Tips to get through a night shift

The dreaded night shift!

Dry Ice Blasters around the world will tell you that night working is part and parcel of the industry we are in. Most factories will want machinery cleaned when the rest of the workforce are tucked up. There is also a serious Health and Safety aspect to keeping ‘switched on’ when working through the night, especially when carrying out physical work.

Here at Optimum Dry Ice Blasting, we have developed a few techniques to keep you awake!

In no particular order:

• Sugar Rush. Fizzy cola bottles are my current favourite but anything with a high sugar content will do.
• Caffeine Kick. Currently the method of choice for my crews. Tea and coffee, yes. Energy drinks, no. You will crash and burn a lot harder. You have been warned!
• 40 Winks. Grabbing an afternoon powernap is great for keeping the cobwebs at bay during the night.
• Staying up late. This is works for me. Not sure if others will agree. The night before a shift is to start, try and stay up as late as possible (whilst getting up at the usual AM) A 3 hour afternoon sleep is much easier when you are tired!
• Healthy Eating. A good healthy meal prior to the shift  always helps keep the energy levels going through the night. Eating regular snacks throughout also helps.
• Music. If you can, get that music blasting. For us dry ice blasters this can be hard due the noise levels our work creates. Headphones help keep away the constant white noise generated from the blast gun.
• Water. And plenty of it. The constant need for the toilet helps to keep you awake as much as the refreshment itself!
• Talk to each other. Keep the mind stimulated with high end, intellectual conversation. Certainly works for me and my crews!
• Ignore all of the above and just say ‘no’ to night work contracts. If only!

 

All these tips have their pros and cons. It’s what works for each individual that matters after all.

 

By Ian Reynolds