A survey from the National Safety Council recently found that more than two-thirds of workers in Kentucky and the rest of the country feel tired at the workplace. In industries like construction, utilities and mining, this is a huge safety issue. Employers already recognize the risk fatigue has when it comes to safety and productivity, but employees still don’t see tiredness as the problem it really is. Only 72 percent of workers say that they believe fatigue would have a negative impact on their work.
Making employees aware of workplace fatigue risks will be a critical step to solving this problem in certain industries. Because many workers may be ignoring their own levels of tiredness, employers need to provide training in methods for detecting fatigue in themselves and fellow workers. When a problem is noticed, a procedure for intervening needs to be implemented in order to prevent injuries or death.
A study of workers from the U.S. and U.K. found that more than 90 percent of employees experienced fatigue as a result of work-related stress. This issue allegedly cost American employers as much as $550 billion in lost productivity per year. Employee burnout was also found to be a major issue. It not only affected the productivity of workers, but it also resulted in greater safety risks.
Employees who are injured on the job as a result of fatigue related to stress or other conditions may be eligible for workers’ compensation. The first step is for the injured party to contact an attorney for an initial consultation. A lawyer will carefully examine the case and recommend a legal strategy. Many law practices will not charge a fee unless they recover compensation for their client.
