In this article, we explore five ways that you can provide additional support for the operatives working night shifts at your food production site.

When it comes to food safety, audit compliance, and the overall success of a food factory, consistency is key. From staff shortages to the introduction of seasonal products, your operation needs to maintain the same high standards no matter what challenges arise.

This will only be possible if the teams working across your site are equally diligent, motivated, and reliable. All your operatives, without exception, need to contribute to and benefit from your site’s positive culture.

In spite of this, teams working the night shift are often left to feel isolated and underappreciated. The specific challenges they face are frequently overlooked – resulting in a lack of morale and a low rate of employee retention.

In an effort to combat this, we decided to produce a comprehensive guide to supporting the operatives working night shifts in food production. If you yourself are employed in a night shift role, you could also use this resource to advocate for positive changes across your site.

Prioritise Effective Communication

One of the most important areas to address is the strength of communication between operatives working during the day and teams working the night shifts. You need to evaluate how easy it is for important information to be conveyed, reports to be accessed, and corrective action to be taken.

Say an issue occurs with a piece of equipment during the day, but is quickly resolved by your engineering team. How easy is it for an operative working the night shift to access this information if the same problem occurs or a question arises surrounding the fall-out of this incident?

Making the move from paper checklists to a Digital Quality Management System will help you to feel more confident in this area of your operation, with team members able to access insightful reports and important data from any location, at any time.

Instead of there being a potential divide between duties carried out in the day and night, you will have the option of automating a wide range of manual processes – reducing the risk of human error and achieving a more consistent approach to essential tasks such as HACCP checks and internal audits.

Depending on the Digital Quality Management System you select, you will also be able to set up automatic alarms that trigger emails to the relevant teams or operatives. This will mean that any incidents relevant to operatives working the night shift will be reported directly. There will also be a record of any corrective action, along with the details of whether or not it has been completed.

Finally, a digital system will make it easier for senior management to monitor the activities of teams working the night shift. At the click of a button, you can access reports that will convey any areas for improvement or significant wins. You will then be able to share support and praise accordingly.

Nurture a Culture of Inclusion

Another way to support the night shift workers at your site is through Visual Management Solutions. Using highly-visual boards, you can convey key information – reinforcing important training, sharing news of company-wide updates, and motivating teams to meet internal targets.

Below are just three examples of Visual Management projects for food production sites:

Team Updates & Notice Boards
Team Performance & KPI Boards
Team Tracking & Shift Changeovers

By placing Visual Management Solutions on full display for both day and night teams, you can nurture a culture of togetherness. Whether you are welcoming new employees or celebrating KPI wins, the night shift operatives at your site will feel just as involved. They will also know that any of their own updates or success stories will be shared across the company.

Learn more about Visual Management Solutions

Provide Support and Dedicated Resources

Night shifts disrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythm, so they are often linked to serious health conditions such as fatigue, stress, and depression.

To save your operatives from managing these risks alone, you need to ensure the support, training, and resources at your site reflect the specific challenges faced by operatives working night shifts in food production.

This is especially important when it comes to the mental wellbeing of your operatives.

Whether you introduce a feedback box, run a company-wide survey, or schedule ongoing meetings with relevant team leaders, the first step is to ask essential questions such as:

  • Do your operatives feel understood, respected, and listened to?
  • What motivates your operatives?
  • Do your operatives feel isolated?
  • Do your workers feel secure in their roles?
  • Are there any ongoing tensions that need to be resolved?

Once you have this information, you will be able to line up the correct resources and support. For instance, you could encourage operatives with a lack of motivation to take part in training sessions or external networking events.

You could also make sure night shift workers are copied into company updates and are always invited to relevant meetings.

Finally, you could put together a resource pack for any employees needing additional support, highlighting any programmes already provided through your company or directing operatives towards the wide selection of free resources and helplines available.

Optimise the Working Conditions

Working through the night is already a significant challenge. However, this will only be intensified if your operatives are also left to feel uncomfortable throughout their shift. In fact, for many employees, this can often be the reason for leaving an otherwise acceptable role.

To prevent this from happening, you need to ensure your teams are set up with the right equipment – selecting ergonomic designs that defend against discomfort and health conditions such as repetitive strain injury.

If your night shift workers are carrying out demanding tasks such as hygiene washdowns, you will also need to consider the equipment they are wearing. Ideally, your operatives need to be kitted out with protective clothing that is:

  • Waterproof
  • Insulated for warmth
  • Designed to reduce sweating and overheating
  • Durable, with seams that won’t rip
  • Comfortable
  • Finished with safety features (e.g. reflective stripes and protective hoods)
Explore our range of protective clothing

Make the Most of 24hr Platforms

A final suggestion for supporting the night shift operatives at your site is to encourage the use of tools and resources that are available on a 24hr basis.

One prime example of this is the Klipspringer Online Portal, a platform that will allow team members working the night shift, specifically Hygiene and Production Managers, to carry out a wide range of tasks:

  • Use your Online Portal to order online on credit, using just your PO reference.
  • Save favourite products for future orders.
  • Access invoices and statements.
  • View and reorder from past order history.
  • Avoid non-conformances from missing certificates.
  • Check version numbers and last update dates to reconcile existing copies.
  • Save time preparing audit paperwork.
  • View and download all relevant product conformity certificates in one place.
  • Download calibration certificates.
  • View calibration dates and statuses.
  • Track equipment undergoing calibration.
  • Rename equipment items for easy identification and management.
  • Arrange calibration, service or repair returns to Klipspringer's Service Centre.
  • Change equipment status & add new items.
Set up your Online Portal Account

So there you have it, a guide to supporting the operatives working night shifts in food production. If you have any questions about the ideas shared within this article, you can contact us directly on 01473461800 or sales@klipspringer.com. Alternatively, you can fill out the contact form below and one of our friendly team members will be in touch. 

Plus, if you would benefit from further resources relating to the wellbeing of your operatives and the subject of employee retention, you are welcome to check out the articles linked below:

5 ways to support and protect your Hygiene Manager
5 solutions to make life easier for your Technical Manager
Mental Health: promoting a positive culture at your site
WEBINAR: recruit, train, and retain a highly engaged hygiene team

If you would like further guidance relating to the solutions included in this article, the Klipspringer team would be happy to help. Share your details below to arrange a free consultation.