A few tips for shift work

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A few tips on shift work: One of the biggest features of the chemical industry is shift work, with various types of shifts available; there are so many different ways of working in shifts that it’s even possible to hold a \"competition of innovative shift schedules.\" Just joking, hehe. I have compiled statistics on the shift schedules used by most chemical companies on the website, and there are several types: 1. Four shifts per week with three rotations – this is the schedule adopted by most chemical companies. Some companies provide snacks for night shifts, at the employee’s own expense, while there is also a subsidy for working at night ； 2. Five-shift system with three rotations: Some branches of large state-owned enterprises use this shift arrangement, such as the Chlor-alkali Plant of Qilu Petrochemical (Hengshan) ； 3. Three shifts per day, with three rotations – this scheduling pattern is used by most companies during production periods. Personally, I feel that those on this schedule are completely confused; it might work in the short term, but it’s too much for one’s health over the course of a year or two ； Well, during my initial training period at work, I was fortunate enough to have such an experience once; it happened while I was working at Huayu Rubber. I had to work 6 night shifts in a row – good heavens! I truly admire the colleagues at Huayu Rubber; I give you my approval. 4. Two shifts per day, with two rotations – this scheduling pattern is rarely used in chemical plants. It’s more common in electronics factories in the south, especially in smaller ones. To be honest, I worked for 15 days; on the 16th day, I didn’t even ask for my pay or any other compensation and just headed home right away – I quit! ! (To be honest, the food is pretty good – there’s meat with every meal.) That’s about it. For those who work shift work, daytime shifts are busy, midday shifts are the most comfortable, while night shifts are the hardest, especially when you have to get up at 11 o’clock or around 4 or 5 in the morning (when the inspectors come by, it’s really scary). Here are the comments heard at Hai Chuan, where most people refer to the night shifts as those during rotating shifts: 1. Given the continuous operation nature of the petrochemical industry, DCS operators definitely cannot sleep during night shifts. However, I believe it is possible to divide a shift into two groups and arrange breaks in a planned manner, thereby ensuring that the operators have sufficient energy to carry out quality control, make operational adjustments, and deal with any accidents that may occur at any time. No major production adjustments are usually made at night; one set of equipment can be monitored by 2 people, and it’s sufficient for 2 operators to be awake, mainly to handle any unexpected incidents. Our company does not provide dinner services at the moment; guests need to purchase it in advance from a supermarket. As for rest after the night shift, one usually needs to rest for 4-5 hours, go to bed early after dinner at night, so as to regain energy by the evening of the next day’s day off; unfortunately, the early shift has to start again on the third day. (An infinite loop – nothing but laughter! ) 2. Life on shift is tough: no sleep for twelve hours, surveillance cameras keeping an eye on you, constant inspections required; violations result in penalties, second violations lead to further investigation, and third violations mean being removed from the position. Living a shift work lifestyle is exhausting; one works hard during the day and sleeps at night. By the time one wakes up, it’s already past meal time, so instant noodles are used to fill the stomach. The night shift has completely disrupted my rhythm; my face is covered in acne, and my physical condition is gradually worsening. Living a shift work life is annoying; you have to swipe your card every day with no overtime pay, and the midnight snacks aren’t satisfactory – just some tofu-filled buns. If you don’t eat, you’re hungry; if you do, it hurts. The wait until after work is unbearable. The company’s rules are too strict – if you dare to sleep, it’s considered absenteeism. Life with shift work is tough; both partners have different shift times, and they end up having to take care of the children on their own. They see each other infrequently anyway, and changing shifts only adds to their troubles. With both at work, there’s no one to look after the kids, leaving the parents to deal with all the responsibilities alone. 3. First, let’s talk about the specific details: Our Class 4 operates in two shifts, with a 11.5-hour shift during the day and a 12.5-hour shift at night. Each position has internal and external operators; each team is equipped with a team leader, a primary operator, and a secondary operator, resulting in a relatively large workforce. During the night shift, you can take a short break; I’ve slept too, but I’ve never been caught. From a physical perspective, it’s possible to rest for a while. No major changes are made for night shifts; it is possible to alternate between monitoring tasks and field inspections. After completing the field inspections, one can take a short nap. It would be best to follow the approach adopted by CNPC back then, with short night shifts that allow one to get a solid 4 hours of sleep. We hope that courageous leaders will carry it out. As workshop managers, as long as people don’t sleep in the control room, and those working outdoors take a short nap in the outdoor work area, we don’t mind it. Those who sleep in the control room will be given a reprimand; the individual involved will have 500 deducted from their salary, while the team leader and the chief and assistant operators will each have 200 deducted. If an inspection at the company level reveals such behavior, the individual in question will face a fine of 2000 to having their employment contract terminated, depending on the severity of the situation. For team leaders, supervisors, and the like, it is handled in accordance with the company’s policies: each person must undergo an inspection, they will be publicly criticized throughout the entire factory, and they will lose any bonuses available at the end of the year. A lot of money! 4. It’s not only the petrochemical industry that has night shifts; other processes also operate around the clock, 24 hours a day! Chemical plant safety requires night shifts, and during those shifts one must not sleep either – to prevent problems before they occur! It’s possible something might go wrong while sleeping! ! I’ve worked at the control room; working night shifts there means you can’t sleep at all. In just the time it takes to blink, the operating parameters can change significantly, and if the control room staff can’t make the adjustments needed, they have to do it on-site. So there’s no way to sleep! ! ! It is recommended to increase the rest time after night shifts! It’s really cheap-minded of companies that don’t even provide meals for night shift workers How much can such a company achieve! ! There’s not an ounce of human concern at all; the leadership should experience working night shifts for a month or so! ! 5. As chemical plant operators, we work on a five-shift, three-shift rotation system here. The night shift lasts 8.5 hours. To be honest, working at night is really exhausting. If one has to follow the company’s rules strictly – no sleeping, no leaning back in the chair, no closing eyes, no resting the head on the desk – it seems like one’s working life would be shortened by 10 years. I tried to hold on through the entire night, but by around 6 or 7 in the morning I just couldn’t go on any longer; as soon as my head dropped, I would fall asleep. After having breakfast in the morning, I get home around 10 o’clock. I go back home to catch some sleep, usually sleeping until 4 or 5 p.m. My biological clock is completely disrupted now; I can’t fall asleep before 3 or 4 a.m., yet I feel extremely sleepy again after dinner in the evening. I heard that some people work night shifts and then go to bed to eat in the morning. Last week, a 55-year-old colleague who worked a night shift fell asleep while the water was boiling at home, and died from carbon monoxide poisoning. 6. a. Working night shifts is very demanding; one should arrange their schedule carefully, getting 4-5 hours of sleep before the night shift and then another 4-5 hours of sleep afterward, which generally doesn’t cause any problems. Some of our older employees remain active and healthy even after retiring. b. The company should make financial distinctions; there is a 20% difference in salaries between those who work shifts and those who work regular days, in order to encourage people to work shifts. c. Sleeping is definitely not allowed during shift work; the company provides free coffee and tea for everyone to drink. Short-term accident sharing and operational training can also be conducted. d. Night shifts are focused on stability; high-risk operations are generally not carried out, with monitoring being the main focus. In case of an emergency that cannot be controlled, the priority is to shut down the equipment to prevent accidents. 7. Here, we work in shifts of four, with three shifts per day. I have been working in this shift system for 8 years and am still doing so today. When my supervisor caught me sleeping at work, I was fined 100 yuan; I was also fined 50 yuan for being listless. Let me talk about my experience with shift work: during these eight years of working in shifts, I have never dozed off, not once – whether as a deputy operator, a main operator, a team leader, or in a scheduling role. Some may not believe it, but I can assure you it’s true. The inspector is here! I’m not afraid! Let me talk about my schedule for rest time. Before starting night shifts, I make sure to get 4-5 hours of quality sleep, which helps me get through the first night shift. After finishing the first night shift and returning home, I don’t rush to go to bed; I find something to do or watch TV, etc. I then go to bed after lunch (between 2 pm and 3 pm) and stay asleep until it’s time to get up for the second night shift. I usually don’t have dinner, but our company provides snacks in the evening. It depends entirely on oneself whether one is in good mental condition; one must put pressure on themselves and pay more attention to those accident scenes. Accidents often occur suddenly, perhaps in 1 second, maybe 0.5 seconds, or due to a careless mistake made while being distracted. It can’t be said that company leaders are unhuman in their management or impose excessive fines; most of these rules are established as a result of painful lessons learned from past experiences. Take now for example: I’m on night shift and they tell me to go to sleep, but I can’t fall asleep. Even if I do manage to sleep, my mind is still preoccupied with various things; I’m probably just used to it by now. . . . . . . . . These are just my personal thoughts; please don’t laugh at them. 8. Having worked night shifts for 8 years, I’d like to share my thoughts on them. A chemical plant is like a besieged city – those who work night shifts want to work during the day, while those who work during the day prefer night shifts. The lifestyle associated with night shifts varies from company to company. Actually, it depends on the company’s management policies. In any company, sleeping is not allowed during night shifts, unless it’s a two-shift system, where workers work 12 hours at a time; normally, it’s a three-shift system with 8 hours per shift. Personally, I think night shifts could be 7 hours long, day shifts 8 hours, and middle shifts 9 hours. If allowed, teams on night shifts could hold small activities such as discussions, etc. At my previous company, there were small discussions during night shifts – this is under normal operating conditions. DCS cannot be used for such purposes. Given the special nature of these positions, those who have the means can prepare their own meals for night shifts, and time passes quickly during those shifts, especially between 3 and 5 in the morning, as that’s the most exhausting period. So, it’s understandable to offer certain perks to those who work night shifts. I still believe that whether to sleep during night shifts is a personal decision; one should get plenty of rest during the day. If too tired, accidents are more likely to occur during night shifts, and that is a matter of responsibility toward oneself. In short, night shifts can be quite fulfilling, but try to eat less. There are various shift patterns, and each person approaches them in different ways. The chemical industry is a special sector; it’s not possible to sleep during working hours, unless the automation level is very high, in which case short night shifts can be used for rest. Once a person wakes up, they experience a period of confusion, and it becomes difficult for them to get back to work immediately in case of an emergency. I suggest adjusting the shift times by shortening night shifts and extending day shifts and mid-shifts, thereby reducing the risk of mistakes due to fatigue during night shifts. The specific shift schedule is as follows: Day shift