An International research organization (IARC) has found that there is a greater risk of developing cancer if you work the night shift.
This astonishing statistic discovered by a sub group of the World Health organization has been taken very seriously by the government in Denmark.
It has been recognized for decades that people who work through the night are affected by various problems such as extreme fatigue and digestive conditions. There is also a much higher risk from accidents. However, the increased risk from cancer is a very different prospect.
Danish authorities have already begun to pay female cancer sufferers who have been working nights over a long period. The potential for Europe wide compensation claims is expansive and is a cause for concern amongst UK officials. The flood gates could open at any time.
Flight attendant, Ulla Mahnkopf, who worked for a Danish airline for almost thirty years, has received compensation along with others. She said that it was only after stopping that type of work, that she realized what affect it was having on her.
It is estimated that over twenty per cent of the workforce in Britain works the nightshift. The research was prompted by high incidences of breast cancer in the medical profession, namely nurses, combined with animal studies showing that an elevated exposure to dim night light greatly increased the growth of tumors.
A spokesman for the IARC, Dr Vincent Cogliano, stated that there was strong support to the theory that unconventional sleep patterns reduced the level of melatonin created by the human brain.
This hormone is believed to assist in preventing certain types of cancer [Preventing cancer]. Night shift workers can be seen as similar to those employed in chemical factories, he said.
