Fatigue - With ever increasing workloads, workplace fatigue is a serious issue

Workplace Fatigue

It’s a scenario any employer would dread to hear – an employee falling asleep on the job due to fatigue and causing injury or death to themselves or someone else. 

But what about the employees who always seem to be running on half a tank? The ones that continually prop themselves up on energy drinks, caffeine, who display poor concentration and mood swings, yawn all day, are irritable and complain of being tired all the time.

With our ever increasing workloads and demands to work longer hours, workplace fatigue is a serious issue that can wreak havoc on the health of an employee and those around them. Fatigue can affect work performance causing injury, errors and accidents. 

According to the NSW Centre for Road Safety, driver fatigue is a major contributor to our road toll (after speeding and drink driving). In 2008, driver fatigue accounted for at least 16 percent of fatal crashes on NSW roads alone.

Were you aware drivers who get less than six hours sleep are more than twice as likely to doze off behind the wheel as those who got a little more sleep?  Does it surprise you one in three fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles are linked with fatigue, as compared with one in six passenger vehicle crashes?

Is fatigue impacting your workplace and bottom line?

What’s behind fatigue?

There are many reasons why someone may be suffering from fatigue. Long shifts, bad rostering and too much overtime can contribute to fatigue. Persistent exhaustion could also be a sign of an underlying medical condition that an employee may be unaware of. Obesity, smoking and recreational drug use can trigger fatigue, as can a change in personal circumstances such as a new baby or death of a loved one. Undiagnosed sleep apnoea is another contributor to workplace fatigue.  If an employee has sleep apnoea, they could be stopping breathing between 10 to 60 times per hour in the night - in severe cases that’s once a minute – no wonder their quality of sleep is affected!

Core Health Consulting can deliver a range of informative talks, books, DVDs and Fact Sheets to your workplace that will educate and inspire employees to seek help and make positive changes to help reduce fatigue.

Call today to find out more.

Sources: Core Health Consulting Fatigue Management Booklet