Serious stuff this one.
Source BBC news: tiny.cc/PTmmG (Do I need to TinyURL this one or not?)
The report only mentions police as 'the only emergency' night shift workers being victims to this type of fatigue.
What about the other two - fire & ambulance?
What about all the other night shift workers?
The nurses, factory staff, etc.
May be the police night shift workers should have sleeping accomodation provided so at the end of their shifts, they can get their heads down and not be putting us and themselves at risk?
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It's well recognised that the damage is done not so much by the night shift, as the continuous changing of shifts. A person who just does nights probably won't be so fatigued as the person who works a constantly-changing shift pattern.
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I'd agree with that ONB, train drivers' shifts start anything from 0100 through to 1800 at night and change on a weekly basis, as do some Guards ones... without a regular start time (like most night shift workers) it plays havoc with your ability to get to sleep... especially if you have inconsiderate neighbours who like to say goodnight to each other with their car horns... or have a loud "chat" after coming home from the pub...
Edited by b308 on 19/05/2009 at 16:46
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I have fairly regularly worked doing all nighters where you start work around 7.30am and finish at 11am the next morning(120+ hours per week). Fortunately I have not written my car off due to this but a couple of my colleagues have, and one was involved in a fatal accident-not himself by the way.
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I think a reason may be that the ambulance and fire brigade can sit in their base until called upon. The Police are expected to pro-actively patrol. I'll do about 250-300 miles on a night shift. Get a fatal/serious RTC and I'll be looking at a 15-16hr shift. My last fatal was 90 miles away from my base, a long drive home.
I'm certainly finding it harder as the years creep by.
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"I think a reason may be that the ambulance and fire brigade can sit in their base until called upon"
The paramedic ambulance attached to our fire station goes out early evening and we don't see them all night in between our own calls. We also get calls on the road via radio telephone and some jobs can be up to three hours at a stretch. I have known young guys after two consecutive 15 hour night shifts who live well outside London, to almost fall asleep at the wheel. One actually pulled into a service station on the M3 to have a couple of hours kip.
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Whilst the Police have totally embraced the H&S madness what their management have failed to account for is the distances that Officers have to travel to work on top of busy shifts which have in most forces being lengthened from the traditional 8 hour shift to 10 or even 12 hour shifts. This linked to pro-active requirements which the Fire and Ambulance services don't suffer must logically lead to them being more tired.
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"This linked to pro-active requirements which the Fire and Ambulance services don't suffer must logically lead to them being more tired."
Can you explain PU.
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I think he means that unless there is a shout you can get your head down on a night :-)
Grenade!!!
Edited by Fullchat on 19/05/2009 at 20:17
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Maybe the POLICE do too much overtime due to their type of work and the amount of crime for the low numbers of officers?
I doubt there is so much scope in the ambulance or fire trade.
I should think that a POLICE officer could wangle it to make sure he or she get a supplementary income from additional hours, nice when shopping but not so good for for the mind.
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Post 7/7 Thames Valley had almost unlimited overtime guarding the woods near High Wycombe that were being searched. I know several coppers with new kitchens and bathrooms on the strength of 14 hours shifts for months with no days off.
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This thread drifting in my opinion... If it does not get back on track it may be made read-only.
Edited by rtj70 on 19/05/2009 at 21:31
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I work 12hr shifts and do virtually no overtime. I'm on the road for most of those 12hrs. I'm afraid the overtime argument is a red herring.
The issue must be put in perspective though. I go home tired after a night shift, but I'm never exhausted to the extent it's dangerous for me to drive.
It would be nice to get paid to have a kip though..knew I should've joined Trumpton! (RPG to follow grenade :) )
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'I work 12hr shifts and do virtually no overtime. I'm on the road for most of those 12hrs.'...
yet the powers that be have decided lorry drivers musn't do that.
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I know several coppers with new kitchens and bathrooms on the strengthof 14 hours shifts for months with no days off.
I would want more than that for those hours day upon day.
MD
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And some nights we're out ALL night. 15 hours straight.
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It used to be that in the Met' and City of London you had to live within 25 miles of Charing X (as far as I recall.....it might even have been 30 miles)
To deal with the expense of living within that area, the commissioner for each force allowed officers to live much further out.
I know of officers in the city who travel in from West Mids, although that is by train.
I remember in Kent a female officer lived in Pas de Calais area, much to annoyance of Chief Constable.
I do remember guys having accidents on way home after night shift, and I recall one fatality. However, that was mainly due to a couple of early morning sherberts in the meat market pubs. I can promise you that a pint of Guiness has never tasted cleaner and better than after a 10hr night shift. However, it was the tube for me....not the car.
Drink driving is not so much of an issue in the police as it used to be in days of old (i.e Life on Mars era). So, I am sure that is not the cause.
Drink driving was nothing to be proud of, but it was quite normal.
I wonder if the accident rate is anything to do with a combination of tiredness AND over confidence in driving skills (endowed through police driving course)
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well outside London to almost fall asleep at the wheel.
I'm sure that's a problem for many public service people who work in London.
Outside the capital, it does seem that particularly Police Officers oftem seem to live in a different county to the one on which they work. Perhaps that's deliberate, but leaves them with a longer commute that, say, fire or ambulance staff.
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midlifecrisis, is a 12 hour shift normal and universal? I was under the impression that the POLICE usually work 3 eight hour shifts per day?
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