Abstract
Shift is a common term used to delineate a specific work period of the day. Shiftwork often implies rotating or changing work hours. Working during the night shift, i.e., work that is done during the midnight-to-dawn work period, is associated with a number of physical and psychological problems that can compromise a worker's well being. These shift -related problems also can lead to lapses in safety. For occupations with a low tolerance for errors such as medicine, piloting, air traffic control, driving, and aircraft/bus and nuclear power plant maintenance, alertness-related performance decrements can be critical.
This paper presents several aspects of shiftwork and its scheduling, specially in maintenance of transportation means, including the nature and causes of circadian disruptions and fatigue.