Shift Work Affecting Power Engineers PDF

Objective 3 Describe how shift work affects sleep pattern, diet, and overall health. Power Engineers work in facilities where production demands require the continuous operation of complex systems and related equipment: thermal power generation plants, heating and cooling plants, refrigeration plan...

Objective 3 Describe how shift work affects sleep pattern, diet, and overall health. Power Engineers work in facilities where production demands require the continuous operation of complex systems and related equipment: thermal power generation plants, heating and cooling plants, refrigeration plants and manufacturing plants, to name a few. Regulations demand that plants be staffed continually while in operation. While operating these plants, Power Engineers are often exposed to temperature extremes, high humidity, noise, hazardous materials, and hazardous environments. Under these conditions, Power Engineers are required to make sound operating decisions, use hand and power tools, and operate heavy equipment. Despite these adverse conditions, Power Engineers must safely and efficiently operate facility processes in accordance with company requirements. This is typical of the profession. The duration and type of work hours can influence work performance; deterioration can occur very soon after being placed on a shift schedule. The negative effects on performance can be worse in jobs like Power Engineering that require sustained attention, and extended hours. The critical importance of their role requires Power Engineers to carry out their duties with great care and precision, in accordance with established and often regulated safety standards. Being knowledgeable and alert are baseline requirements of fulfilling their role. Power Engineers must understand the many ways shift work impacts both work performance and their lives outside of work, so that they can make the necessary lifestyle adjustments to function optimally. Page 18 of 23 SHIFT WORK In addition to working a full-time shift, some Power Engineers may work part-time, on an emergency basis, or planned call-in basis. This is because plants requiring Power Engineers need staffing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Some Power Engineers do not work rotating shifts. Chief Engineers and Assistant Chief Engineers commonly work regular Monday to Friday office hours. Power Engineers may be assigned to special duties, requiring them to work day shift only. Still others are on “fixed” shifts; they work the same shift without any rotation. Both rotating and fixed shifts require the scheduling of multiple crews to ensure continuous coverage. In a 12-hour shift rotation, four different crews are commonly used over a 28-day rotation. Power Engineers are often called in on days off to cover shifts of other crew members, who may be off for medical reasons, vacation, or emergencies. In some jurisdictions, the Chief Engineer is not permitted to take over vacant shifts. SLEEP AND SHIFT WORK In Canada, approximately thirty percent of workers are employed in some form of shift work. Shift work involves more than just a work schedule. It has a fundamental impact on the Power Engineer’s working and non-working life, especially adapting to changing sleep patterns, and the potential stresses on health, family, and social commitments. Humans have a natural, regular cycle of being tired and energized, commonly around the same time each day. This natural, individual cycle is called the circadian rhythm. The body’s physical processes follow this 24-hour clock and regulate most of the body’s functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. During the parts of the cycle requiring low energy (generally at night), the body’s functions slow down to allow the body to rest. During this time, the body’s core temperature Page 19 of 23 lowers, alertness is minimized and reaction time increases. During naturally active times (generally during daylight hours), the opposite is true. Although circadian rhythms adapt to rotating shiftwork, the amount of time required and the degree of sleep disruption varies from individual to individual. The term “jet lag” refers to the sleep adaptation that travelers must make when visiting different time zones. Consider that shiftwork leaves the body in a state of jet lag at least once a week! When the working day does not match the body’s circadian day, problems can occur including: • Reduced sleep duration • Symptoms of insomnia • Sleepiness throughout the waking period • Slower performance at work, especially during the first night shift DIETRAY CONCERNS AND SHIFT WORK Meals and dietary considerations are often the first elements of the shift workers’ regular schedule to be neglected. When the shift worker’s schedule does not synchronize with those of family and social contacts, it is difficult to be motivated to make proper meals, especially when alone in the middle of the night. Because of the disruption in circadian rhythm, normal digestion is also be disrupted. Meal schedules must be planned to help shift workers stay awake and alert during working hours, and asleep when at home. Common advice on meal schedule preparation includes: • When able, meals should be high in soluble fibre to aid digestion. This should be aligned with increased water intake. • Since most shift workers tend to focus on getting to sleep as soon as is practicable after work, caffeinated beverages should only be consumed at the beginning of the shift. • Utilize normal sleep aids such as a lemon drink, warm milk, or herbal tea just before sleep periods. • Avoid greasy and spicy food just before sleep. Page 20 of 23 • Avoid alcohol before sleep periods; it reduces the ability to enter a deep, restful sleep. • Eat high energy foods or those with complex carbohydrates just before work to provide an energy boost. Always consider this as breakfast time. DIETRAY CONCERNS AND SHIFT WORK Studies show that over a 24-hour period, shift workers tend to sleep from one to four hours less than non-shift workers. As a result, they suffer more heart disease, stroke, gastric illnesses, depression, and infertility than people who do not work shift work. A number of strategies have been developed to help shift workers reduce disruptions in health, performance, and work preparation. Here are some good recommendations: Personal Habits • Lead a healthy life style with regular nutritious meals and regular exercise patterns. • Plan and maintain regular social activities especially those aimed at supporting others. • Try various methods for completely blocking out the light during daytime sleep periods. • Actively promote noise reduction during the day (quiet time, white noise machines). • Lower the thermostat during sleep periods. • Link lights with wakeup alarm times. Work Habits • Maintain an area of bright light in the nighttime working environment. • Encourage team activities and interaction between workers. This promotes the culture of looking out for each other while on shift. It is good to know that other team members are there to provide backup and support during difficult times on shift, regardless of the time of day, or levels of personal fatigue. • Provide healthy food options, available at all hours. Page 21 of 23 • Provide shift and rotation schedules to workers well ahead of time. CASE STUDY: One Day Too Many Shift workers may suffer from the symptoms of sleep deprivation prior to beginning a shift rotation or during a shift rotation. The symptoms of sleep deprivation are due to an accumulation of stress caused by long term circadian rhythm disruption. The following is a personal account of events that occurred one winter morning. Now in my fourth year of the plant’s rotation, I had worked my way up in experience and certification so that just this fall I was given the opportunity to be one of the four shift supervisors, each managing the control room. No one could have anticipated that my coworker, on the matching opposite shift, would come in one day to the chief’s office with the news of a terrible family matter that would keep him increasingly away. The chief asked me what to do. Being young, single and a team guy, I immediately volunteered to look after the shifts. The plant was looked after and my co-worker could concentrate on his family’s needs. It started slow, just a few shifts here and there. I was always mindful of getting in a rest day, but in fact I probably worked forty shifts over two months. I tried to keep a regular regimen, eating well, exercising regularly and sleeping like I should. But working so many shifts my body was thrown out of whack. My stomach seemed upset all the time and I never seemed fresh when I woke up, even after eight hours of sleep. This day would be my thirteenth straight day on shift, and I was exhausted. Not really straight days, because I did have transitional days between night and day shift, so on paper it looked like I did have a few days off. It really only seemed like thirteen in a row, so because I never really had enough time off to get used to days or nights. It just felt like they ran together. This morning, like every dayshift, I was up at 5 AM and on the road by 5:30. These days it seemed like my truck knew its own way to the plant as my mind was both on the road and preparing for the day ahead. I was maybe about five minutes away from the plant and coming up on a sharp turn. I remember trying to make the turn, but I slid through a patch of black ice that I didn’t remember being there the day before. I went off the road, slid down a ten-foot embankment and came to a dead stop at the bottom. The accident caused a major change in my life. Luckily, I was able to contact emergency services and my buddies at the plant got to me within minutes. It seemed like hours, hanging helpless in the wreckage, supported only by my seatbelt while I waited for help to arrive. Luck remained with me. After all the emergency procedures and medical diagnoses were complete, the diagnosis was that I had broken my back. It could have been much worse as I was walking again within a few weeks and back to work within a couple of months. I was Page 22 of 23 lucky that day: lucky and grateful to everyone that supported me, looked after me, and helped me move on in my life. I always wonder however if I had worked one day too many... Chapter Summary Power Engineers, over their long and esteemed history, have proven to be key players in the ongoing development of efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible industrial workplaces. As energy conversion experts, they lessen environmental impact in part by actively seeking efficiency gains in the processes they operate. The expertise of Power Engineers is applied in facilities that manage tremendous amounts of energy. For this reason, Power Engineers are mandated by law to operate and maintain processes and equipment that, if mismanaged, can cause the harmful release of energy, injurious to themselves, their co-workers and the greater public. Fewer occupations perform more valuable service to society, and are therefore more satisfying than Power Engineering. Page 23 of 23