Night Worker Assessments

Common health risks associated with night work include:

• sleep disorders: Insomnia or excessive fatigue
• Mental health issues: Anxiety/depression linked to disrupted circadian rhythms
• Cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure or heart disease
• Digestive problems such as gastric ulcers/reflux due to irregular eating patterns.

Night worker assessments aim to:

• identify any health conditions that could be worsened by night work (e.g. sleep disorders, heart conditions, or gastrointestinal issues)
• To ensure compliance with legal requirements
• to provide support and advice to workers on managing the challenges of nightwork.

Under the Working Time Directive, employers are required to offer medical assessments to night workers. OPA Health can provide a tailored health check package for employees working regular night shifts, designed to ensure that night work does not negatively impact their health and wellbeing.

A night worker assessment consists of:

• Initial assessment conducted before an employee starts night work to establish a baseline of their health.
• Regular health checks offered periodically (e.g. annual) to monitor any changes in health over time.
• A self-assessment questionnaire covering areas such as sleep quality and patterns, mental health and stress levels, physical health, including any pre-existing health conditions.
• clinical examination (if necessary) conducted by a health professional.