ABSTRACT
The alertness, mood, and performance problems associated with irregular shift schedules and night work in particular are well known, and because of this, an obvious solution for operator fatigue would be to avoid night work altogether. Of course, this is a laughable suggestion in today’s fast-paced, just-in-time, 24/7 world, but the idea does deserve at least some consideration. Maybe there are one or two readers out there who have enough flexibility in their operations to beg the question of whether the benefits of shift work are really worth the discomforts and risks. In situations in which around-the-clock operations provide only a slight economic or productivity advantage, the increased risk of errors, heightened levels of employee turnover, or other shift-work problems may make other alternatives more attractive.
