Lack of sleep sees one in 10 British workers injure themselves or a colleague

ONE in 10 British workers have injured themselves or a colleague - because of a lack of sleep.

A new study shows millions of employees are so tired at work they are unable to do their job safely.

A quarter admitted they regularly fail to get the rest they need and are routinely exhausted in the workplace.

Pressure to meet demanding targets, work being too intense and a shortage of proper breaks are among the key reasons for workers being so shattered.

Failing to get enough sleep also leads to many people feeling weary at work – with 12 per cent claiming they get less than three hours sleep a night.

While a third of bushed Brits have even fallen asleep in the workplace.

The research, which polled 2,000 British workers, was commissioned by injury law specialists Accident Advice Helpline.

Spokesman David Carter said: “These are really worrying statistics. Tiredness obviously can seriously impair someone’s judgement and ability to do their job safely.

“This is particularly dangerous when operating heavy machinery or during manual labour when one small mistake can have very serious consequences.”

The study shows a fifth of people blame their long working hours for their tiredness, while 16 per cent say they don’t get enough breaks.

One in five workers are faced with tight deadlines, while 14 per cent have no choice to put in extra hours to complete their daily workload.

One in eight admitted burning the candle at both ends by going to work shattered after a night out.

More than eight in 10 people said they had started work exhausted following a bad night’s sleep, which led to a less productive, and less safe, day at work.

Almost a quarter of those questioned admitted that they had made a potentially dangerous mistake because of tiredness.

More than a third of people claim to get less than five hours sleep at night, while a quarter of respondents say their chronic tiredness has led them to snatching a few extra minutes of napping on the commute to or from work.

David Carter, from Accident Advice Helpline, added: “As tiredness can be a contributing factor to workplace accidents and injuries, it’s so important to follow appropriate safety guidelines, for example taking appropriate breaks and ensure you’re not doing hours which are too long.”

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