Work accidents among shiftworkers in industry

Abstract The study examined the risk potentials and accident patterns amongst the monthly rotating shiftworkers and permanent nightworkers in textile industries. The retrospective- cum-prospective study covered 3470 fatal and non-fatal accidents that had been taken place in 11 textile departments, spinning, weaving, engineering, etc. A detailed questionnaire survey indicates that frequent occurrence of accidents in the industries was a culmination of multiple factors, such as man-machine interfaces, methods of work, working conditions and environmental stresses. Man-days lost due to accidents were highest in spinning departments (i.e., 3.25 days per accident). Physical injuries in textile workers were moderate to serious in severity, and the fingers of the upper extremity accounted for highest number of accidents. Higher rate of accidents were noted during June to August, and January and February had lower rate of accidents. Analysis of log-linear model of contingency tables suggests that the time variations (e.g., first and second half of each shift) have some association with the occurrence of accidents in different activities. About 60% accidents of the morning shift were in the first half of the shift; in night work, the second half of the shift constituted 57% of the accidents. In general, there are two main risk factors: (i) the start up of the working period (e.g., first half of the morning shift) and (ii) the accumulated fatigue (e.g., a rise in percentage of accidents reaching peak at fifth or sixth hour in the night shift). Relevance to industry Industrial accidents result in considerable human suffering and economic losses at different levels in society. The paper describes the occurrence of accidents and types of traumatic injuries in textile industries, and relates to critical temporal factors as associated risks to work. Organizational commitment to safety promotion and joint optimization of work-time scheduling may add to strategic accident prevention.