The American Society of Safety Professionals recently released a report highlighting ways in which employers can both improve worker productivity and reduce their injuries. In their report, the researchers chronicled how employers can decrease their employees’ risk of getting hurt simply by having them put on wearable technology while on the clock to monitor their fatigue levels.
In order to gain a better understanding of how worker fatigue affects their safety, researchers equipped their sample of 25 manufacturing workers with hip, ankle and wrist sensors while they were on the clock. They then reviewed these devices every three hours.
They noted that reviewing their data at these intervals had little to no impact on their ability to get their job done. When they reviewed it, though, they found that workers were much fresher one hour into their shift than they were two hours later.
The researchers note that these findings may ultimately help shape when New York employers offer breaks. They also note that it may have an impact on whether employers have to provide their employees with vitamin supplementation during their workdays or if posture enhancement exercises should be introduced as part of their routine.
Data compiled by the National Safety Council (NSC) shows that employers lose as much as $130 million in annual revenue when worker fatigue adversely impacts their productivity. Employers who lose the most are those in industries such as construction, warehousing, truck driving and manufacturing.
When accidents happen on construction sites, they tend to be life-altering, especially if a worker falls several stories, is crushed by heavy machinery or struck by building materials or tools. An attorney can advise you of what a “third-party" lawsuit is, what your prospect is for filing suit and how to work toward achieving a positive verdict in your case.
