Courses
The Centre for Sleep Research currently runs Shiftwork and Sleep, a course aimed at improving awareness of the fatigue risks associated with shiftwork and other non-standard work schedules.
The course can be taken:
1) As part of the UniSA postgraduate programs in Human
Factors and Safety Management Systems;
2) As part of the University of Queensland postgraduate
programs in Human Factors;
3) As a non-award course by any interested student.
Why undertake Shiftwork and Sleep?
Shiftwork is becoming more commonplace. As a society, our concept of 'work' has changed in response to market pressures and technological advances, meaning that as little as one third of the Australian labour force is now employed in 'traditional' working arrangements (Monday–Friday, 9.00 a.m.–5.00 p.m.). As systems of work, shiftwork and overwork create pressures on employees' physiological systems, their domestic and social lives, and the wider community in ways not traditionally encountered; in addition, it promotes the incidence of fatigue and fatigue-related accidents. As a consequence, both employers and employees are required to contend with certain legal implications. While fatigue does not occupy a discrete position in the law, it is addressed by several statutes and principles, primarily in occupational health and safety legislation and in regulations of the road transport and aviation industries. Statutes directed towards equal opportunity, industrial relations and workers' compensation must also be considered when managing fatigue.
The aim of this course is to expand on these issues and to outline the latest approaches to shiftwork and fatigue management. Appropriate management of the shiftworking population is crucial to meeting the demands of OHS legislation, as well as to ensuring workplace productivity and employee safety and wellbeing.
The aim of this course is to examine the biological, psychological and social impacts of shiftwork at the individual, organisational and community level. The course will discuss techniques for minimising the personal and organisational risks associated with shiftwork. On completion of this course students should be able to:
- understand the health and psychological sequelae of shiftwork;
- understand the community impacts of shiftwork;
- understand the regulatory and legislative frameworks relevant to shiftwork and shiftworkers;
- identify the relative risk associated with different types of shiftwork;
- evaluate and employ effective strategies for reducing the negative consequences of shiftwork; and
- design, implement and manage shiftwork systems consistent with current Occupation Health and Safety/Safety Management System principles and practice.
For more information about this course, please visit the UniSA course homepage.