When workers are fatigued, production understandably goes
down and more errors are prone to occur. Even more concerning is the number of
accidents and injuries that can happen when workers are fatigued. This not only
puts their safety in danger, but the safety of those working around them as
well.
Employers reportedly lose an estimated $136 billion due to
fatigue-related productivity and health issues every year. When workers are
frequently fatigued, they can increase workers’ compensation costs for
employers four times the normal amount due to excessive injuries and accidents.
While these numbers are shocking, they should motivate employers to make some
changes in workplace conditions so that workers can avoid becoming fatigued
unnecessarily. This helps workers and greatly benefits the employers who are
seeking to maximum their profit while reducing the risk of accident and serious
workplace injuries.
Implementing Smart Provisions to Minimize Fatigue
Improving worker productivity and reducing liability of
fatigue and associated costs can seem like an uphill battle, but employers do
have a responsibility to protect their workers in these situations.
What are some practical steps employers can take? Implement
a shift scheduling system that will:
1.
Help realize their business goals
2.
Enforce realistic operational constraints
3.
Take employee considerations into account
4.
Meet physiological and sociological criteria
Other ways they can improve shift scheduling is by
determining how many consecutive days workers are on the job, assessing the
duration of those shifts, and testing out fixed and rotating shifts to see what
works best for all parties involved. If the speed of rotation or start and end
time of shifts makes workers prone to fatigue, employers should look to adjust
and implement new scheduling when possible.
Workplace fatigue should not be treated as a minor concern,
but an issue that can cost employers billions of dollars every year and puts
workers’ health at risk. Without change, injuries and losses will continue to
occur.