Night shift workers should be provided with free Vitamin D by bosses to keep them healthy, a leading trade union has said.

A motion passed by the recent GMB Annual Congress calls for supplements for ‘night workers who rarely get enough sunshine to produce it naturally’.

The GMB leadership has been tasked with using its influence to work with employers for the use of Vitamin ‘D’ supplements, and as it is a welfare issue, provide access to them in the workplace.

Lack of Vitamin D can lead to painful bone conditions with huge detrimental effects to everyday lives of workers across the country, according to the proposers of the motion. A recent medical study on almost 80,000 people suggested that vitamin D could cut the risk of dying from cancer.

Dan Shears, GMB Health and Safety Director, said:

Lack of Vitamin D can lead to painful bone conditions – osteoporosis and osteopenia – that have a huge detrimental effect on the everyday lives of our members.

We know that those working indoors in artificial light, or night workers, are at highest risk of Vitamin D deficiency, as so many of our members work in affected sectors such as warehousing, security, care and the NHS.

We’re looking for employers to work with us to introduce free Vitamin D supplements where workers are at the greatest risk.

Whilst there’s no intention to make this mandatory, or to force workers to take anything that they don’t want to, a little prevention can make a huge difference, and in this case that has to be good news for everyone.

To join the GMB Union visit: https://www.gmb.org.uk/.

Image: GMB