The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends getting seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, but that isn’t always possible. Maybe you’ve been picking up extra shifts at work or perhaps you have a new baby at home. No matter what the reason, being perpetually exhausted has become your new normal.
Working in a tired haze isn’t enjoyable, but you probably think it’s harmless. Find out why fatigue can be a serious problem for you and everyone working alongside you.
Poor Communication
Excellent communication is crucial in a light industrial setting, but when you’re exhausted, this can be a struggle. You probably won’t even realize you’re doing it, but your voice can become inaudible, you might forget what you’re talking about mid-sentence, and you could mispronounce or slur your words — these are just a few issues. This will make it difficult for your colleagues to understand you and can easily cause accidents.
Decreased Performance
When you’re practically falling asleep at work, it’s hard to realize your potential. Exhaustion can easily cause you to work slower and make careless errors that impact the entire team. Chances are, you won’t notice your poor performance, so if your coworkers don’t catch your mistakes, someone could get hurt.
Bad Judgment Calls
Thinking clearly is almost impossible when your brain is stuck in a tired haze. Being sleep-deprived at work is similar to showing up inebriated, because it impairs your decision-making abilities. This can cause you to make riskier choices that put yourself and everyone else in danger.
Diminished Memory
A decline in short-term memory functioning is linked to a lack of sleep. Therefore, you might have trouble remembering what you’re doing in the middle of a task or forget important instructions from a colleague. This is a major safety risk, because light industrial settings are filled with hazards. If you can’t recall whether you completed a key item on your safety checklist, you might cause an accident.
Searching for a manufacturing job in Evansville, IN, or an automotive position in Florence, KY? Malone Workforce Solutions takes pride in helping talented workers like you find rewarding light industrial opportunities. Contact us today to take the next step in your career!