A new study suggests fatigue may be a far bigger workplace safety issue than many Canadians realize, with more than one in five workers reporting unintentionally dozing off at work at least once a week.
The Saskatchewan Employee Fatigue and Lifestyle Study, commissioned by the Saskatchewan Safety Council, found that 22 percent of respondents experienced unintentional dozing while at work weekly, while 14 percent said they had nodded off while driving home from work at least once a week.
Researchers found nearly half of daytime workers reported getting less than six hours of sleep per night, while 45 percent of shift workers averaged less than five hours. Sixty-eight percent of workers reported needing sleep aids, and 37 percent used prescription or over-the-counter sleep medications three or more times per week.
Nicole Martin, a registered respiratory therapist with Careica Health sleep clinic in Saskatoon, said getting a proper night's rest is the foundation of our health. "When you are sleep deprived, you will have cognitive impairment, which can certainly affect you at your workplace."
Ryan Jacobson, CEO of the Saskatchewan Safety Council, said the data can be used by employers to develop education and policies to reduce fatigue-related risk.
Dr. Mariève Cyr, a resident in psychiatry at McGill University, noted that acute and chronic sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function, decision-making, and emotional regulation. She added that some studies show being awake for 22 hours can affect hand-eye coordination similarly to a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent.
Eighty-five percent of respondents reported never receiving formal training on fatigue management. Mike Harnett, president of Solaris Fatigue Management, said employers share responsibility. "This is a shared responsibility. We cannot expect that we will prevent fatigue from showing up at the work site."