When it comes to our health, sleep is every bit as important as food, drink or exercise. This is especially true at work, where sleep deprivation can lead to carelessness, memory lapses and reduced coordination. In some jobs, this will only affect productivity. In others, it can be extremely dangerous.
Whatever the nature of your business, it’s important to make sure that your employees are well rested. World Sleep Day is on 17th March, a global event designed to raise awareness of the importance of sleep. To mark the occasion, here are four enlightening sleep facts, and what they mean for workplace health and safety.
Fatigue is responsible for 13% of workplace injuries.
A lack of sleep can lead to poor concentration and slow reaction times. This makes accidents and injuries far more likely, particularly in dangerous environments. Sleep deprived employees are 1.6 times as likely to suffer a workplace injury according to an American survey, and fatigue-related injuries cost UK businesses up to £240 million a year.
Tiredness is a factor in 20% of traffic accidents on major roads
The dangers of fatigue are even greater when a vehicle is involved. 68% of UK commuters drive to work, and 63% of these workers admit to being drowsy during their commute. More worryingly still, 38% of commuters have had an accident or near miss due to tiredness.
39% of shift workers get less than six hours sleep before work.
There are 3.5 million shift workers in the UK, and these employees are especially vulnerable to fatigue. Two thirds of shift workers say that their health has suffered as a result of their schedule, and nearly half often have less than 12 hours between shifts. Things are particularly bad for night workers, who often struggle to sleep during the day due to noise and sunlight.
Sleep deprivation may cost the UK economy £37 billion a year.
Even in less hazardous workplaces, tiredness can have serious consequences. Employees suffering from chronic sleep disruption are 171% more likely to call in sick, causing widespread disruption to businesses. Even if tired employees come to work, their performance is greatly reduced. An employee who regularly sleeps less than six hours a night will lose an average of six working days a year in productivity.
What can you do to reduce the risk?
A well-rested employee is happier, safer and more productive, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to ensure that your workers are getting enough sleep.
The Working Time Regulations set limits on night work and weekly working hours, but just following these is not enough to eliminate the risk of fatigue. You also need to consider the culture of your workplace and the pressures it puts on employees. Here are some ideas you could consider to improve the situation:
• Include fatigue in your risk assessments and update these if working patterns change.
• Consult employees on shift patterns, but be prepared to say no if they request shifts that could cause excessive fatigue.
• Plan shifts with sleep in mind. Ensure that employees have plenty of time to rest between shifts, and try to keep shifts regular to minimise sleep disruption.
• Create a policy to control shift-swapping between employees and limit overtime.
• Give employees plenty of breaks, and ensure that these aren’t ignored during night shifts.
• Update delivery schedules so that drivers have time to take breaks during long journeys.
• Consider introducing flexible working hours, so that commuters don’t have to rush at the start and end of the day.
If you have any questions about fatigue, sleep health or anything else, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Statistics were gathered from Internet research from sources such as the HSE, UK Government and the AA among others.
