Introduction
Police officers in the UK have been required
to work shifts since the beginning of the Police Service in the mid 1800's.
Shift work has been accepted as 'part of the job' and 'something you just
get used to'. Little, if any, information has been given to officers about
the adverse effects of shiftwork on their health and safety.
As a consequence of the Police (Health and Safety) Regulations 1999, police
officers are now fully covered by Part 1 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Consequently, Police Forces now have a duty of care to provide safe systems of work
for their officers. Systems of work include patterns of work and, in particular,
shift work. Police Forces therefore have an obligation to produce shift schedules
which seek to minimise the adverse effects of shift work upon their staff.
These pages are intended to give you sufficient knowledge to be able to assess
your own shift pattern in terms of its impact on your health and safety, and to
provide you with coping strategies that will reduce the disruptive effect that shift
working has on your life.
If you find this material, or any part of it, useful then it will have served its
purpose.
Last updated 30 March 2007
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