Sleep Deprivation in the Workplace

Many people simply accept being tired as a partno choice but to get behind the wheel. In any
of working a job that requires long or irregularcase, it is difficult to deny that being tired makes
hours. When a person must work multiple jobs toit more likely that a person will be involved in a
provide for their family and make end's meet,harmful accident at work. Even if an accident in
chronic exhaustion may seem unavoidable. Thisthe workplace is avoided, if a person is exhausted
should never be the case. When a person isfrom being overworked, it may cause them to be
forced to do their job when they can barely eveninjured in an accident away from work.
stay awake, it not only makes them more proneWhile employers cannot control how their
to being injured in the workplace, but it can putworkers spend there off-hours, or directly
their co-workers and customers at risk, too. Theregulate their sleep schedule, they do hold a
hazards of fatigue are increased further when theresponsibility for making the work environment as
worker's job includes the use of heavy machinerysafe as possible. This means that workers should
or tools.not be scheduled for shifts that would cause
When a person is tired, even the most simplethem to be forced to work on too little sleep.
activities can become difficult. A tired body isEmployees should not be expected to work an
more likely to fall victim to injuries such as sprains,unreasonable number of hours a week, particularly
strains, or muscle pulls. Exhaustion makes itif their job involves the use of potentially
difficult to concentrate on a task, which isdangerous machinery, or if the safety of other
extremely important in many jobs, particularlypeople depends on their alertness. If a worker
those where teams of people rely on each otherappears to be too tired to perform their job in a
for safety. If a tired individual is guiding a largesafe manner, their boss should find someone to fill
truck into a loading bay and begins to doze off,in and discuss the situation with the employee. If
the results can be disastrous. Studies havesomeone is hurt due to an overworked and tired
repeatedly shown the dangers of driving a caremployee, the company may be found liable for
while tired, but if a worker's job involves the usethe injuries suffered.
of a motor vehicle, they may feel that they have