Shiftworkers twice as susceptible to injury

A new report from Safe Work Australia shows that the injury rate for shiftworkers in Australia is significantly higher than the injury rate for their non-shiftworker counterparts. The injury rate for shiftworkers (49.9 injured workers per million hours worked) was more than two times higher than the injury rate for non-shiftworkers (23.2). Although shiftworkers accounted for only 16% of hours worked, they accounted for 30% of injured workers in the period 2013–2014.

Not all groups or occupations have significantly higher injury rate — machinery operators and drivers have a significantly lower injury rate than their non-shiftworker counterparts — but many do, including labourers, technicians and trades workers in the manufacturing and safety industries.

SWA says the results are unsurprising due to the well-documented risks associated with shiftwork, including fatigue due to insufficient sleep, disrupted sleep patterns or extended working hours.

A copy of the full report can be downloaded here.