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The price of sleep: Is fatigue costing your business?
Sleep is important – we all know it. But just how important? Certex writes.
Losing Sleep and Losing $$
A report by the Sleep Health Foundation, details the burden sleep deprivation has on the Australian economy, as well as cost per individual.
We can save so much financially if we make a concerted effort to get enough sleep. You will lose if you do not snooze.
Workplaces Waking up to the issue
It is not just the dollars that are important Sleep takes up a third of our life, but many people do not value it as much as they should.
Fatigue in the workplace compromises physical and mental health, safety, and performance.
This is especially important in industries where fatigue-induced errors can be deadly – consider frontline workers or machinery operators.
It is up to YOU to ensure your lack of sleep does not contribute to health and safety risks in the workplace, both for yourself and those around you.
Fatigue Management for Workers
Workers have a responsibility to take reasonable care of their health and safety. This includes ensuring they are sufficiently rested to do their job.
Safe Work Australia’s two-page guide provides practical advice for workers on how to manage fatigue.
Fatigue Management for Employers
Workplaces have a legal obligation to manage fatigue risks.
Identify hazards and assess risks by consulting with workers
Control risks
Minimise the risk of fatigue in the workplace, so far as is reasonably practical. Examples of control measures:
Schedule safety-critical work outside low body periods (26am, 2-4pm)
Restrict number of successive night shifts
Structure shifts so that work demands are highest in the middle
Implement a workplace fatigue policy Open communication is crucial. Managers should foster a culture where workers feel comfortable raising issues around fatigue and do not feel pressured to work when they are exhausted.
3. Review hazards and control measures
Consider trial phases for new work schedules or job designs and encourage workers to provide feedback
What Steps are You Taking to Manage Fatigue Risk?
Fatigue may not be the most obvious WHS hazard, but it is nevertheless costly if overlooked. All businesses should implement psychosocial risk management plans. However, it can be overwhelming, unfamiliar territory.
That is where Certex can help!
Through our iSuite and Risk Assessment Program, Certex’s experienced team of experts can help identify systematic hazards in your workplace, so you can then do something about them.
