New study: Construction workers aren’t getting enough sleep
Construction workers often endure hours of physically and mentally taxing labor and to perform their daily job functions and prevent injuries, they need to get enough sleep.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, reports that one in three adults don’t get enough sleep. Adults 18-60 years old are urged to sleep at least seven hours per night but the average American only gets 6.8 hours of sleep per night and 40 percent of Americans sleep six hours or less. This culture of inadequate sleep impacts everyone, including construction workers.
Researchers find that construction workers need adequate sleep
A study conducted by researchers at Colorado State University concluded that many accidents and injuries in the construction industry are caused by lack of sleep.
Researchers collected data from three surveys over the course of 12 months involving construction workers from two public works departments in Portland, Oregon. The survey — which was part of an Oregon Healthy Workforce Center study — determined the quantity of sleep each participant received and matched it up with workplace injury data.
Construction workers who reported insomnia symptoms were more likely to experience:
- Poor attention and memory on the job
- Poor safety-related behavior
- Forgetting common work procedures, such as ensuring equipment is turned off
- Inadvertently pressing wrong control switches on machines
- Unintentionally stopping or starting wrong machines
- Daydreaming on the job and not listening to co-workers
Preventing fatigue-related workplace accidents
Inadequate sleep doesn’t just impact construction safety. It can put workers across all industries at risk of being injured. That’s why more awareness must be raised in the workplace.
“Organizations, especially safety-sensitive ones like construction, should care about their employees’ sleep because it can impact the safety of the workplace and put workers at risk,” said Rebecca Brossoit, the study’s co-author, in a press release.
If you were injured on the job due to a careless, fatigue-related workplace accident, your injuries may be serious enough to require immediate medical attention. What’s worse, you may not be able to return to work for months while undergoing surgery and physical therapy. The x-rays, pain medication, and other medical procedures can be costly. You may be wondering how you will afford to make ends meet during these difficult times.
That’s why you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, which cover your medical expenses and lost wages. Obtaining workers’ compensation benefits, however, isn’t easy. A minor misstep in your paperwork or in the claim-filing process can result in a denial. Let the experienced Massachusetts attorneys at Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl do the work for you. We know how the system works and can maximize your chances of receiving benefits. Contact us online today to get started.