Sleep Deprivation Whether it’s due to workloads, or working side jobs, the result is the same – sleep deprivation. Many workers are arriving on the job overly tired or sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation or fatigue can affect a worker’s manual dexterity, reaction time, and alertness. Worker fatigue or lack of sleep can affect judgment and safety. And workers aren’t the only ones suffering the consequences of sleepiness on the job it’s costing employers money and, in some cases, putting the public’s safety at risk. Studies show that workers are not only getting less sleep than they should; they’re getting less than they used...

Make Shift Work Safe Work Most people in this country think of "work hours" as the daylight hours from 8 or so in the morning until 5 or so in the afternoon. But more than 20 million Americans work a different schedule. For many reasons, their workday either starts in the afternoon and ends late at night, or begins around midnight and ends in the early morning. If this applies to you, be aware that your safety is just as critical as the day crew, but that conditions and hazards may be different. If you work a nonstandard shift, it may be...

Defensive Driving – It May Save Your Life Our jobs may require us to spend a lot of time on the road. On any city street you are likely to see delivery vans, couriers, salespeople, and utility persons making frequent stops as they conduct their business. Some people spend many hours in traffic just going to and from work. Even though the mileage may be small, the amount of time spent on the road is very long. Every hour spent on the road increases your chance of having an accident. Certainly speed is a factor in accidents. Many accidents happen simply because the driver...

Fatigue Can Lead to Accidents Sleep is an important factor in maintaining good health, well-being, memory, and the ability to think clearly. An adequate amount of sleep is defined as 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. If you don’t get enough sleep due to work shifts, medical conditions, or other life factors, you could build up chronic sleep deprivation and fatigue. Fatigue is a safety concern because it is associated with higher injury and accident rates in the workplace. Fatigue reduces your attention and reaction time, which can cause you to make errors in judgment leading to mistakes at work....