Brain Drain: More Management Oversight Required for Shiftwork Safety
Tom Schneid, J.D.
A recent study found that working irregular or longer-than-normal shift hours has a negative impact on cognitive abilities, bad news for the many workers who work long shifts or who work rotating shifts each week. The impact is equivalent to a brain aged an extra 6.5 years.
Can working longer shifts or rotating shifts age your brain? A recent study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, “Chronic Effects of Shift Work on Cognition:Findings from the VISAT Longitudinal Study,” examined the “chronicity and reversibility” of the effects of shiftwork on cognition. Researchers found that irregular shiftwork can result in cognitive impairment equal to 6.5 years of aging for a worker’s brain.
