Long Guard Shifts - Fatigue and Psychological Factors

[DaveD]

Hi everybody,

Folks mentioned something in the ID thread that I thought might be worth getting some input on.

I've been a security troop my entire nineteen years in the Air Force. Fifteen of those years were spent in Europe. While stationed at RAF Lakenheath, our aircraft squadrons were temporarily relocated to RAF Honington during a flightline resurfacing project. While guarding aircraft there, I had my first experience working directly with RAF troops. They had a very interesting post rotation/shift schedule. Over 24 hours it went like this:

2 hours - entry control point

4 hours - patrol

4 hours - standby

2 hours - entry control point

6 hours - standby

2 hours - patrol

The tour cycle was 1 24-hour shift on, 2 (often 3) days off. The actual duty cycle would vary depending on personnel and shift rotation, but troops never worked a gate longer than 2 hours.

My question then is my question now: Why aren't we (private sector and military) doing this?

The study on fatigue mentioned in the ID card thread is certainly not the only one to support an argument for a shorter guard shift. The bulk of my career I've worked twelve-hour shifts, often without meal breaks. I'm sure I'm preaching to the converted here, but maybe someone who's never heard it before will stop by and read this: long shifts breed carelessness, complacency, apathy - the common "guard asleep on duty" scenario we've all seen in the movies.

The RAF shift rotation prevented a great many fatigue-related errors at entry points. I don't have the exact statistics anymore, but I remember their shift commander telling me that the increase in performance was significant enough to warrant the base commander taking their "experimental" new shift schedule all the way up to headquarters.

Troop morale was high. They loved the schedule. They executed the rotation with such precision that post-associated time was practically nil, ensuring that the entire 6-hour standby shift was spent sleeping, and even the toughest shifts (2 hours on the gate followed by 4 hours patrolling after that 6 hours of sleep) were accepted without complaints by troops who had several days off following one extended day of duty.

8 hours on a gate is punishing, particularly when factoring in weather (I'm stationed in North Dakota now). 12 hours is ridiculous. I've been doing this professionally for almost 20 years, and I cannot remain attentive on any post for 12 straight hours.

For most of us, the answer ends in lack of money and personnel. Where I work now, we don't have the people for that kind of rotation. We won't have it. Ever. That's the reality.

Call me idealistic, but I can't help thinking that, given the current security climate, we're looking at the wrong bottom line.

Take care all,

Dave

[EMC228]

Working 24 hours on and 24 hours off? I think in the private sector this maybe against the law. I know the security company I work for will not allow any Security Officer to work any longer than 16 hours straight. :D

[Jackhole]

Working 24 hours on and 24 hours off? I think in the private sector this maybe against the law. I know the security company I work for will not allow any Security Officer to work any longer than 16 hours straight. :D
The example he's talking about is 24 on, 48 or 72 off. Sounds like a great deal for me.

[N. A. Corbier]

I would say employee overhead costs. Its cheaper to have the same person work 16 hours than it is to have two people work 8 hours. Why? Because that's two uniforms you have to buy, two sets of equipment, etc.

[GCMC Security]

I worked for the a Veterans Home where we were combination security and fire and we ran something similiar to that. 24 hour shifts broken up between security patrol, standby in the firehouse, and basically a phone watch.

[DaveD]

I don't think it would technically be considered aa 24-hour shift because of the rest cycles, which total ten hours off the clock. Still, it's a little nebulous, I suppose. I've certainly worked worse and had it justified as "mission essential." Fifteen-hour shifts in my current duty are common.

[N. A. Corbier]

For most of us, the answer ends in lack of money and personnel. Where I work now, we don't have the people for that kind of rotation. We won't have it. Ever. That's the reality.

Call me idealistic, but I can't help thinking that, given the current security climate, we're looking at the wrong bottom line.

Take care all,

Dave

If you notice how the largest security company in the world operates, they're watching the only bottom line. Profit margin.

(Bonus points for who that is.)

Their subdivisions have told the United States Congress that security guards are untrained observers who do not need state mandated training because they aren't there to protect anything, only observe and report situations to the client or the security company. On many posts, unless the client puts in contract that communications equipment is required, it isn't being issued - since calling the client or the police is not a mission requirement.

For clients who require more, they offer fully sworn law enforcement officers (clients must swear them in under their authority, of course) as well as security specialists who's mission includes intervention. These, of course, are large paying contracts with the federal government.

I looked at the GSA Schedule for Wackenhut Services Incorporated. 99% of all their personnel are observe and report only. Those that are not are "Security Specialists" who's job description allows for intervention. They are all armed, and it is suggested the client commission them with full police powers.

In other words, they're selling cops. When they start selling cops, things like you suggested may be incorporated. Before that - it cuts into profit margins.

[Mr. Security]

Working 24 hours on and 24 hours off? I think in the private sector this maybe against the law. I know the security company I work for will not allow any Security Officer to work any longer than 16 hours straight. :D

Same here. Working a 24-hour shift is illegal in CT. I offered once when the company was short-handed and I was advised about the law. Actually, I prefer 16-hour shifts as opposed to 8 on, 8 off, and then 8 back on.

[SD Security]

Interesting idea. I think you touched on it at the end of your post though when you said lack of personnel make it almost impossible.

[HotelSecurity]

Same here. Working a 24-hour shift is illegal in CT. I offered once when the company was short-handed and I was advised about the law. Actually, I prefer 16-hour shifts as opposed to 8 on, 8 off, and then 8 back on.

8 on, 8 off, 8 back on. One of the advantages of working in hotels! If not full we can take a free room if we have to do any of these shifts. (Just don't touch the mini bar :p )

[Jackhole]

Same here. Working a 24-hour shift is illegal in CT.
How do Fire Departments and ambulance services get around that law? 34- and 48-hour ambulance shifts are very common in EMS. I worked a 72-hour shift once.

[HotelSecurity]

How do Fire Departments and ambulance services get around that law? 34- and 48-hour ambulance shifts are very common in EMS. I worked a 72-hour shift once.

They're allowed to sleep on the job! Montreal firemen work 10 hour day shifts & 14 hour nights with one 24 Sunday per month. After a certain time the night shift guys are allowed to sleep.

[Eric]

Ottawa Fire seem to have that sched. as well.
I like the 2X12 on then 2 off and every weekend either 3 on or 3off. Taking 2 vacation days can give you 7 off in a row. :)
I also like the idea of less commuting to work (7X12's in 14, instead of 10X8's out of 14)


They're allowed to sleep on the job! Montreal firemen work 10 hour day shifts & 14 hour nights with one 24 Sunday per month. After a certain time the night shift guys are allowed to sleep.

[Mr. Security]

How do Fire Departments and ambulance services get around that law? 34- and 48-hour ambulance shifts are very common in EMS. I worked a 72-hour shift once.

The other members answered your question. However, I wanted to comment on the part where you worked a 72-hour shift. There have been a couple of occasions where my relief didn't show on time after I worked a double. My policy is that if I am required by circumstances to work a triple, I will get some sleep, even if it is just an hour. Some may criticize this decision, but I am not able to respond effectively to situations or emergencies once significant fatigue has set in. Since it is illegal for an employer to require that I work a triple, I have no qualms about doing what I need to do in order to perform satisfactory, even if I must rest on duty.

[Jackhole]

They're allowed to sleep on the job! Montreal firemen work 10 hour day shifts & 14 hour nights with one 24 Sunday per month. After a certain time the night shift guys are allowed to sleep.
In theory, we could sleep also but our company was so busy and understaffed that this was next to impossibe. On a 34-hour shift I typically got about 4 hours of sleep (15-30 minutes at a time).

[Eric]

Just read an article on fatigue.
Many events have happened because of fatigue and human error, being awake for even 21 hours could equally impair as much as a reading of .08 would. Of course, exceptions are everywhere.

Major events like:
Chernobyl - april 25 1986, happened at 0123hrs
Three mile island - march 28 1979, 0400hrs
Exxon Valdez - march 24 1989, 0015hrs (more error than fatigue...)
Gulf War 1991 - more friendly fire deaths than from enemy, half from fatigue

[Andy Taylor]

Here in California it would expensive. Anything over 8 hours is time & 1/2, over 12 hours is doubletime. Where I work under emergency circumstances we are allowed to work up to 12 hours, but never more. we have never had a situation where a relief couldn't be found by the end of 12 hours.

[HotelSecurity]

Here in California it would expensive. Anything over 8 hours is time & 1/2, over 12 hours is doubletime. Where I work under emergency circumstances we are allowed to work up to 12 hours, but never more. we have never had a situation where a relief couldn't be found by the end of 12 hours.

I have someone on vacation this week. The replacement FORGOT he was scheduled last night so here I am just about to go to bed after a 16 hour shift. Boy am I tired :p

[Bill Warnock]

The rotational tours of duty have been advocated by several major studies as to when "conditioned response" occurs.
Long before these studies were undertaken, the British Armed Forces instituted the rotational sequences. When stationed in England in the late 1950s, this rotational system was already in place. As I found out, a member of the Ministry for Military Affairs was a psychologist of some renown and that requirement was written into the "Manual of Instruction."
Our military and industry leaders will not adopt this idea until it is forced upon them as it did in England. Instructions may be given, but then there are the ubiquitous staff studies and that is where it will die.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[Mr. Security]

So many times I am "bored out of my gourd" when I'm working a double. It can be tough to find a happy medium. Working 911/police dispatch meant rushing the entire shift to keep up with the volume of calls and working security means hours and hours of boredom, interspersed with a few minutes of terror. What to do.....? :confused:

[NUCGUY]

Fatigue and psyc factors are dirrectly linked to your ability to perform. Some agencies realize this and place limits on the amount of hours worked per day. A prime example of this is the nuclear industry. The NRC mandates that you can work a max of 16 hours in any 24 hour period, 24 hours in any 48 hour period and 72 hours in any rolling 7 day period. In addition to this you are required to have ten hours off inbetween shifts worked. This was an intellegent approach by a federal agency that does not have their head up their fourth point of contact.
Of course there are times where operational abilities require this to be pushed aside but each time that this occurs the NRC must be notified and they do investigate why this occured. There are also times (military for example) when this type of thinking is not used. The question was also asked how public safety gets away with 24 hour shifts and that is a hole that has been in the law for a long time.

[Dragonfyre024]

Same here. Working a 24-hour shift is illegal in CT. I offered once when the company was short-handed and I was advised about the law. Actually, I prefer 16-hour shifts as opposed to 8 on, 8 off, and then 8 back on.


I also work in the state of Connecticut and advised of this law. The company I just finished working for, would not allow us to work more than 16 hr shifts, we had to have 8 hours off inbetween and no more than 64 hrs in a week.

The company I currently work for is that we are not allowed to work more than 12 hours in a shift continuously and no more than 60 hours in a week. Believe it or not, many officers are opposed to this because it puts strict limits on the overtime they can earn which is well known that to make money in security, working overtime is the way to do it.

[SecTrainer]

My favorite schedule ever, bar none, was 4 days x 12 and 3 days off. We got 8 hours OT every week, reliably. Twelves were practically like 8 as far as I could tell, and I really loved having 3 days off because you could do something fun with it (like get your line wet or bag a deer). When we went back to a "normal" 5 x 8 + 8 OT schedule, it was the same amount of hours every week so you still got your OT, but we all hated it because now we only had one day off! What a difference a schedule can make. :(

[RJ Martin]

How about this one:
3-swing shifts (12 hrs), 3-grave shifts (12 hr shifts), then 3 days off.

I don't think many of you would like that one - yet the experienced military folks will easily recognize it as - well common. I hated the 6 in a row - but the 3 days off was heaven!

[Bill Warnock]

Fatigue and psyc factors are dirrectly linked to your ability to perform. Some agencies realize this and place limits on the amount of hours worked per day. A prime example of this is the nuclear industry. The NRC mandates that you can work a max of 16 hours in any 24 hour period, 24 hours in any 48 hour period and 72 hours in any rolling 7 day period. In addition to this you are required to have ten hours off inbetween shifts worked. This was an intellegent approach by a federal agency that does not have their head up their fourth point of contact.
Of course there are times where operational abilities require this to be pushed aside but each time that this occurs the NRC must be notified and they do investigate why this occured. There are also times (military for example) when this type of thinking is not used. The question was also asked how public safety gets away with 24 hour shifts and that is a hole that has been in the law for a long time.
NUCGUY:
Your point is well taken. The military has an exercise called "the crucible" wherein they push trainee for 50+hours with minimum of rest, food and drink. My experience is the USAF and during an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI), you are pushed simulating wartime conditions. You would be surprised just what you are capable of doing in such a situation.
NRC and DOE have what they call Technical Proficiency Inspection (TPI) and it is no cakewalk.
Enjoy the day,
Bill