Sleep and Transportation Safety: Role of the Employer

David Rainey; Michael A Parenteau; Stefanos N Kales

doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2019.08.007

Sleep and Transportation Safety: Role of the Employer

Sleep Med Clin. 2019 Dec;14(4):499-508. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2019.08.007. Epub 2019 Sep 25.

Authors

David Rainey¹, Michael A Parenteau², Stefanos N Kales³

Affiliations

¹ Occupational Medicine Residency, Harvard Medical School, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Cambridge Health Alliance Occupational Health, 5 Middlesex Avenue, Somerville, MA 02145, USA.
² Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 1406, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
³ Occupational Medicine Residency, Harvard Medical School, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; The Cambridge Health Alliance - Occupational Medicine, Macht Building Suite 427, 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Electronic address: skales@hsph.harvard.edu.

Abstract

Human fatigue is an important factor in transportation safety and a major causal factor of accidents. Employers play a vital role in minimizing fatigue-related risk, and are legally liable for damages arising from failure to address the risk. By taking an active role as stakeholders in transportation safety, employers not only reduce their risk of adverse safety events and limit their legal liability but may also benefit from improvements in productivity, morale, and health care expenditures. Employers should focus on reducing fatigue-related risk, with ongoing support from sleep safety research.

Keywords: Employer; Fatigue; Obstructive sleep apnea; Sleep; Sleep disorders; Transportation; Work.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Fatigue / physiopathology*
Humans
Occupational Health*
Sleep / physiology*
Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / physiopathology*
Workplace*

Grants and funding

T42 OH008416/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United States