ARE 48 HOUR SHIFTS SAFE?
One of the greatest areas of concern when considering the 48/96 schedule is that of fatigue and sleep deprivation. Many members fear that consistently working 48 hours will lead to an increase in fatigue and jeopardize firefighter safety, especially for those firefighters assigned to busy companies.
A highly debated topic in the fire service today is whether or not 48 hour shifts cause fatigue, sleep deprivation, and unsafe working conditions. Throughout many years, we have proven to be a safe and productive fire department.
In 2021, the Cedar Park Fire Department had almost 1000 shifts that attributed to a firefighter working a 48-hour shift. This is equivalent to 5 firefighters working a 48 every single day of the year, and only having a 24-hour recovery period until they returned to work again. Furthermore, there were zero incidents that occurred due to fatigue during this time.
In Dr. Koen's analysis, "24/48 vs. 48/96 Work Schedules," she defines sleep deprivation as "insufficient deep sleep or restorative sleep for the brain, which causes cognitive or brain fatigue that can result in slowed reaction time, decreased vigilance and impairment in complex reasoning skills."
Concerning sleep deprivation and 48 hour shifts specifically, Dr. Koen reports, that "firefighters who are called out an average of one to two times a night should have no trouble working 48 shifts if allowed to nap on duty." She states that "if sufficient restorative sleep is obtained, a 48 hour shift can be worked without high risk." Koen goes on to say that firefighters who receive three or more calls per night may be too sleep deprived to operate safely and should not consider 48 hour shifts, but she does report that "a 5-hour block of restful sleep and at least one 90-minute completion, sleep deprivation can be avoided."
While Koen advises busy departments (those who receive three or more calls per night, per station) to steer clear of 48 hour shifts, she offers no solutions other than 12 hour shift designs.
Other research has found that 48 hour shifts are exactly what busy fire departments need in order to battle the growing effects of sleep deprivation. Robin Widmar, a driver/engineer with the Colorado Springs Fire Department, published an in-depth study, "Sleep to survive: How to Manage Sleep Deprivation," and she stresses the importance of firefighters taking advantage of opportunities to sleep both on and off duty. She tells us that naps as short as 20 minutes are effective, and 2 hour naps are highly restorative.
(16) Study by Robin Widmar
IS THE 48/96 SCHEDULE A SOLUTION? In a study named, "The 48/96 Work Schedule: A Viable Alternative?" it is reported that firefighters are less fatigued on their 48/96 schedule. Furthermore, an extensive sleep study performed by Dr. Allison Hawkes provides evidence which confirms this claim. Her findings, which are published in, "The Impact of Changing Work Schedules on American Firefighters' Sleep Patterns and Well-Being," state that the switch to the 48/96 schedule led to favorable improvements in sleep, increased hours of sleep, reduction in daytime sleepiness, and an increase in feelings of refreshment. These increased hours of sleep are also researched and proven in Dr. Jahnke's study. The doctors who have researched, written, and spoken out on this issue refer to two kinds of fatigue: short-term and long-term.
Short-term fatigue Short-term fatigue can be defined as consecutive hours without a significant amount of sleep. Forty-eight hour shifts can undoubtedly cause short term fatigue due to the sleep deprivation caused from busy nights, but this type of fatigue is a concern with any schedule where employees are required to work extended hours. As Saylors points out in "Firefighters are not Machines; They Need Sleep," the real danger to firefighters is the 56 hour work week, not any particular shift schedule. He tells us that when firefighters agreed to work 56 hour work weeks, they intended to be able to receive adequate levels of sleep, but rising call volumes throughout the country continue to challenge firefighters and their health. Saylors admits that placing firefighters on a 40 hour work week would be too expensive for cities to sustain. There will always be exceptionally busy shifts from time to time which will require adjustments to the daily routine. That’s the nature of the fire service, especially in a busy metropolitan area. Short-term fatigue becomes a serious issue when coupled with long-term fatigue.
Long-Term Fatigue Long-term fatigue can be defined as the accumulation of fatigue without adequate rest periods that lasts over weeks, months, or longer. This type of fatigue is more hazardous to employees in emergency services than short-term fatigue because the body is less able to compensate for the lack of rest than with short-term fatigue. The danger associated with the 24/48 schedule is that it promotes long-term fatigue due to a lack of recovery time. When we work 48 hours, we only have 24 hours to recover, and we never have a break longer than 48 hours unless we take a shift off.
There is some evidence to suggest that long-term fatigue and chronic stress can have negative effects on the immune system, which may increase the risk of developing cancer or other diseases. Prolonged periods of fatigue and stress can lead to the release of stress hormones such as cortisol, which can impair immune function and increase inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation has been linked to an increased risk of cancer and other diseases.
In addition, fatigue and stress can also lead to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking, which are known risk factors for cancer development.
Therefore, while long-term fatigue is not considered a carcinogen itself, it can indirectly increase the risk of cancer development through its effects on the immune system and the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.
Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System
Fire departments have found the solution to long-term fatigue to be the 48/96 schedule. It's been reported by firefighters who work the 48/96, that the biggest advantage to the schedule is the reduction in long term fatigue. In fact, according to Saylors, that's exactly why the 48 hour shift was invented. He reports, "the 48 hour shift was an attempt to lessen the effects of long-term sleep deprivation by consistently providing a long enough break to support a reset of the sleep schedule. This evidence supports the move from 24 hour to 48 hour shifts in busy departments."
The 48/96 schedule decreases long-term fatigue in three ways:
In summary, the increased recovery period provided by the 48/96 will allow firefighters more time to recover from sleep deprivation, thus eliminating long-term fatigue.
This ultimately produces safer fire ground decision making, reduce our risk of cancer and improve our cardiovascular health, which is a major contributing factor to firefighter deaths.
Fire departments have found the solution to long-term fatigue to be the 48/96 schedule
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