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Even though there is plenty of information showing the serious risk that fatigue in the workplace presents, it is not commonly recognized as the significant risk to safety and productivity that it really is--at least not until a fatigue-related safety incident occurs in our workplaces. 

Good sense dictates that we should learn lessons from our mistakes so we avoid making them a second time. But must we always make a mistake before the lesson can be learned? Take the curious child who touches the hot stove after having been warned. Some of us may have even been that child once upon a time, unwilling to trust Mom’s warning at face value. We had to see for ourselves.

Since President Reagan’s mandate for employee drug testing Federal employees in 1988, many private sector employers followed suit and continue to follow suit by testing their employees for drug use, especially in safety-sensitive industries like construction and manufacturing, under the impression that drug testing helps create and maintain a safe workplace.¹

However, more and more employers are beginning to recognize the limitations and detriments of relying on employee drug testing to enhance workplace safety, understanding that drug testing is not a preventative safety measure if it can be considered a safety measure at all.

A report by the National Safety Council illustrates that over two-thirds of employees in all industries have reported work fatigue symptoms including feeling tired while at work.¹

Half of employers in all industries have reported finding employees asleep on the job,¹ but at the same time tend to think that less than one-third of their employees are at risk for fatigue.²

Interestingly, employers overwhelmingly thought work fatigue was a safety issue, but their employees were less likely to agree.¹  

The reasons for strong workplace safety programs are obvious: to protect life and limb, to avoid the costs of repairs, to avoid interruptions and obstacles in production, and to avoid citations and fines.

But company managers may only appreciate the full cost of incidents only once they have occurred, as they create a domino effect of hidden costs that can impinge on business growth.

An organization's managers and leaders can—and should—be the greatest advocates for the safety of the front-line personnel. Openness to new technologies and best practices is key to that advocacy and a defining characteristic of a robust safety system designed for continuous improvement.