It is at this point that the potential for falling asleep or an error in judgment can result in anything from substandard quality product to a major industrial accident. Years of laboratory testing demonstrates the severely diminished ability of the brain s cognitive function during these early morning hours. With the Body Clock Productivity is impaired Performing routine tasks becomes more difficult, reaction times slow significantly and judgment is diminished. Human errors at night are twice as frequent as during the day, and worker productivity has been measured to be as much as thirty to forty percent lower than during the day. Safety is compromised Both the risk of employee accidents and the potential for industrial accidents increase.
Workers are much more likely to fall asleep on night shift.
Personnel costs are higher Shiftworkers are more likely to suffer cardiovascular and digestive disorders. Shiftworkers also experience more frequent headaches, fatigue, stress, muscle pain, respiratory infections, and general malaise. These, in turn, result in higher rates of absenteeism, employee turnover, and the associated training costs. Frustration, low morale, and diminished job satisfaction are also common among shiftworkers. Over the years workers have developed tricks to merely keep awake on night shift.