The night shift

The recent report that working a night shift may put you at greater risk of breast cancer will probably require more research before the link is firmly established, if ever. However having managed three companies which had a night shift I can say that if I could have eliminated the night shift I would have. It is the most undisciplined shift, the one when the mistakes are made and product quality suffers. The communictaion with the day shifts is often poor and adds to the confusion. The workers have domestic problems from working when their families are sleeping which adds to the difficulties they face.

If a link is proven then will all night shift workers who develop cancers be able to claim for an industrial disease, despite the fact that they are paid a higher rate for the inconvenience of working nights.? The case of Denmark where compensation for those with breast cancer has been paid could be the shape of things to come across the industrial world, with implications for workers' compensation insurance. This could be a very, very big iceberg.