Objective: The purpose of this study was to review the relationship of shiftwork to industrial injuries, and possible methods of injury control.
Method: The primary method was a systematic review of the published literature. The Cochrane Collaboration protocol was used to conduct the literature search.
Selection criteria: Studies were included if they addressed the issue of industrial injuries related to shiftwork.
Results: No controlled interventions were found. All studies were observational, and most were retrospective. The studies were not comparable with one another since they refer to different industrial settings.
Conclusions: Findings from the literature indicate that shiftwork should be avoided, but that if necessary, certain patterns and rest breaks appear to be associated with fewer injuries. More and better-focused research is needed in this field of study.