Fatigue Risk in the Workplace Emily Whitcomb Senior Program Manager, Fatigue Initiative Emily.Whitcomb@nsc.org Who is NSC? Our Mission: The National Safety Council eliminates preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. 2 Agenda Causes & Effects Risk Factors 2017 Survey Goals & Activities Best Practices 3 National Safety Council 2010 1
Fatigue describes the feelings of tiredness, sleepiness, reduced energy and increased effort needed to perform tasks at a desired level. 4 Agenda Causes & Effects Risk Factors 2017 Survey Goals & Activities Best Practices 5 Fatigue definition Effects 6 National Safety Council 2010 2
Fatigue definition Effects Short-term Cognitive Intermediateterm Job and safety Long-term Economic and health consequences 7 Decreased vigilance, attention, memory, concentration, reaction time, impulse control, alertness, etc. Short-term Cognitive 8 Being awake for more than 20 hours is the equivalent of a.08 BAC. Short-term Cognitive Dawson et al., 1997 9 National Safety Council 2010 3
Decreased productivity, absenteeism, safety risk 10 Up to a 6% decrease in productivity. 11 Rosekind et. al, 2010 Approximately 13% of work injuries could be attributed to sleep problems. Intermediateterm Short-term Cognitive Job and safety Intermediateterm Short-term Cognitive Job and safety Intermediateterm Short-term Cognitive Job and safety 12 Uehli et. al, 2014 National Safety Council 2010 4
Tired employees are expensive, and unhealthy. Long-term Economic and Cognitive Job and safety health consequences 13 $3,000 per employee, per year Short-term Long-term Economic and Cognitive Job and safety health consequences 14 Rosekind et. al, 2010 Depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease, even reproductive issues, Short-term Long-term Economic and Cognitive Job and safety health consequences 15 National Safety Council 2010 5
Fatigue definition Causes & Effects 16 Fatigue definition Causes Sleep deprivation Lack of sleep, time awake Circadian rhythm Time of day Time on task Tedious or demanding tasks 17 Fatigue definition Sleep deprivation Lack of sleep Experts recommend 7-9 hours/day Time awake 16+ hours reduces 18 National Safety Council 2010 6
Experts recommend 7-9 hours of sleep a day. Lack of sleep 7-9 hours/day 19 More than 37% of our workforce is sleep deprived. Lack of sleep 7-9 hours/day 20 Yong, Li and Calvert, 2016 Sleep disorders Lack of sleep Cognitive 7-9 hours/day 21 National Safety Council 2010 7
Time awake is critical: 16+ hours reduces. Time awake 16+ hours Cognitive reduces 22 Participants who lost 2 hours of sleep over 10 days performed the same as one who was awake for 24 hours. Time awake 16+ hours Cognitive reduces 23 Van Dongen et al., 2003 Circadian low: 10pm-7am Circadian rhythm Cognitive Time of day 24 National Safety Council 2010 8
25 26 Fatigue definition Time on Task Tedious tasks Boring tasks unmask sleepiness Mentally demanding tasks Difficult to maintain vigilance 27 National Safety Council 2010 9
Organizational and Job Factors 28 What happens when the causes of fatigue collide? 29 30 National Safety Council 2010 10
31 32 Drowsy driving and workplace fatigue 33 National Safety Council 2010 11
Agenda Causes & Effects Risk Factors 2017 Survey Goals & Activities Best Practices 34 Risk factors for employee fatigue Type of shift Type of job Shift length Hours worked/ week Rest breaks Hours off Commute length Sleep 35 Agenda Causes & Effects Risk Factors 2017 Survey Goals & Activities Best Practices 36 National Safety Council 2010 12
Fatigue definition Best Practices FRMS Fatigue risk management Education How to improve sleep Sleep Sleep disorder treatment 37 FRMS: Fatigue Risk Management Systems FRMS Fatigue Cognitive risk management 38 Policies, practices, programs and procedures that incorporates fatigue risk management into an existing safety system. FRMS Fatigue Cognitive risk management 39 National Safety Council 2010 13
Educating employees and their families on sleep health Education How Cognitive to improve sleep 40 Sleep disorder assessment and treatment Sleep Sleep Cognitive disorder treatment 41 Agenda Causes & Effects Risk Factors 2017 Survey Goals & Activities Best Practices 42 National Safety Council 2010 14
Preliminary findings 2017 Workplace Fatigue Survey Release date: June 21st 43 Who 2,010 full-time working adults When Completed March 3 rd, 2017 How 15 minute online survey 44 Fatigue risk factors Attitudes, beliefs Effects of fatigue Workplace culture Job-related factors Sleep health Workplace fatigue Sleep health Microsleeps Safety incidents Organizational safety culture 45 Fatigue quiz 10 question National Safety Council 2010 15
Key Findings 46 Fatigue risk factors 9 factors 47 Shift schedule 17% 48 National Safety Council 2010 16
43% sleep less than 7 hours on weekdays 13% sleep less than 5 hours on weekdays 49 57% Day shifters sleep 7+ hours vs. 52% Night shifters sleep 7+ hours 50 61% Fatigue risk factors 51 National Safety Council 2010 17
4 out of 5 respondents were at some risk for workplace fatigue 52 Fatigue risk factors 1 out of 5 respondents had a high number of risk factors 53 Fatigue risk factors Effects of fatigue 54 National Safety Council 2010 18
35% report feeling tired at work 8% experienced a workplace safety incident due to fatigue 55 Workplace Culture Employee attitudes 56 Fatigue as a safety issue 70% feel fatigue is a safety issue vs. 34% believe their employer feels fatigue is a safety issue 57 National Safety Council 2010 19
Off-the-job rest 78% feel they should arrive well-rested vs. 28% believe their employer cares if they are rested 58 39% feel pressured to work longer hours 34% feel pressured to skip breaks 59 Agenda Causes & Effects Risk Factors 2017 Survey Goals & Activities Best Practices 60 National Safety Council 2010 20
What are our goals? Employees Identify causes Understand risks Sleeping 7+ hours Employers FRMS Educate employees Fatigue in safety culture 61 How will we get there? Awareness & Education Fatigue cost calculator Fatigue toolkit Sleep health training Resources FRMS Implementation kit 62 2017 Workplace Fatigue survey Release date: June 21 st Managing Fatigue in the Workplace webinar Register at nsc.org/fatigue May 17th Emily.Whitcomb@nsc.org 63 National Safety Council 2010 21