Research linking shift work and health problems


Mounting evidence linking shift work to breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and a range of other health problems has prompted the TUC to warn that preventive advice is not keeping pace with the evidence of harm. It points out that the HSE’s advice on managing shiftwork is now a decade old and pre-dates much of the new evidence on chronic risks.


“That means that unions and employers have absolutely no idea what kind of shift work patterns we should be agreeing. Are rotating shifts better than permanent nights? If so, what are the best type? What steps can employers take to reduce the effects of shift work?” asked TUC head of health and safety Hugh Robertson.


He added: “We live in a society that is increasingly 24 hours and having revised guidance from the HSE would not of course have stopped all, or even most of these cancers, as shift working will still continue. However we do have the right to make informed choices about what is best for us, and unions have to be able to negotiate agreements that protect their members as best they can. That means clear strong advice. And we need it sooner rather than later. There will always be new research coming out but that is no reason to keep on waiting. After all guidance can be revised.”