How did you sleep last night? Did you get enough sleep? How do you know? It is very important to be aware of yourself. Getting plenty of sleep is a very important part of your personal safety.

Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep each 24-hour day. Sleep loss built up slowly over several nights can be as harmful as sleep loss in one night. Both produce a decline in performance such as slower reaction times, failure to respond to changes, and the inability to concentrate and make reasonable judgments.

Fatigued persons tested from continuous hours of wakefulness against blood alcohol levels concluded that 17 hours awake is equivalent to a blood alcohol content of 0.05. Twenty-one hours awake is equivalent to a blood alcohol content of 0.08 and 24-25 hours awake is equivalent to a blood alcohol content of 0 .10.

Do you get enough sleep?

It is important that you do for your safety and the safety of your co-workers. When you see the signs of fatigue in a co-worker, draw their attention or the attention of a supervisor to the situation to ensure they are able to work safely. If you do not take a proactive step you may be the one to be negatively impacted when an accident occurs. Be a courageous safety leader and speak up for safety.