Danish government compensates workers on link between shiftwork and cancer

Following categorisation of night work as a probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2007, the Danish government has commenced compensation payouts to nearly 40 women who developed breast cancer after 20 years or more of nightshift work.

The nightshift – cancer link was published after several human and animal studies identified an increased cancer risk associated with the suppression of the body’s melatonin production, itself associated with the disruption of sleep patterns endemic to nightshift work.

According to one study, published by the National Cancer Institute in 2001, the risk of breast cancer for women who had worked night shifts for more than 30 years was 36 percent greater than that for women who had never worked nights. A study undertaken by researchers from Harvard University also found that breast cancer rates increased by 50 percent among nightshift workers.

Consequently, the IARC has classed night work as a Category 2 carcinogen, the second-highest risk category, alongside ultraviolet radiation and diesel engine exhaust, among others.

In the UK, where nightshift workers are estimated to make up 20 percent of the national workforce, further studies are being undertaken, with the Health and Safety Executive commissioning a report from Oxford University set for completion in 2011.

Nightshifts have long been associated with health concerns including fatigue, cardiovascular disease and gastro-intestinal problems. Hours of work limitations were introduced in 1998 to try to alleviate some of these concerns but these have been criticised for failing to adequately address the effects of night work on mental alertness and the associated risks posed.        25/03/09