Fatigue at Work on the Road Can be Deadly
Daylight Saving Time begins every year on the second Sunday in March which in 2019 was March 10 We lose an hour when the clocks are set forward except in Hawaii and most of Arizona and for many that means a tired couple of days as our bodies adjust
People often make light of how little sleep they get on a regular basis an over worked over tired condition has become the norm for many But a good nights sleep is not just a novelty its a necessity The effects of fatigue are far reaching and can have an adverse impact on all areas of our lives
Work often requires us to override those natural sleep patterns More than 43 of workers are sleep deprived and those most at risk work the night shift long shifts or irregular shifts Following are a few facts for employers
Safety performance decreases as employees become tired
62 of night shift workers complain about sleep loss
Fatigued worker productivity costs employers $1200 to $3100 per employee annually
Employees on rotating shifts are particularly vulnerable because they cannot adapt their body clocks to an alternative sleep pattern
Drowsy driving is impaired driving but while we wouldnt allow a friend to drive drunk we rarely take the keys away from our tired friends or insist they take a nap before heading out on the road NSC has gathered research that shows
You are three times more likely to be in a car crash if you are fatigued
More than 5000 people died in drowsy driving related crashes in 2014
Losing even two hours of sleep is similar to the effect of having three beers
Being awake for more than 20 hours is the equivalent of being legally drunk
Sleep is a vital factor in overall health Adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night but 30 report averaging less than six hours according to the National Health Interview Survey
Chronic sleep deprivation causes depression obesity cardiovascular disease and other illnesses
Fatigue is estimated to cost employers $136 billion a year in health related lost productivity
More than 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder
Americans receive little education on the importance of sleep sleep disorders and the consequences of fatigue but industry leaders recently have been drawing attention to this issue Employers too are in an ideal position to educate employees on how to avoid fatigue related safety incidents NSC supports science based fatigue risk management systems in the workplace
Alaska Sleep Clinic is here to help your employees be healthy and safe at work whether it involves on the road work or not Call us today to learn more
