How night worker medicals protect your shift workers
The Working Time Regulations 1998 are in place to protect the health and safety of night workers – categorised as employees that work at least 3 hours per shift between midnight and 5am. These late hours, rotating shifts and a nonstandard schedule entitle all night workers to pre-commencement and annual night worker medicals that specifically address the occupational health issues they face.
Recent research has revealed that the health risks posed by nighttime work are even more severe than initially thought, so read on to explore how these vital medicals are making a real difference for the millions of night workers that UK industries rely upon.
The health risks of night work
The main impact of night work is an interrupted circadian rhythm – although this is by no means the only major health impact. This natural rhythm influences your body’s physical, emotional, and mental processes on a 24-hour cycle that depends upon regular sleep, and night shifts greatly influence the regulation of these natural rhythms.
Without a consistent sleep/wake cycle, the body and mind are vulnerable to a range of issues, including:
- Heart Disease: Night workers are 37% more likely to have heart disease than their day-shift colleagues, due to poor sleep, chronic stress, and consistently high blood pressure.
- Cancer Risk: It may sound surprising, but years of poor quality, disrupted sleep may affect your cellular repair processes and is associated with an increased risk of several types of cancer.
- Diabetes: Those who work nights are 44% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, alongside an increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and a higher BMI than day workers.
- Miscarriage Risk: Sadly, even just one or two night shifts a week is reportedly enough to increase a woman’s risk of miscarrying a pregnancy by 32%.
- Sleep Deprivation: It’s no surprise that shift work disrupts circadian rhythms and causes sleep deprivation, but the inconsistent hours can also cause a higher risk of associated mental health problems, including stress, depression, and anxiety.
Alongside these worrying health risks, the daily routine of working overnight can also be very isolating and mentally draining. The toll these working models take on workers cannot be understated, as they are 6 times more likely to get divorced and a whopping 75% more likely to feel left out at work than day workers. It is also reported that 33% of night workers have second jobs, putting further strain on their sleep schedules and physical health, and these findings highlight the urgent need for better support for night workers.
So, what can be done to manage these risks and give workers the health protections they deserve?
Night worker medicals
All night shift workers are entitled by law to a free health assessment, known as a night worker medical, before they start working nights and then annually for the duration of their contract. Their employers are legally responsible for arranging this.
Unlike most medical assessments, night worker medicals don’t simply assess existing conditions that might impact a worker’s ability to perform their role. Instead, they aim to identify and address any underlying medical conditions that could be impacted by night shifts to ensure that workers’ health isn’t negatively impacted by their work schedule.
So, whether you have a singular night worker or an entire team, let’s take a look at how these essential medicals protect their well-being.
A health questionnaire
The first step is to assess the workers’ overall health with a questionnaire that covers their medical history, existing conditions, and treatment plans. The assessment usually takes around 20 minutes to complete and will give the medical examiner a working understanding of any medical conditions that would be impacted by regular night shifts.
They will also ask workers about any lifestyle factors that could affect them on the job, including irregular sleep patterns, a history of insomnia, or excessive alcohol consumption.
A medical consultation
The medical for night shift workers itself includes a range of non-invasive, but comprehensive, tests that assess a workers’:
- Vision
- Hearing
- Reaction times
- Blood pressure
- Blood sugar levels
And any other underlying medical conditions or sleep disorders that were brought up in the preliminary discussion.
Next steps
If a cause for concern is raised during the assessment, the worker will be provided with advice and a referral to the appropriate health organisations to help them manage the condition. Early treatment and support make all the difference when it comes to treating work-related issues, and personalised advice on diet, exercise and stress management techniques will help them to minimise complications and other health risks throughout their career.
As an employer, you are obligated to comply with the relevant employee health regulations and fulfil your duty of care. To do so, you may be required to provide adjustments and accommodations to help your night workers to manage their health, and as a result you will see fewer absences, improved productivity, and a safer workplace for all employees. Sleep deprivation is estimated to cost the UK economy up to £50 billion a year in accidents and lost productivity, and all of this can be minimised by prioritising the health of these vital workers.
So, to show your dedication to your employees and to demonstrate legal compliance employers should arrange regular night worker medicals from a SEQOHS accredited occupational health provider.
Customised medicals for night shift workers
Everybody who works at night deserves the best support available, so do your bit for your employees with shift and night worker medicals from Heathrow Medical.