Night working

Some night workers can experience accumulated sleep deprivation or other ill health effects such as cardiac, gastrointestinal or other medical disorders including problems with reproductive cycles or breast cancer.

The problem is exacerbated with age and varies with gender and working environment.

Any police officer who is working a rotating shift pattern including regular night duty is included in the definition of a night worker.

A night worker is entitled to a health questionnaire before commencing night work and at regular intervals thereafter (usually annually although they can be shorter).

The employer must offer health questionnaires and keep records about their completion and return under Working Time Regulations legislation. ‘Offer’ is likely to be taken as meaning rather more than simply making available.

A survey of the forty three police forces in England and Wales indicates that night workers are not being offered the questionnaires as required.
The majority of forces that responded to the survey are unable to provide the statutory information.

For those officers that are being offered questionnaires there is little evidence that their return is being monitored and used to review the related risk assessments.

The Metropolitan Police Service created Form 6030 “Night workers health assessment” in November 2008, shortly after receiving its Freedom of Information Act request on the subject.

Further information can be found in the following website:-
http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page28978.html#working_at_night

The ability to work at night is now based on medical advice rather than an individual decision by a senior officer based on a now defunct provision of Police Regulations.

Mike Roulston Dip NEBOSH MIIRSM Grad IOSH

Met IBB H&S lead