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Fatigued employees are at greater risk of an accident

On Behalf of | Jul 20, 2018 | Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Employers want to do everything they can to reduce the odds that an employee will get in a car accident on the job. One thing they can focus on is reducing employee fatigue, as reports show that tired workers are more likely to be involved in accidents.

For instance, did you know that a fatigued driver is more than three times more likely to get in a wreck than a driver who is not tired? Feeling worn out can reduce reaction times, cause people to overlook risks and even make workers fall asleep behind the wheel.

When workers get tired, experts note that their overall safety performance tends to decrease. This could make them less safe around heavy machinery, working on ladders or in any other high-risk situations. It also extends to car accidents, as workers may not be as vigilant about driving carefully.

Those facing the greatest risk at those who do not work “normal” hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For instance, the majority of night shift workers (62 percent) said that they lost sleep due to their schedules.

While employers may think that rotating shifts will help, attempting not to put the same workers on the night shift all of the time, that actually just makes it worse. Someone with a new schedule every week can never adapt. Their internal clock is thrown out of sync and they can’t find a sleep pattern that works for them.

Have you been involved in a commercial vehicle accident caused by fatigue? If so, make sure you know all of your legal rights to compensation.