Drowsy workers can decrease workplace safety in Illinois
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workers’ Compensation on Thursday, March 7, 2013.
There are several things that can work to decrease the safety of a workplace in Illinois. A critical safety risk that many workers do not consider is being drowsy on the job. Not gaining a restful night of sleep can mean that there is an increased risk for accidents in a workplace.
This Sunday, workers all across Illinois will set their clocks forward an hour for the beginning of daylight savings time. While this means that the evenings will stay lighter longer, it also means a disruption to the sleep of workers across the state. Moving the clocks forward directly translates to an hour of lost sleep.
This hour may not seem like it would have huge ramifications, however, studies have detailed that the week following the beginning of daylight savings time is marked by an increase in car accidents, workplace accidents and heart attacks.
The medical director of the Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center says that the Monday morning following the beginning of daylight savings can be less difficult and met with less fatigue if a worker plans to absorb the hour loss by going to bed just 15 minutes earlier than normal each day this week.
However, drowsiness in the workplace can present issues the whole year round, not just next week. Similarly, rested workers can increase the safety of a workplace. Accordingly, experts recommend the following tips for good sleep hygiene:
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and big meals before bed
- Exercise early in the day
- Maintain a regular bed time and wake time
Source: Vanderbilt University News, “Vanderbilt sleep expert offers daylight savings survival tips,” Craig Boerner, March 7, 2013
- Our firm has assisted workers injured under a variety of circumstances in Illinois seek recovery. For more information, please refer to our Illinois accidents at work page.
