A recently released report by a highly respected medical organization reveals that many typical work injuries -- back injuries, foot and knee injuries, neck injuries, etc. -- can be traced directly to the onset of fatigue.

Specifically, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) report -- entitled "Fatigue Risk Management in the Workplace" -- indicates that roughly 38 percent of the U.S. workforce is suffering from fatigue, a "diagnostically nonspecific" condition and that can jeopardize the ability to safely perform job-related tasks.

"Fatigue and decreased alertness resulting from insufficient or poor-quality sleep can have several safety-related consequences, including slowed reaction time, reduced vigilance, reduced decision-making ability, poor judgment, distraction during complex tasks, and loss of awareness in critical situations," reads the report.

In addition, the ACOEM report found that sleep disorders -- a health condition that often causes severe fatigue among employees -- costs employers upwards of $60 billion a year in medical expenses, workplace accidents and decreased efficiency.

Here, the authors of the study advise that employers who implement a fatigue risk management system (FRMS) as part of an overall risk assessment strategy may see some of these aforementioned risks greatly reduced.

Some of the suggested components of a successful FRMS include:

  • Introducing a fatigue management policy and a FRMS (i.e., identifying fatigue-related risks and taking steps to address them)
  • Providing fatigue management training for the workforce
  • Creating a fatigue reporting system for the workforce
  • Performing comprehensive investigations into fatigue-related injuries
  • Implementing an audit system to continually improve upon the existing FRMS

Stay tuned for more from our San Diego workers' compensation blog ...

You should strongly consider seeking the necessary medical treatment if you have suffered any type of work injury - regardless of your employment setting.

This post was for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Source:

Business Insurance, "Fatigue risk management can improve workplace safety" Feb. 13, 2012