Mixed reviews for 24/7 manufacturing

InTech, Oct 2001 by Felton, Bob

A daily nap, Winston Churchill once said, was indispensable to his conduct of World War II; other busy people, he added, should do the same. As a steadily increasing number of companies close plants and run longer schedules in others in order to maximize their return on investment, some are deciding The Last Lion was on to something.

LONG DAYS MORE COMMON

Though 'round-the-clock operations and long shifts have been common in some industries for years-steel and refining, for example-they are now spreading into areas that traditionally worked conventional hours. Unilever announced in February 2000, for example, that it was going to close 100 plants worldwide and drive its remaining facilities "to achieve the highest performance standards." Many of the company's remaining plants are running 24/7, and others are poised to increase production when necessary.

The associated dislocations-longer days and erratic work schedules, primarily-win mixed reviews from workers, but speculation abounds about the effects on worker health and safety. For instance, The Wall Street Journal published an article on 24 July 2001 that said,"Running factories nonstop can take a heavy toll on workers, disrupting homes and relationships," and "Critics say workers often don't get enough rest to do their jobs safely." The article acknowledged, however, that there are no statistics available that specifically address accident rates as a function of scheduling and that schedule effects vary according to a worker's age and overall health.

The U.S. Department of Labor issued statistics (stats.bls. gov/oshhome.htm) in August 2001 that suggest workplaces are steadily growing safer. Fatal work injuries declined 2% between 1999 and 2000, in spite of increased employment. Fatal highway accidents declined for the first time since 1992. Similarly,"Fatalities resulting from electrocutions, fires and explosions, and contact with objects or equipment also were down in 2000." Job-related falls increased, however, as did homicides.

Labor Department analysts found that fatalities were up in coal mining and oil and gas extraction but down in manufacturing, relative to average fatalities during the preceding five years. Police logged 112 deaths in 2000, compared with an average of 99 between 1995 and 1999, though fatalities in the public sector, including the military, were down overall.

CATCHING SOME ZZZZ'S MIGHT HELP

Circadian Technologies, a consulting firm that specializes in 24/7 operations, reported in its publication, Shiftwork Practices 2000, that almost 70% of all firms now tolerate napping, and almost one-sixth of all firms actually encourage it. Of 550 responding firms, 32.4% permit naps "if done discreetly," 20.7% forbid naps but don't discipline, 15.4% permit or encourage naps, and only 31.5% forbid napping and discipline those caught sawing logs.

When asked to characterize their company's fatigue problem, 3% said it was severe, 12% said it wasn't a problem, 12% said it was a moderate problem, and 43% said it was a minor problem.

Circadian also found that"the most popular work site locations for napping are the cafeteria and the break room," though some companies have gone so far as to provide a "designated nap room where reclining chairs, couches, or benches provide a slightly more comfortable snoozing spot." The report goes on to make this observation: "You might think that night crews, often sleep deprived due to the struggle to get sufficient rest during the day, are the biggest nappers. But many companies say the day shift naps just as much or more."