Institute of Employment Rights The Health Agenda at Work 17 February 2010 susan.murray@unitetheunion

1. Institute of Employment RightsThe Health Agenda at Work17 February 2010 susan.murray@unitetheunion.org

2. Shift work The world of health risks

4. Health Risks Night work/shift work and workers’ health have been a concern for some time. There is a wealth of evidence from HSE and many other sources.

5. Shift work and Cancer • International Agency for Research on Cancer • Danish Government: workers’ compensation • HSE research • IIDB?

6. Shift work: other issues • Legislation • Employment sector/workplace • Work-life balance – women and men • Caring and family responsibilities • Social life • Personal health issues • Age, Gender

7. Who does shift work? • Widespread across Europe • 20% of the working population in Europe and North America • UK Labour Force Survey 2005 Estimate: 3.6 million people in Britain ie 14% of the workforce “most of the time” • Norway LFS 2008 34%

8. Shift work – sector issues • Civil Aviation • Construction • Road Transport/logistics • Passenger transport (buses) • Care workers

9. Why Shift Work? Economic reasons • The pace of change has quickened, plant and equipment out of date more quickly • Maximise output Social reasons Changes in living and working patterns create a demand for goods and services outside traditional working hours eg retail, call centres. • Security Reasons • Medical Reasons

10. Shift work consequences • Repetitive monotonous work may be less well performed • Increased errors and accidents • Increased sickness absence • Increased labour turnover • Reduced morale Though shift work also suits many workers

11. What is shift work? Working Time Regulations 1998 Any method of organising work in shifts whereby workers succeed each other at the same workstations, according to a certain pattern, including a rotating pattern, and which may continuous or discontinuous, entailing the need for workers to work at different times over a given period of days or weeks.

12. Who is a shift worker? Working Time Regulations 1998 Define a shift worker as: Any worker whose work schedule is part of shift work. Exclusions

13. Night Work Working Time Regulations 1998 Night time, in relation to a worker, means a period • the duration of which is not less than seven hours • which includes a period between midnight and 5 am which is determined for the purpose of the WTR by a relevant agreement, or, in the absence of such an agreement, the period between 11 pm and 6 am. Night work means work during the night time. Night worker means a worker • who as a normal course (i.e. on the majority of days on which s/he works) works at least three hours of their daily working time during night time, or • who is likely, during the night time, to work at least such a proportion of her/his annual working time as may be specified in a collective agreement or workforce agreement Special Hazards limit

14. Health Assessmentsand health surveillance Night workers: a right to free health assessments As there are health risks linked with night work, your employer must offer all night workers a free health assessment. Health Surveillance – legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

15. Prevention: Risk Assessment • Consider the risks • Establish systems to manage the risks • Assess the risks • Take action to reduce the risks • Check and review

16. What safety reps can do • Information • Inspections • Agreements • Consultation • Health surveillance • Improve shift systems by minimising fatigue and risk • Training • Job Design • Welfare • Individuals and special groups

17. Working shifts should not mean that your health is compromised