Fundamentals of Shiftwork Scheduling, 3rd Edition: Fixing Stupid (Shiftwork, Fatigue and Safety Book 2) by James Miller

Author:James Miller [Miller, James]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: fatigue countermeasures, sleep deprivation, schedule, night work, sleep aids, schedule examples, sleep disruption, scheduing, fatigue, shift work, sleep, alertness aids, alertness
Publisher: Smashwords
Published: 2013-12-05T05:00:00+00:00

Shift plan alignment for the two halves of a split-crew with twelve-hour shifts.

TWO-CREW SOLUTIONS

Sometimes, 24/7 operations must get by with only two qualified crews. In this case, each crew should cover the position for an average of twelve hours per day. The crews may choose to do this with six-hour or twelve-hour shifts or different combinations of fixed or rotating shifts. The individuals working fixed shifts that include the period from midnight to dawn are unlikely to acclimate fully to night work. Eventually, fatigue-induced errors and involuntary sleeping on the job will impair system performance unacceptably.

Though there is a low demand on the employer for number of crews, two-crew solutions to the 24/7 work demand problem are to be avoided whenever possible. They are a “stupid” solution to a 24/7 work demand. If used at all, they should be used temporarily, not to exceed about ten days.

The fixed twelve-hour shift plan means that one crew will always work twelve-hour night shifts with no days off. If the crew is small, perhaps as small as one person, and the night crew or person (1) desires to work at night, and (2) works competently at night, then the employer should be thankful and give this arrangement a try. Extraordinary caution is required in the final four hours of each twelve-hour shift.

The fixed six-hour shift plan means that one crew will always work a six-hour day shift and a six-hour night shift with no days off. In addition, no shiftworker on this plan will ever be allowed eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Thus, cumulative fatigue will appear in just a few days.

- Shift length: six- or twelve-hour shifts. Weakness: if a shift longer than eight hours is used, then extraordinary fatigue countermeasures should be used after hour eight.

- System: 1nW:0nF with n = 1.

- Cycle length: one day.

- Average work week: 84 hours per week. Weakness: since many more than 40 hours are worked per week, worker satisfaction may be low due to perceived inequity with weekday-only workers.

- Plan: DDD... or NNN...

- Shift lag: none for fixed shifts.

- Work days (W) per year: 364 days.

- Free days (F) per year: 0 days. Weakness: there are no days off, thus worker satisfaction will be low due to perceived inequity with weekday-only workers.

- Longest sequence of day shifts (D): continuous. Weakness: more than five shifts are worked sequentially, thus cumulative fatigue may be a problem.

- Longest sequence of night shifts (N): continuous for one crew. Weaknesses: more than three nights are worked sequentially, thus cumulative fatigue will be a problem; also, circadian stability will be lost.

- Longest sequence of work shifts (W): continuous. Weakness: more than five shifts are worked sequentially, thus cumulative fatigue may be a problem.

- Longest sequence of days off (O): none. Weaknesses: there are no days off after a sequence of night shifts, thus the worker will not be sufficiently recovered when returning to work. Additionally, worker satisfaction will be low due lack of time off.

- Weekends: no weekends off. Weakness: worker satisfaction will be low due lack of time off.

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