One of the many challenges employers in New Jersey face is making sure that their employees are working at their best. Workers who are tired or overly fatigued can make poor decisions, work inefficiently and put the company at risk, introducing the threat of litigation if accidents occur or if a worker has to be terminated for a hard-to-define reason such as excessive fatigue.

Many symptoms of fatigue can potentially lead to safety hazards at a business, including poor judgment, distraction, slower reaction time and loss of awareness in critical situations. But employers may be able to counteract these issues by introducing a fatigue risk management system to their companies.

A fatigue risk management system could include several tactics, including educating employees on fatigue management and training them how to recognize it; collecting information on fatigue hazards; and coming up with a fatigue reporting system for employees.

While evaluating fatigue can be a difficult task, its effects are undeniable. According to a report titled "Fatigue Risk Management in the Workplace" from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, sleep disorders cost employers a whopping $60 billion every year. This is manifested in lost employee productivity, medical expenses and industrial accidents, according to the report.

Employers always need to be on guard against inefficient and/or dangerous situations that could occur at their workplaces. A relatively small investment in fatigue risk management could pay dividends in the long run by making sure that potentially hazardous events with long-term consequences never happen in the first place.

Source: Business Insurance, "Fatigue risk management can improve workplace safety," Roberto Ceniceros, Feb. 13, 2012