Take longer shifts, add being new on the job and lacking a routine and - in mining - you get an increased risk of injuries relative to those occurring during the first eight hours, according to a study published recently in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Furthermore, incidents occurring during long working hours were more likely to result in a death or involve multiple injured workers.
Researchers Lee S. Friedman, Kirsten S. Almberg and Robert A. Cohen used data from the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to take a look at occupational safety risk during longer working hours – which are increasingly becoming the norm. U.S. miners often work extended shifts and over 47 hours per week, unlike the general US workforce where average work hours have declined to 38.5 hours per week,