reply to post by michael1888
Lets see what studies have been done on this one.
According to 2004 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 15 million Americans work full time on evening shift, night shift, rotating shifts,
or other employer arranged irregular schedules. The International Labor Office in 2003 reports that working hours in the United States exceed Japan
and most of western Europe. Both shift work and long work hours have been associated with health and safety risks. This page provides links to NIOSH
publications and other resources that address demanding work schedules.
www.cdc.gov...
Now thats just in the USA,lets look at some other countries.
From Australia :
Summary
Shiftwork (working shifts) can affect health. The body is synchronised to night and day by a part of the brain known as the circadian clock. A
shiftworker confuses their circadian clock by working when their body is programmed to be sleeping. Common health problems include sleep disorders,
digestive upsets, obesity and heart disease.
From the UK :
news.bbc.co.uk...
Factors influencing shiftwork exposure and health
Many health impairments associated with
shiftwork have been reported. These
include psychosomatic disorders of the gastroin
testinal tract (colitis, gastroduodenitis, and
peptic ulcer) and of the cardiovascular system
(hypertension, ischaemic heart diseases), as
well as metabolic disturbances,
that are influenced by other
time- and work-related factors
and behaviours (Costa, 1996; Knutsson, 2003).
About 20% of all workers have to stop shiftwork altogether after a very brief period
because of serious health problems, 10% do no
t complain about shiftwork during their
whole working life, while the remaining 70% withstand shiftwork with different levels of
intolerance that can become more or less ma
nifest at different times and with different
intensity in terms of discomforts
, troubles or diseases .
I could go on and on about all the studies done on this,with long work hours, and shift rotations. Lets just suffice it to say, shift work IS
dangerous for your health.
Mallinckrodt has always had rotating shifts for the floor workers. I know because my father in law worked there for 28 years. It would have been 30
but he started having heart attacks and strokes. The doctors were stunned. There was no reason they could find for it happening,he was skinny, in good
shape, smoked a bit,not much,ate very well,and yet here he was having heart attacks.(a bit later strokes too). By the time he had his second one the
studies had come out and the doctors chalked it up to the shift work. You would think he would have been used to it after 28 years,but instead it just
built up and then,that was it. It may not get you today or tomorrow,but in time you will pay for doing shift work.