Extended workdays, compressed work periods, fatigue and cardiovascular strain: A study of health care workers and airline crew

Abstract

The aim was to examine if extended workdays and compressed work periods were risk factors for fatigue-related errors as measured by neurobehavioral tests and cardiovascular strain as indicated by heart rate variability (HRV), among health care workers and airline crew. Test-results among airline crew revealed significantly prolonged reaction time with increasing number of flight sectors during the work period. HRV in health care workers indicated higher cardiovascular strain the first compared to the fourth shift. In airline crew indications of increasing cardiovascular strain was seen during the work period. Among pilots, an association between reported high workload and cardiovascular strain was observed. Among cabin crewmembers, increased sleep duration before workdays, and longer breaks were associated with reduced cardiovascular strain. Nocturnal HRV and diaries indicated sufficient recovery in the participating groups. Mixed findings between the occupational groups indicate that workhours and shift schemes only explain some of the response patterns in the study, as factors related to work tasks seemed to influence development of fatigue and cardiovascular strain.