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Background: The public safety sector includes law enforcement officers (LEO), corrections officers (CO), firefighter service (FF), wildland firefighting (WFF), and emergency medical services (EMS), as defined in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Across these occupations, shiftwork, long‐duration shifts, and excessive overtime are common. Our objective was to identify research gaps related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue among these workers. Methods: We used a scoping review study design that included searches of MEDLINE, Embase, CAB Abstracts, Global Health, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, Agricultural and Environmental Science Collection, ProQuest Central, Cochrane Library, Safety Lit, Homeland Security Digital Library, and Sociological Abstracts using a range of occupational search terms and terms related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue. Results: Out of 3415 articles returned from our database search, 202 met all inclusion criteria. Six common outcomes related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue emerged: sleep, fatigue, work performance, injury, psychosocial stress, and chronic disease. Nearly two‐thirds (59%, n = 120) of the studies were observational, of which 64% (n = 77) were cross sectional and 9% were (n = 11) longitudinal; 14% (n = 30) of the studies were reviews; and 19% (n = 39) were experimental or quasi‐experimental studies. Only 25 of the 202 articles described mitigation strategies or interventions. FFs, LEOs, EMS, and WFFs were the most studied, followed by COs. Conclusions: In general, more longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to enrich the knowledge base on the consequences of long working hours, poor sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector. Few experimental studies have tested novel approaches to fatigue mitigation in diverse sectors of public safety. This gap in research limits the decisions that may be made by employers to address fatigue as a threat to public‐safety worker health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The benefits of nonstandard work hours include increased production time and the number of jobs. While for some sectors, such as emergency services, around‐the‐clock work is a necessary and critical societal obligation, work outside of traditional daytime schedules has been associated with many occupational safety and health hazards and their associated costs. Thus, organizational‐ and policy‐level decisions on nonstandard work hours can be difficult and are based on several factors including economic evaluation. However, there is a lack of systematic knowledge of economic benefits and costs associated with these schedules. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the methodology and data used to examine the economic benefits and costs of nonstandard work hours and related interventions to mitigate risks. Results: Ten studies met all our inclusion criteria. Most studies used aggregation and analysis of national and other large datasets. Costs estimated include health‐related expenses, productivity losses, and projections of future loss of earnings. Cost analyses of interventions were provided for an obstructive sleep apnea screening program, implementation of an employer‐based educational program, and increased staffing to cover overtime hours. Conclusions: A paucity of studies assess nonstandard work hours using economic terms. Future studies are needed to expand economic evaluations beyond the employer level to include those at the societal level because impacts of nonstandard work go beyond the workplace and are important for policy analysis and formulation. We pose the opportunity for researchers and employers to share data and resources in the development of more analyses that fill these research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Despite the high burden of sleep disturbances among the general population, there is limited information on prevalence and impact of poor sleep among injured workers. This study: (a) estimated the prevalence of sleep disturbance following work‐related injury; and (b) examined the longitudinal association between sleep disturbances and disability/functioning, accounting for reciprocal relationships and mental illness. Longitudinal survey data were collected from workers' compensation claimants with a time‐loss claim in Victoria, Australia (N = 700). Surveys were conducted at baseline, 6 months and 12 months. Sleep disturbance was measured using the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaire. Disability/functioning was based on self‐reported activity limitations, participation restrictions and emotional functioning. Path models examined the association between disability/functioning and sleep. Mean sleep disturbance T‐scores were 55.2 (SD 11.4) at 6 months, with 36.4% of the sample having a T‐score of 60+. Longitudinal relationships were observed between disability (specifically, emotional functioning) and sleep disturbances across successive follow‐up waves. For example, each unit increase in T2 emotional functioning (five‐point scale) was associated with a 1.1 unit increase in T3 sleep disturbance (approximately 29–76 scale). Cross‐lagged path models found evidence of a reciprocal relationship between disability and sleep, although adjustment for mental illness attenuated the estimates to the null. In conclusion, sleep disturbances are common among workers' compensation claimants with work injuries/illnesses. Given the links between some dimensions of disability, mental health and sleep disturbances, the findings have implications for the development of interventions that target the high prevalence of sleep problems among working populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Parental involvement in keeping their children safe at work has been examined in a handful of studies, with mixed results. Evidence has suggested that non-work injury risk is higher among children from single-parent families, but little is known about their risk for work-related injuries. Methods Five survey cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey were pooled to create a nationally representative sample of employed 15-19-year old students (N = 16,620). Multivariable logistic regression estimated the association between family status and work injury. Results Risk of work-related repetitive strains (OR:1.24, 95%CI: 0.69-2.22) did not differ by family type. However, children of single parents were less likely to sustain a work injury receiving immediate medical care (OR:0.43, 95%CI: 0.19-0.96). Conclusion Despite advantages and disadvantages related to family types, there is no evidence that work-related injury risk among adolescents from single parent families is greater than that of partnered-parent families. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:285-294, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Increased injury risk among shift workers is often attributed to cognitive function deficits that come about as a result of sleep disruptions. However, little is known about the intermediate influences of other factors (eg, work stress, health) which may affect this relationship. In addition, gender differences in these the complex relationships have not been fully explored. The purpose of this study is to (1) identify the extent to which work and non-work factors mediate the relationship between shift work, sleep and subsequent subjective cognitive function; and (2) determine if the mediating pathways differ for men and women.Methods: Data from the 2010 National Population Health Survey was used to create a cross-sectional sample of 4255 employed Canadians. Using path modelling, we examined the direct and indirect relationships between shift work, sleep duration, sleep quality and subjective cognitive function. Multigroup analyses tested for significantly different pathways between men and women. Potential confounding effects of age and self-reported health and potential mediating effects of work stress were simultaneously examined.Results: Work stress and sleep quality significantly mediated the effects of shift work on cognition. Age and health confounded the relationship between sleep quality and subjective cognition. No differences were found between men and women.Conclusions: Occupational health and safety programmes are needed to address stress and health factors, in addition to sleep hygiene, to effectively address cognitive function among shift workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the risk of work injury associated with changes in shift schedules and identify whether work injury risks differ between men and women. Methods Longitudinal panels from the Survey of Labor and Income Dynamics were used to describe work schedule patterns over a 6-year period among a representative sample of Canadian workers (N=19 131). Cox regression was used to estimate the risk of work injury among workers who (i) switched from regular day to nonstandard shifts, (ii) switched from nonstandard to day shifts and (iii) remained in nonstandard shifts, compared with (iv) those who worked regular day shifts only. Gender differences were examined in separate stratified analyses. Adjustments were made for potential respondent and occupational confounders. Results Increased injury risk was observed among those who: switched from day to nonstandard shifts [hazard ratio (HR) 2.60, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.79-3.77], switched from nonstandard to days (HR 2.36, 95% CI 1.62-3.49), and worked nonstandard shifts only (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.23-1.70). For women, work injury risk was higher among those who switched shifts (days to nonstandard HR 3.10, 95% CI 1.76-5.46; nonstandard to days HR 2.31, 95% CI 1.36-3.91), or worked nonstandard shifts only (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.44-2.37) compared to day schedules. However, for men the risk of injury was elevated only among those who switched shifts (days to nonstandard HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.35-3.51; nonstandard to days HR 2.38, 95% CI 1.41-3.95). The only significant difference between men and women were among nonstandard shift workers. Conclusion Our results suggest that changing shift types may increase work injury risk among men and women, and that the risk remains increased among women who work nonstandard shifts for a prolonged period of time. This highlights the need for awareness and implementation of health and safety programs when workers initially change shift schedules and on a regular basis to maintain worker health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this study is to examine the risk of a work-injury absence and the likelihood of receiving compensation among partnered and lone mothers and fathers. Methods This study utilized data from an annual survey of Canadian residents. Logistic regression models examined the association between family status and the receipt of workers' compensation, and absences due to work-related injury or illnesses of 7 or more days. Results Being a lone mother was significantly associated with the risk of work-injury absence. Gender differences were observed for workers' compensation: mothers were half as likely as fathers to receive workers' compensation benefits, which may be attributed to differences in work experiences between men and women. Conclusions Findings may help in understanding whether some parental situations are more vulnerable than others and may contribute to identifying policies that could help workers sustain employment or return to work following an injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This pilot study is one of the first to examine the impact of job strain and shift work on both the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis using two salivary stress biomarkers and two subclinical heart disease indicators. This study also tested the feasibility of a rigorous biological sampling protocol in a busy workplace setting. Paramedics (n = 21) self-collected five salivary samples over 1 rest and 2 workdays. Samples were analyzed for α-amylase and cortisol diurnal slopes and daily production. Heart rate variability (HRV) was logged over 2 workdays with the Polar RS800 Heart Rate monitors. Endothelial functioning was measured using fingertip peripheral arterial tonometry. Job strain was ascertained using a paramedic-specific survey. The effects of job strain and shift work were examined by comparing paramedic types (dispatchers vs. ambulance attendants) and shift types (daytime vs. rotating day/night). Over 90% of all expected samples were collected and fell within expected normal ranges. Workday samples were significantly different from rest day samples. Dispatchers reported higher job strain than ambulance paramedics and exhibited reduced daily alpha-amylase production, elevated daily cortisol production, and reduced endothelial function. In comparison with daytime-only workers, rotating shift workers reported higher job strain, exhibited flatter α-amylase and cortisol diurnal slopes, reduced daily α-amylase production, elevated daily cortisol production, and reduced HRV and endothelial functioning. Despite non-statistically significant differences between group comparisons, the consistency of the overall trend in subjective and objective measures suggests that exposure to work stressors may lead to dysregulation in neuroendocrine activity and, over the long-term, to early signs of heart disease. Results suggest that further study is warranted in this population. Power calculations based on effect sizes in the shift type comparison suggest a study size of n = 250 may result in significant differences at p = 0.05. High compliance among paramedics to complete the intensive protocol suggests this study will be feasible in a larger population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]