My apologies for the late post today. I was, as they say, asleep at the switch.
The Daily Dot recently reported a story made popular by exposure on social media. It featured a picture of a lady asleep on packages next to some sort of conveyor or sorting line. The title perhaps says it all "Poor thing was probably fired after she woke up’: Amazon worker filmed sleeping on pile of packages." People who viewed the photo on social media reportedly responded and included "hashtags" such as "#workconditions, #underpaid, and #unsafe." There was thus seemingly some recognition in the general population that safety was implicated.
There were comments reported blaming the sleeping woman, the very nature of such work, and the employer. There were various perspectives regarding the potentials for cause and effect. The causes suggested in the article included conjecture that this was a night shift, that this was a person with multiple jobs, and that this job is simply exhausting. No published comments suggested that it was a boring job, but that is indeed another potential cause of sleep on the job. For my occupation, the "boring" is never an issue, but the long hours and the night shifts are certainly something of which I remain aware.
Sleep is an important part of (most) everyone's day and night. I don't personally sleep much, but that is not the norm. Depending upon the occupation, day and night may become challenging distinctions for some workers. I have known many people that worked 3:00-11:00 shifts, 11:00-7:00, or 7:00 to 3:00. There are many variations, but those three stick with me for some reason. I have always been impressed with people who not only work such night shifts, but with those who seem adept at shifting between them. I represented a company years ago at which it was normal to be on one of those cadences for weeks, then shift to the next for several weeks, and then to the third, then back again to the first. Just when you might get used to something it changed. The employees claimed that they loved it, but I doubt I could have done it.
According to the Sleep Foundation, "there is overwhelming evidence demonstrating that sleep deprivation leads to workplace accidents." Undoubtedly, many of us have noticed that we are not at our best when we are tired, whether that manifests in demeanor or plain error(s). The Foundation claims that "overly sleepy employees are 70% more likely to be involved in workplace accidents than colleagues who are not sleep-deprived," citing data from the National Institute of Health. That, 70%, should an eye-opener no matter how tired you might be. And, I work with a keyboard. Think of how much more dangerous sleepy might be in an industrial setting, with dangerous tools or chemicals or electricity, etc.
Even without sleep deprivation, the Foundation claims that "long work hours paired with poor sleep quality can also contribute to a higher risk of workplace injury." Again citing the National Institute of Health, it notes that "workers with insomnia are much more likely to have work-related accidents than those who do not have sleep disorders." Simply put, sleep is important for us all. It even has its own day, March 18; I missed that by a couple of days. Just not as attentive as I could perhaps be.
In one study, a group who "self-reported disturbed sleep were twice as likely to die in an accident related to the workplace." That is an odd outcome. That means they asked about sleep disturbance and then checked back later to see who might have passed on and determined the cause? But, the point is that the odds increase significantly of fatality. Fatalities are of course the worst of workplace accidents, but not at all the most common. In fact, workplace fatalities have been seen as decreasing according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is likely due to ongoing focus on workplace safety, automation, and more. Those statistics are categorized, detailed, and frankly fascinating.
Lack of sleep may thus be a workplace issue. However, it is a broader threat to our personal safety. The Sleep Foundation notes that the implications of poor sleep are demonstrated in everyday issues such as driving. There are startling statistics: "60% of adult drivers reported driving while drowsy,; "one in every 25 adults had fallen asleep behind the wheel in the past month"; "in 2017 drowsy driving led to at least 91,000 crashes, resulting in roughly 50,000 injuries and 800 deaths," according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. And, note that this is self-reported; how many of us might deny being drowsy?
In the end, the conclusion seems to be simple. People will be impaired by drowsiness or downright sleep. Their impairment may lead to injury or worse and is a threat to their own safety and perhaps in some occupations those around them. The picture in the Daily Dot story viewed millions of times is a generator of debate and various comments of derision either of the workplace, the employee, or both. Is that fair, in light of the statistics cited? Sleep is simply not that uncommon as a challenge.
The commenter's focus is notably on blaming either the employer or the employee. Perhaps a better, more productive, discussion would be on the challenges that sleep deprivation and poor sleep habits have on the workforce and therefore the workplace. Perhaps consideration of the health issues that extend beyond the accident threat to the "mere" health implications? Check the list at the Center for Disease Control: Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease, obesity, and more. Remember that obesity is a major challenge for our entire society. See What's in a Name (August 2020).
The issues of safety and health should seem to take precedence in the discussion about this picture. Why are we tired, what are our risks, and what are we doing about it. As some actor once said "Let's Face it, I'm tired." (Unaccredited).
