The ACOEM has an initiative to increase awareness of employees’ sleep disorders and the problems they create for workplace safety and workplace productivity.

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has launched the “Healthy Workforce Now” initiative in an effort to bring more attention to the fact that employees’ sleep disorders can create problems when it comes to workplace safety, employees’ health and workplace productivity. As part of this initiative, the ACOEM has released a number of interesting statistics regarding sleep disorders and what they are costing some employers. Specifically, the ACOEM reports that:

• About 23 percent of all American workers suffer from insomnia.
• Insomnia and its effects result in approximately 367 million lost work days annually in the U.S.
• These lost work days related to insomnia cost employers more than $63 billion each year in health care costs and productivity losses.
• Upwards of 40 million American workers suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition marked by interruptions in breathing when sleeping. Nearly half of all of these cases involve OSA that is moderate to severe.
• While employers’ health care costs related to OSA are about $80 billion each year, employers’ costs related to disability compensation and productivity losses due to OSA are estimated to be between $200 and $400 billion annually.

Given such astronomical costs associated with some sleep disorders when it comes to workplace productivity, the ACOEM is encouraging employers to develop improved workplace health promotion programs that can better:

• Identify the causes of insomnia, OSA and other sleep disorders
• Diagnose sleep disorders before they create safety and productivity problems in the workplace
• Treat sleep disorders to improve workers’ health and ultimately to improve workplace safety and productivity.

If you have sustained a workplace injury and are considering (or in the process of) filing a workers compensation claim, it’s essential that you contact the Colorado workers compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick. Our legal professionals have a proven track record of success when it comes to securing our Clients the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and financial losses. For a thorough evaluation of your case, along with expert advice on the best manner in which to move forward, call us at (303) 447-2644.