Facts About Students, Work and Fatigue
• Nearly 50 percent of full-time college students and 85 percent of part time college students are employed. The majority of undergraduate college students are between the ages of 16-24. • College students have double the risk for job-related injuries compared to adults doing the same work. In fact, the injury rates for the first three months of employment are three times higher for 18 and 19-year-olds. • U.S. labor laws change for workers when they reach age 18, allowing them to do more dangerous work, such as: o Operating motor vehicles for work and deliveries and being an outside helper on a motor vehicle (such as a garbage truck) o Power-driven hoisting equipment, such as fork lifts o Power-driven metal-forming, punching and shearing machines o Power-driven meat slicing and bakery machines o Power-driven saws, blade and cutting machines • The number of students that work full time and attend college full time has steadily risen each year since 1980 and reached an all-time high of nine percent in 2005. • The total number of hours worked in combination with the number of curriculum credit hours continues to climb across the country. • A national survey of sleep patterns in U.S. adolescents found that only 20 percent get the recommended nine hours of sleep on school nights and nearly half sleep less than eight hours. • High school seniors average just 6.9 hours of sleep; a number that only deteriorates when they enter college. • Sleepiness and fatigue in the workplace can lead to poor concentration, absenteeism, accidents, errors, injuries and fatalities. • A study of more than 400 people looked at how their work was affected by lack of sleep and found: o 63 percent had more difficulty handling stressful situations. o 60 percent reported more difficulty concentrating on the task at hand.
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o 57 percent experienced more difficulty listening to others. o 55 percent experienced more difficulty solving problems on the job. o 48 percent had difficulty making decisions. o 43 percent had more difficulty relating to coworkers. • In addition to reports of lack of alertness, productivity and ability to communicate, sleepdeprived workers reported the following: o 31 percent reported a decline in quality of work o 31 percent reported impaired thinking or judgment at work o 30 percent reported trouble retaining information. • Among people ages 16-24 in 2006, there were more than 175,000 incidents of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving at least one day away from work. Among people ages 16-24 in 2006, there were more than 500 fatal workplace injuries. • Each year 100,000 car accidents are caused by drowsiness, which result in 71,000 injuries and 1,500 deaths. • More than half of all car accidents where drivers fell asleep at the wheel involved drivers aged 16 to 25.
Sources: • • • • • • • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health National Center for Educational Statistics US Census Bureau Occupational Safety & Health Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics National Sleep Foundation
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