20th International Symposium on Shiftwork and Working Time: Biological Mechanisms, Recovery, and Risk Management in the 24-h Society

Abstract

This dedicated issue of Chronobiology International is devoted to the selected proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on Shift Work and Working Time held in Stockholm, Sweden, 28 June to 1 July 2011. It constitutes the fifth such issue of the journal since 2004 dedicated to the selected proceedings to the meetings of the Working Time Society. The key theme of the 20th Symposium was “Biological Mechanisms, Recovery, and Risk Management in the 24-h Society.” The collection of papers of this dedicated issue represents the best of contemporary research on the effects of night and rotating shift schedules on worker health and safety. The contents cover such topics as sleep restriction, injuries, health, and performance of night work and rotating shiftwork, plus light treatment as a countermeasure against the circadian disruption of shiftwork. The majority of the papers are observational field studies, including some of large sample size, and three studies are well-designed laboratory experiments. (Author correspondence: [email protected])

Keywords:

• Occupational safety and health
• Performance
• Risk management
• Shiftwork
• Sleep
• Working hours

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, the organizing committee of the symposium wishes to acknowledge the support of the main sponsors of the Symposium: Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, AFA Insurance, MTO Safety, and the Stockholm Stress Center. Second, we thank Chronobiology International for its support of the Working Time Society. Third, the guest editors of this dedicated issue thank the following experts for their generous time and effort in conducting the peer review of the submitted manuscripts: Anna Anund, The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), Sweden; Diane Boivin, Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Canada; Giovanni Costa, University of Milan, Italy; Drew Dawson, Central Queensland University, Australia; Jill Dorrian, University of South Australia, Australia; Sally Ferguson, Central Queensland University, Australia; Frida Marina Fischer, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Simon Folkard, Université Paris Descartes and Swansea University, France and UK; Anne Helene Garde, National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark; Tomas Kantermann, University of Surrey, UK; Anders Knutsson, Mid Sweden University, Sweden; David Lombardi, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, USA; Marco Túlio de Mello, University of São Paolo, Brazil; Claudia Moreno, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Kirsten Nabe Nielsen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Friedhelm Nachreiner, GAWO e.V., Germany; Ståle Pallesen, University of Bergen, Norway; Stephen Popkin, US DOT Volpe Center, USA; Sampsa Puttonen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland; Greg Roach, Central Queensland University, Australia; Naomi Rogers, Central Queensland University, Australia; Mikael Sallinen, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland; Charli Sargent, Central Queensland University, Autralia; Debra Skene, University of Surrey, UK; Masaya Takahashi, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan; Phil Tucker, Stress Research Institute, Sweden; Anna Wirtz, Harward School of Public Health, USA; Sophie Wehrens, University of Surrey, UK.

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.