Shiftwork on Dairy Farms: Worker Health and Safety Considerations

Details

• Personal Author:
  Douphrate D ; Hagevoort R ; Reynolds S
• Description:
  Most dairy farms, in order to maximize barn capacity, milk around the clock only to be interrupted by cleaning cycles and possible equipment malfunctions or inclement weather. Many dairy farms, especially those milking cows three times per day, operate 24-hours a day, 7 days per week. This around-the-clock schedule requires employees to work different shifts. The worker safety and health challenge with regard to shiftwork is that of enabling the individual to work at abnormal hours, an activity that runs both counter to his or her own biology and counter to the surrounding society. Our society is structured to protect the sleep of day workers, but not that of night workers, and expects evening and weekends to be free for social, religious, athletic and cultural events. Some dairy workers cope well with shiftwork, others poorly. The fact that human beings are diurnal species and that some of the basic physiological functions associated with their performance capacities are subject to circadian rhythmic changes suggests that humans may not be suited for night work. Dairy owners and managers should appreciate that shiftwork coping ability among employees is the combined product of three factors: 1) circadian rhythm, 2) sleep and 3) social/domestic. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Cattle Circadian Rhythm Dairy Products Fatigue Livestock Occupational Health Safety Shift Work Schedule Sleep
• Keywords:
  Animal Handlers Cattle Industry Circadian Rhythms Dairy Products Injury Prevention Safety Education Safety Programs Shift Work Worker Safety
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Lay Publication
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052223
• Citation:
  Prog Dairyman 2014 Jan; :1-3
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado State University - Ft. Collins
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20030915
• Source Full Name:
  The Progressive Dairyman
• End Date:
  20270914
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7eb8bf7ff2d424376698448bb01778baaf999018c93e4439f7af150106343c98bd9c2bc4d948c204a96a468aa87de2f902a1fb5b0982b910aec37953a9f837c4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211784/cdc_211784_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 120.11 KB ]