For example replace metal gears with quieter helical fibre or nylon gears.

• Reduce the distance that objects fall and cushion their landings. Noise levels can be significantly reduced by fitting collection bins with rubber flaps to break the fall of items such as pressed or machined metal parts.

The best way of protecting against noise, if it is not possible to control the noise, is to prevent the transmission of noise throughout the workplace by:

• Moving noisy machinery or noisy processes to remote areas of the factory away from workers
• Fitting sound absorbent materials to the ceiling and walls.

• Provide a soundproof enclosure for operator. For example control booths in industrial plants

• The time spent by workers in a noisy environment can be reduced by job rotation or rest periods. Some unions have set a noise level of 80 dBA as a safe standard to work. Work in noise twice that level (83 dBA)) should not go on for more than four hours. Work in noise ten times that level (90 dBA) should only go on for 45 minutes.

Protection such as earplugs and earmuffs are the last resort, where other methods of controlling noise have not been applied or are not practical.

Remember that personal hearing protection is not very effective against very high noise exposure levels. Nor is it effective against high level impulse or impact noise.

What you can do

1. Look for the danger signals

If you think that there is a noise problem, then you need to find out the level of noise in your workplace.

Noise assessment should be done in all workplaces where employees may be exposed to noise exceeding the standards set by the regulatory authorities. As an informal guide, it is advisable to carry out a noise assessment if it is necessary to use a raised voice to communicate with a person about one metre distant.

A noise assessment can be done by management, OSHinspectors or by an external consultant. If a noise survey has not yet been done in your workplace, request through your safety committee for management to conduct such a survey. Some unions also have their own noise measuring equipment and will conduct surveys.

If you can, observe how the survey is conducted and then ask for a copy of the results. The Health and Safety in Employment Act requires empolyers to provide workers with the results.

Hearing checks are conducted with a machine called an audiometer. The audiometer measures your loss of hearing at various frequencies. This test can show whether your deafness is caused by noise or by some other problem.

Some suggestions for action

• Through your workplace Health and Safety Committee conduct a survey of all workers to find out if they have the warning symptoms of noise induced deafness or other problems related to noise. Accidents are sometimes caused by noise; for example, by making workers dizzy and affecting their balance.

• Check whether consultants employed by management to measure and investigate noise problems are investigating the problem thoroughly.

• Investigate and insist on engineering controls for noise problems.

• Find out what new machinery is to be introduced in the workplace and check whether it is designed and installed in a way that will reduce noise.

A range of information and resources about managing noise in the workplace can be found on the OSH website.

Rules for managing noise in the workplace, and the duties of employers, are contained in the HSE Regulations (1995).

The information in Hazards is intended to assist health and safety representatives in performing their role. It is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice. This Fact Sheet is courtesy of the Workers Health Centre. To visit their website click here

Who is at risk?

Many different substances encountered at work can stimulate a hypersensitive response in a worker and cause asthma. Exposure in the workplace to a sensitiser substance such as certain chemicals, wood dust or animal antigens can cause a previously healthy worker to develop symptoms of asthma after a period of time.

What are the health effects?

The sensitiser substance can narrow the airway and reduce the air passage to the lungs. This is known as bronchial hyper-responsiveness due to workplace irritation. The sensitiser substance may have been previously tolerated by the worker and may not provoke that sort of reaction in others who are similarly exposed.

Tobacco smokers are at a bigger risk to occupational asthma than non-smokers. Some common sensitiser substances and groups of workers who may be exposed to them are:

Symptoms of Occupational Asthma

Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and a tight chest.

These symptoms occur during the working week, day by day, and improve during absences from work, at weekends or during holidays.

How to prevent Occupational Asthma

1. Provide information

There is sufficient knowledge available about occupational asthma to recognise and prevent the disease. Education in the workplace is important. Workers need to know about the disease and quickly identify any potential workplace causes for their symptoms.

Workers also need clear information about sensitiser substances and respiratory irritants encountered at work. Information on chemicals and other substances used at work should include any known sensitiser effects.

Control exposures at work

Workplaces can prevent occupational asthma by eliminating potential sensitisers or by minimising exposure to them. This will not only prevent workers from developing asthma from exposures at work but can also provide a safe work environment for those who have pre-existing asthma.

Some specific approaches that can be taken are:

• Minimise exposure to dust particles, vapour or aerosol and to excessive cold or hot temperatures that can trigger occupational asthma.

• If elimination is not possible, try to substitute with a substance that is not a known sensitiser.

• Provide well-maintained ventilation systems to remove dust and other inhalable hazards.

• Ensure that adequate facilities for personal hygiene are provided at work.

• If exposures cannot be minimised, provide adequate protection to workers with suitable respiratory protective equipment.

The information in Hazards is intended to assist health and safety representatives in performing their role. It is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice. This Fact Sheet is courtesy of the Workers Health Centre. To visit their website click here

Information on OOS conditions and prevention is available from the ACC website.

Other information about general health and safety in an office environment is also available from the ACC website.

ETS is a mixture of side stream smoke passing directly from the burning tobacco and the exhaled mainstream smoke from the smoker.

More than 4,000 substances, including some well known causes of respiratory illness and about 40 known or suspected carcinogenic chemicals, have been identified in ETS. Many of these compounds have been found to be higher in side stream tobacco smoke than in exhaled mainstream smoke and as a result ETS has been classified as a known cause of human cancer (Group A carcinogen) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Associations between passive smoking and a number of diseases are known. These diseases include asthma in children, respiratory illness, lung cancer and major coronary events (heart disease).

Health effects of passive smoking

Environmental Tobacco Smoke is an irritant to the eyes and the respiratory tract. It causes watery eyes, headaches and sore throat. Irritation of the lungs from ETS can lead to excess phlegm, coughing, chest discomfort and reduced lung function.

ETS can also cause or aggravate illnesses such as:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Lung cancer
• Asthma
• Bronchitis, pneumonia, and other chest illnesses

Studies have confirmed a link between passive smoking and heart disease. It has been estimated that heart disease caused by passive smoking is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy has been found to be associated with a small reduction birth weight. Some studies have indicated that asthma is more common among children whose mothers were exposed to ETS during pregnancy. (NHMRC, 1997)

Measuring ETS Exposure

Exposure to ETS is difficult to measure and several methods may be used in population based research studies. Questionnaires are often used in conjunction with personal monitors and measures of biological markers in urine, blood or saliva. A number of factors determine the degree of exposure to ETS by non-smokers. These include proximity to a smoker, the tar level of the cigarettes, the number of cigarettes smoked, the size of the room and the length of exposure.

What to do if you are exposed to ETS at work

If you are exposed to ETS at work, either due to smoking by a fellow employee or by any visitors to the workplace, you are entitled to complain about it.

Your employer should take suitable action to make sure that you are not exposed to ETS. If you have any problems in getting something done soon, you should contact a health and safety representative at work or your union.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is a personal choice but it also affects the health of others. While provisions are made for smoke-free workplaces, quitting smoking should be promoted as a broader health issue at work.

QUIT programs offer help in quitting smoking. Acupuncture has also been used effectively to assist smokers to give up the habit.

The information in Hazards is intended to assist health and safety representatives in performing their role. It is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice. This Fact Sheet is courtesy of the Workers Health Centre. To visit their website click here

The process of photocopying

Plain paper photocopier operate by reflecting light from the original item so that an image is projected onto a 'photoreceptor', which is an electrically charged drum or belt. The surface of the drum is photosensitive; it loses the electrostatic charge when exposed to light. Reflected light produces a pattern of charges on the drum or belt and leaves a latent image. The electrostatic charge attracts the toner and reproduces the image permanently onto the paper by heat and pressure.

Colour copiers use the same basic electrostatic processes. However, they have three toner systems, incorporating the primary colours green, red and blue.

The main hazards

Ozone gas

Ozone is an unstable form of oxygen, which may be formed during the photocopying process. Ozone is produced by the operation of high voltage equipment such as photocopiers, x-ray equipment and electric arc welding.

Ozone is a reactive, unstable gas with a half-life of six minutes in office environments. It is a highly toxic gas and is the most serious health risk from photocopiers. Ozone has a sweet smell which can normally be detected at concentrations of 0.01 to 0.02 parts per million (ppm). The permissible exposure level currently accepted in Australia for ozone is 0.1 ppm as a time-weighted average over the working day.

When photocopying, the majority of ozone is produced during the charging and discharging of the drum and paper - it is the breakdown product of the drum material during image transfer. Ozone is also produced by ultraviolet emission from the photocopier lamp.

Health Effects

As ozone usually rapidly decomposes back to oxygen, the normal concentration of ozone around photocopiers is not sufficient to cause symptoms. The rate of decomposition is dependent on time, temperature (the gas breaks down more rapidly at a high temperature) and contact with various surfaces.

However, ozone concentration can build up if the room has insufficient ventilation. If ozone concentration reaches 0.25 ppm or above, this odorous gas can cause irritation to the eyes, the upper respiratory tract, and the lungs, throat and nasal passages. Other symptoms include headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, general fatigue and temporary loss of olfactory sensation. A level of 10 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and health.

Prolonged inhalation of ozone levels of a few parts per million is known to damage the lungs. Some authorities suggest that a concentration of 0.1 ppm might have the effect of causing premature ageing and shortened life span.

Toners

Powder form toners are used in 'dry' copiers, and are made up of various formulations of carbon black. They generally comprise approximately 10% carbon black, which is dispersed in a heat sensitive polystyrene acrylic or polyester resin. The fine toner powder can be released from copiers, particularly if they lack a contained toner system and automatic shut down devices on waste toner compartments. Toner powder can also be spilt during maintenance or when refilling the drum.

Health effects

Toners dust may irritate the respiratory tract, resulting in coughing and sneezing. Some toners contain compounds such as nitropyrenes and trinitrofluorene. These compounds, although rarely found in today's toners, have carcinogenic properties, therefore skin contact and inhalation is to be avoided. This can be avoided by the provision of toner in cartridges that can be fitted directly to the copier. Where a risk of skin contact or inhalation exists, workers handling cartridges must be provided with disposable gloves and facemasks.

The polymer-type plastic resins that are found in many photocopier toners are known to cause allergic reactions on repeated skin contact. The symptoms include skin rashes and burning sensations in the eyes.

Noise

High-speed copiers and copiers that collate in addition to their other functions have the potential to be noisy. Older type existing copiers can reach noise levels above 75dB(A) and large multiple copying machines operate at 80dB(A). A more appropriate noise level for office areas due to the nature of office work would be less than 60dB(A).

Health effects

The noise from photocopying operations (especially those that are continual), can cause irritation and stress to nearby workers and disrupt concentration. In the press and printing industries noise is a major hazard for workers and can lead to temporary hearing loss or deafness and tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

Ultraviolet Light

Fluorescent, metal halide or quartz exposure lamps are most commonly used in photocopiers. The light is not regarded as harmful, however, it can lead to eye strain when encountered repeatedly - photocopying should always be carried out with the cover down.

Health Effects

The intensive bright lamps used in photocopiers may cause eye irritation and headache after imaging, if viewed directly. In addition it can be irritating and stressful to nearby workers.

Other hazards

Heat

Heat is generated during the photocopying process. If ventilation and heat dispersal is not adequate, it may cause a significant temperature rise in the room which may cause discomfort to workers.

Burns from hot components are also a potential hazard when clearing paper misfeeds or jams.

Muscle strain

Long periods spent photocopying or collating in a poorly designed work area can cause musculoskeletal discomfort and strain. Sustained and repetitive postures may lead to muscular fatigue and pain.

Working safely with photocopiers

Ozone

• Choose a low ozone emission photocopier or one that has an activated carbon filter fitted to the exhaust of the machine. Activated carbon will provide 100 per cent decomposition given sufficient contact with ozone.

• Maintain the photocopier and filter regularly. Good maintenance can reduce the levels of ozone produced.

• An objectionable odour or smell from photocopiers can cause nose and throat irritation. The indoor air quality should be monitored on a regular basis.

Maintenance

• Always use the photocopier according to the manufacturer's instructions. If in doubt consult the handbook. Use only the specified type of toner, paper and acetates.

• Photocopiers should be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, with sufficient space and airflow around the machines.

• The manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning, as well as filter and brush replacements should be diligently followed.

• A maintenance log should be kept for each machine and should be available to staff for inspection.

Ventilation

• An adequate ventilated area can facilitate safe removal of any dusts, gases or vapours.

• Locate the copier in a well-ventilated room with natural fresh air or a filtered air exhaust system. Allow space around the machine for good airflow (an enclosed room may need mechanical ventilation conforming to Australian Standard AS1668).

• Air movement in copying areas should be monitored regularly.

Noise

• Locate the machine in an area where the effect of noise will be minimal. It may be necessary to achieve this by screening the photocopy machine with sound absorbent material/panels.

Intensive light or heat

• Keep the document cover closed at all times during photocopying, as this prevents light leakage and avoids visual fatigue.

• Where possible, prevent light exposure by using the automatic document feeder during photocopying.

• If it is not possible to close the cover for an unusual job, the operator should avert their eyes from the light source.

• Hot machine components can pose a hazard to employees opening equipment to clean paper jams. To avoid accidents non-metal tongs can be used to remove paper after first ensuring that the machine is switched off.

• When it is necessary to remove jammed paper from hot components, switch off the copier and allow a few minutes for cooling.

Chemicals

• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) should be available to all staff for any chemicals used, and can be obtained from your supplier or service contractor. The MSDS has information on handling, storage and toxicity of the chemicals used and provides the health and safety information needed to identify and assess hazards.

• Use contained toner systems and automatic shut down devices on waste toner compartments.

• Disposable rubber gloves should be made available and should be worn when handling chemically treated papers or wet-process chemicals, cleaning up and disposing of spilt fluids or spent toner, to avoid contact with skin.

• Spilt fluid or spent toner should be placed in sealed plastic bags marked 'chemical waste'.

• If manual toner transfer is necessary, an optimum system of transfer should be developed and used to minimize the chance of spillage.

Manual handling

• Establish a clear work area around photocopiers, separate from any walkway or emergency exit route.

• The working surface of photocopiers should be at a comfortable height for operators, and a collating table should also be provided.

• Adequate storage facilities must be provided for paper and toner. To prevent musculoskeletal injuries, store boxes of photocopy paper at knee height rather than floor level to make lifting and carrying easier.

• Tasks should be rotated to avoid sustained and repetitive postures.

Any ill effects that may be attributable to a photocopying machine should be reported to your workplace safety officer.

The information in Hazards is intended to assist health and safety representatives in performing their role. It is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice. This Fact Sheet is courtesy of The Workers Health Centre. To visit their website click here

These are the nervous system, the hormonal system and the sex organs (i.e. testicles, ovaries).

All of these systems can be affected by agents found in the workplace.

What are reproductive hazards?

Reproductive hazards are agents, which affect men and women's ability to have children. They can also affect the development of the foetus or baby, when the mother is exposed during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Workplace reproductive hazards can be:

• Chemical agents commonly found in industrial workplaces (for example metals such as lead and cadmium and solvents such as glycol ether, benzene or toluene), in agricultural work (for example pesticides) and in all sorts of laboratory work.
• Physical agents such as radiation (for example ionising radiation such as X-rays used in hospitals and industrial processes such as food irradiation).
• Biological agents found in laboratories and health and child care workplaces, particularly viruses such as rubella, mumps, hepatitis B or cytomegalovirus.
• Work practices which are physically stressful or which are difficult and potentially unsafe for pregnant workers (for example, climbing ladders, standing all day and excessive bending during late pregnancy).

Some reproductive hazards in the workplace

Physical Agents, Ergonomics, Shift work

• Ionizing radiation (X-rays, Gamma-rays
• Electromagnetic radiation (microwaves, radio frequency radiation)
• Ultrasound
• Ergonomics stressors (long working hours, heavy and frequent lifts)
• Shift work

Chemical Agents

• Anaesthetic gases and liquids
• Medicines and drugs
• Aniline (dye)
• Organic solvents (benzene, hexane, glycol ether, toluene)
• Butadiene (rubber manufacture)
• Carbon disulfide (synthetic textile manufacture)
• Chloroprene (rubber manufacture)
• Ethylene dibromide (fumigant, antiknock in petrol)
• Ethylene oxide (sterilant used in hospitals and sterile packaging)
• Heavy metals (lead, mercury)
• Pesticides
• Phthalates (plastics manufacture)
• Styrene (plastics/fibreglass industry)

Biological Agents

• Rubella
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Hepatitis B
• Mumps
• Toxoplasmosis

Who can be affected?

Sexual function in either men or women may be affected even if they are not planning to have children. All workers are potentially affected and reproductive hazards should be controlled like any other workplace hazard. That is, hazardous agents should be removed or exposure to them should be controlled so that the workplace is safe for all workers.

What are the effects of reproductive hazards?

For men

In men, sperm are continuously produced by cells in the testicle. Workplace hazards may cause reproductive problems in a number of possible ways:

• The cells and tissue in the testicle may be damaged so that sperm cannot be produced at all or not in large enough numbers for fertility.
• The hormones necessary for sperm production and sexual function may be decreased.
• The sperm themselves may be damaged.
• The nerves on which orgasm and ejaculation depend may be damaged.

Agents which damage sperm are particularly worrying because many do so by damaging the genetic material carried in the sperm (that is, they cause mutations).

If this occurs and that sperm fertilises an egg, then an abnormal pregnancy may occur. Miscarriages early in pregnancy, death of the foetus later in pregnancy or the birth of a child with some sort of abnormality are all possible.

The three possible consequences for men from exposure to reproductive hazards are:

• Impaired sexual activity (For example, loss of interest in sex, impotence).
• Infertility (i.e. inability to father children despite normal sexual activity).
• Fathering an abnormal pregnancy and possibly a child born with abnormalities.

For women

In women, reproductive hazards may adversely affect sexual activity or fertility through effects on hormones, the nervous system or the ovary. Just as chemicals can affect orgasm and interest in sex in men, so they can affect women by interfering with nerve and/or hormonal function. Ova (eggs), like sperm, are susceptible to injury, particularly mutation.

Women are born with a fixed number of ova, one of which develops each month under the influence of female hormones and is released by the ovary in mid-cycle. If an agent interferes with these hormones, the cells of the ovary or the developing egg, the menstrual cycle may become irregular (for example bleeding too early, too long, too late or missed periods). If this occurs, infertility is likely because release of the egg may not occur, or even if it does, the womb may not be 'ready' to receive the fertilised egg. If immature ova are damaged, the supply of eggs will be depleted which may cause early menopause.

Women who smoke tend to reach menopause a couple of years before non-smokers, and chemical exposures in the workplace, if high enough, may have similar effects. The possible consequences of exposure to reproductive hazards for women are:

• impaired sexual activity
• infertility
• irregular periods
• an abnormal pregnancy
• early menopause

The foetus may be affected at all stages of development, from the moment of conception to birth.

During the first few weeks, the embryo implants itself in the uterus and the placenta (the organ through which nutrients pass from the mother to the foetus) develops.

Agents can affect the development of the placenta. This may affect the growth of the foetus and if severe enough, may cause miscarriage.

During the first 8-9 weeks after conception, the major organs of the foetus develop (heart, brain, limbs, nervous system). Agents which interfere with the formation of the foetal organs cause birth defects or congenital malformations (for example, heart defects, cleft palate, limb defects). These agents are known as teratogens. The foetus is particularly susceptible to damage during this period; this is a problem because most women do not realise they are pregnant until about 6-8 weeks.

The foetus is also susceptible later in pregnancy. The brain, for example, continues to develop throughout the whole of the pregnancy and even after birth. So does the body's system for defending itself against infection (the immune system) and for getting rid of toxic substances (the liver and kidney).

The foetus is also particularly susceptible to agents causing mutation (known as mutagens). Exposure to mutagens may cause cancer in infancy or childhood and may also impair reproductive function later in life.

Possible effects on the foetus are:

• foetal death and miscarriage
• impaired growth
• birth defects
• developmental abnormalities (e.g. learning and behavioural difficulties after birth)
• childhood cancer

The consequences of uncertainty about reproductive effects

Hundreds of new chemicals are introduced onto the market each year, but only a limited number will be investigated as to whether they have adverse effects on reproductive health. For workers, this has potential consequences. It may mean risking their health and their future children.

Most studies of human reproductive effects face a fundamental problem: in many workplaces "exposure" is a general term for contact with all the chemical, physical and physiological stress factors in the environment. Reproductive effects are a question of the combined effects of all these conditions and factors.

It is difficult to identify and attribute a specific reproduction problem to a single factor. There is no doubt that the foetus is particularly vulnerable to damage. Both sperm and ova (eggs) are also susceptible to damage and this may be transmitted to the foetus.

Until chemical agents are adequately tested prior to their introduction to the workplace, all chemicals should be assumed to be potentially dangerous and exposure should be controlled as far as possible at work.

It is essential that policies with special provision for parents during their conception period are used as an interim measure to prevent injury to the foetus. However, this should not be taken to discriminate against workers who choose to have children. They should be provided with alternative work for that time period, without loss of pay or seniority.

However, these policies do not protect workers in the same way as testing agents before they are introduced to workplaces. As such, they should be seen as only partial solutions to reproduction hazard problems.

The information in Hazards is intended to assist health and safety representatives in performing their role. It is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice. This Fact Sheet is courtesy of the Workers Health Centre. To visit their website click here

Studies show that shiftwork and shifts with extended hours can have significant adverse effects on health, workplace accident rates, absenteeism and a worker’s personal life.

The shift system is often used in organisations that need to operate 24 hours a day, such as hospitals, police stations or airlines. Shift work is also done when machinery needs to operate continuously and in the retail sector where extended shopping hours are fast becoming commonplace.

What are the health effects of shiftwork?

Partial sleep deprivation is the main problem that affects the health of shift workers.

Night work disturbs the circadian rhythm in the human body. This is an internal body clock that is synchronised to a 24-hour period. It regulates a number of physiological functions such as body temperature, hormone secretion, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion and mental alertness. It lets us know, among other things, when to sleep and when to eat. Shift workers can have health problems because this internal clock is disturbed.

Shift workers and extended hour workers suffer from sleep disturbances and the physiological consequences that result from it. The social effects extend to their family and friends.

Researchers have found several negative health effects in shift workers and workers on extended hours. Some of these are:

• Increased heart disease
• Gastric ulcers and gastro intestinal problems
• Social problems and minor psychiatric disorders
• Sleep disorders and increased fatigue
• Increased error rates and accident rates.

Some personal factors can make workers more susceptible to problems when doing shiftwork or extended hours. These include:

• A heavy domestic work load
• Psychiatric illness
• A history of alcohol or drug abuse
• Epilepsy
• Diabetes
• Heart disease

How employers can address shiftwork problems

There are a number of steps that employers can take to address the problems faced by shift workers. Some of the solutions suggested for employers are:

• Improve workplace lighting and canteen and recreation facilities.

• Ensure workers undertake no more than two consecutive night shifts.

• Ensure workers undertake no more than two or three consecutive 12-hour shifts.

• Ensure an even distribution of days off with shift blocks.

• Avoid compacting shifts to produce longer breaks.

• Allow workers time for breaks, time to move around and time to interact with other workers.

• Ensure job rotation by moving employees to different tasks or responsibilities.

• Educate workers on lifestyle advice such as eating and sleeping patterns.

In addition, shift workers should have the same access as day workers to services such as counselling and the same opportunities for participation in training and meetings. Workplace safety committee meetings should also be scheduled for those on evening and night shifts.

Solutions for workers

The shift worker can also take a number of steps to make living with shift work more bearable.

Setting up the conditions for sleep is very important

Family, neighbours and friends need to know and understand the shift schedule. Let relatives and neighbours know about the work schedule.

The bedroom must be dark and cool. Heavy curtains and sound insulation on the doors and windows can reduce noise levels. An air conditioner can mask minor noises from outside. An answering machine for the phone and lowering the ring tone may also be helpful.

There should be a routine for waking up as well, just as there is for the average day-worker.

Night-shift workers should exercise

Exercising is not an easy task because shift workers usually start the day exhausted and pressed for time.

However, exercise can simply mean being active in general; for example, a walk around the neighbourhood for half an hour or a game of backyard soccer with the children.

Exercise should be a part of every day, but vigorous exercise should be avoided within the last two hours before bedtime.

Shift workers' diet is very important

Shift workers should have three meals a day, at roughly the same time every day. The timing of meals can keep energy levels up, improve sleep and help the body adjust to the shiftwork schedule. p>Restrict the intake of caffeine, not only in coffee and tea, but in soft drinks too.

Healthy snacks like fruit and fruit juice, raw vegetables and cheese are very good at home or at work.

Family understanding and co-operation is crucial

Stress seems a common problem in shift workers' lifestyle and a good home environment can help reduce stress.

Useful Hints to apply during shiftwork

• When the work is sedentary, contact others on the same shift regularly; it may help to keep alert.

• Stand up and walk occasionally.
• Go to the toilet and wash your hands and wet your face.

• Be aware of fatigue after the shift is over, especially while driving home.

• Keep your mind active by listening to the radio.

• Avoid overall heating - in winter, it is better to direct warmth to the feet and open the window a little to let the fresh air in on your face.

Information on managing the hazards of shiftwork is available on the ACC website.

Advice for workers and employers on reducing the adverse effects of shiftwork can be found on the OSH website.
General guidelines on managing stress and fatigue are also on the OSH website.

The information in Hazards is intended to assist health and safety representatives in performing their role. It is not intended as a substitute for legal or medical advice. This Fact Sheet is courtesy of the Workers Health Centre. To visit their website click here

The Syndrome consists of a group of non-specific symptoms, which according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) definition can include any of the following: