Night and shift work

Abstract:

During the night human body is more sensitive to negative effects from the environment as well as hazards and efforts on the workplace. One of the main factors that causes health and psychiatric problems of night and shift workers is the disruption of usual circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm regulates sleep, body temperature, blood pressure, reaction time, alertness levels, hormone secretion, readiness for work, etc. Risk of suffering injuries during the night is increased due to fatigue and sleepiness. Social and family activities are mostly adjusted to the daily rhythm, that is the normal schedule of wakefulness and sleep. Due to this, shift and night work can cause difficulties in maintaining family and social relations. Shift workers have an increased risk of forming chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, diabetes, psychiatric disorders, reproductive health disorders and some forms of cancer. It is extremely important to conduct regular health examinations for shift workers in which occupational health specialist needs to be aware of possible risks of shift and night work and pay attention to them when making a decision on work ability.

Key words:
cardiovascular diseases; metabolic syndrome; night workers; occupational injury risk; shift work