Change from slowly rotating 8-hour shifts to rapidly rotating 8-hour and 12-hour shifts using participative shift roster design.

OBJECTIVES: The study examined the impact of change, from slowly rotating continuous 8-hour shifts to more rapidly rotating continuous 8-hour and 12-hour shifts, on the health and quality of life of shift workers.
METHODS: Self-report survey data were collected from 72 shift workers at 3 sewage treatment plants before and several months after roster change. After the change 1 plant first worked a rapidly rotating, 8-hour shift roster and then worked a 12-hour shift roster, and the other 2 plants worked continuous 12-hour shift rosters.
RESULTS: After the change the shift workers at each plant reported increased satisfaction with roster design, a decrease in physical and psychological circadian malaise associated with shift work, improved day sleep quality, less tiredness, and improvements in the quality of home, social and work life. A between-plant comparison of the rapidly rotating 8-hour and 12-hour shift rosters showed greater improvements had been obtained with the 12-hour shift roster, and no significant differences in tiredness or sleep quality between the redesigned 8- and 12-hour shift rosters. However, a within-plant matched-pairs comparison at the 1st plant of the rapidly rotating 8-hour shift roster and the 12-hour shift roster showed no significant differences.
CONCLUSIONS: The results show that the prior level of support for change may best explain the impact of roster redesign on individual well-being. They lend further support to shift worker participation in roster design.