In particular, individuals working evening and night shifts are more likely to fall asleep on their way home after work. Statistics demonstrate that "...41% of extended hours employees reported nodding off while driving compared with 28% of day workers" (Extended hours...). What this effectively suggests is that firefighters and first responders face a number of notable health and safety threats as a direct result of their schedules and the resultant sleep outcomes.
Addressing the Issue
Although the overall research that has been collected in this field is not extensive, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (2005, Extended...) notes that there are some steps that employers can take to improve outcomes for professionals that must work unusual work schedules. Specifically, this organization reports that "When there is a choice, managers should limit the use of extended shifts and increase the number of days employees work. Working shifts longer than 8 hours will generally result in reduced productivity and alertness" (Extended...). Additionally, OSHA argues that both employees and mangers should be trained to recognize the signs of sleep deprivation. When these signs are noted in an employee, the employee should be sent home or given ample rest time to ensure that occupational accidents do not result.
Although OSHA is able to provide some basic guidelines for improving outcomes for professionals that are required to work unusual shifts, the reality is that many of the recommendations made by the organization are difficult to apply to firefighters and first responders. Even when shifts can be limited to 8 hours, the specific working conditions that are present in these jobs -- i.e. periods of inactivity followed by extreme periods of activity and stress -- still create a considerable challenge for regulating sleep and awake cycles. As such, individuals working in these professions will continue to face considerable challenges when it comes to improving sleep cycles and reducing the occurrence of occupational injuries and fatalities.
Conclusion
Synthesizing all of the data provided in this investigation, it becomes evident that sleep deprivation can have notable impacts on the ability...
While sleep deprivation can be a temporary state which only impacts the individual periodically, professions such as firefighting and first responders face considerable sleep challenges as a day-to-day reality of their work environment. Although there are steps that individuals and organizations can take to reduce the negative impact of sleep depravation on work performance, the unique demands of firefighting and first responders make it difficult for changes in work schedules to occur. Given that these professionals provide such an important and essential service to the community, it seems reasonable to argue that further research in this area is needed to determine how improvements in this area could be made. If first responders are not able to do their jobs, society will face considerable obstacles in meeting basic public needs.
References
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Kenyon, T.A. (2007). On call: Alert or unsafe? A report of the AORN on-call electronic task force. AORN Journal, 86(4), 630-39.
Kushida, C.A. (2005). Sleep Deprivation: Basic Science, Physiology and Behavior. New York: Marcel Dekker.
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Sollecito, J. (2007). Extended hours workers prone to major health issues. Firehouse. Accessed November 17, 2007 at http://cms.firehouse.com/web/online/Health-and-Fitness/Extended-Hours-Workers-Prone-to-Major-Health-Issues/11$51,399.
Takeyama, H. (2005). Effects of shift schedules on fatigue and physiological functions among firefighters during night duty. Ergonomics, 48(1), 1-11.
