Here are the final three in a list of six that is not only crucial but also universally applicable. If you still need to read the first three, click here.
Safety-sensitive occupations can often have high turnover rates because of the nature of the work, but often also because of the organizational culture and safety climate.
Employees will not stay at an employer if they feel unsafe or if their concerns about the work environment, including fatigue, are not addressed. Conversely, monitoring and managing employees' alertness sends the message that their states of mind are worth knowing about to keep them safe.
The ineffectiveness of drug testing as a workplace safety measure has long been understood, given its narrow scope, high expense, and the time required to process results.
Given this, any positive test result is considered a "trailing indicator"; in other words, it provides only an indication of past conditions, not present or future ones. On the other hand, a daily alertness test can provide peace of mind to supervisors regarding their crews' fitness for duty before they start work.
Because work fatigue and impairment management provide employees insight into their fatigue and alertness levels on a day-to-day basis, it can encourage positive behavioral changes.
For instance, employees who must demonstrate cognitive fitness every day are more likely, over time, to adopt healthier habits that help them mitigate their fatigue symptoms and keep alert, such as refraining from staying up too late before a morning shift, opting for more nutritious and energizing foods, or scheduling their coffee breaks in anticipation of circadian lulls when they may feel tired.
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