3 ways poor sleep can cause construction site injuries

Construction workers often face dangerous situations on the job site daily, from working on exposed upper levels of unfinished buildings to handling powerful drilling and sawing tools. However, when these workers suffer from poor sleep, the job site’s safety acts and attention to everyday safety procedures may suffer.

Proforma Construction notes that some studies correlate a lack of sleep or unstable sleep patterns with cognitive issues, something that causes great concern within the field when it comes to construction site injuries and how they occur.

1. Forgetfulness

As erratic sleep patterns affect the minds of construction workers who suffer from poor sleep, they may start to forget important details regarding their work, such as a new safety measure recently put into place or neglecting to unplug tools before a break or at the end of the day. A lapse in sleep also means a possible lapse in safety due to brain fog, a problem that could cause serious injury to another worker.

2. A reduced response time

Few office workers can say they never nodded off at their desks during a hot summer afternoon, but when construction workers cannot keep their eyes open on the job, it can lead to serious accidents. Construction workers who drive company vehicles or heavy equipment can cause serious or even deadly accidents if they cannot respond quickly to traffic or site changes.

3. Mood swings

First-shift construction workers who stay up well past midnight each night and keep an inconsistent sleep schedule may find themselves feeling irritable, sleepy and generally unwell. Maintaining a steady sleep schedule to gain restful sleep can prevent these shifts in mood.

Most construction site injuries can cause catastrophic injuries due to the nature of the work. Fostering restful, healing sleep may help construction workers remain focused while on the job.