New Toolkit Helps Officers Tackle Poor Sleep And Fatigue

It is vital for police officers’ safety that they get enough sleep, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said, as a new fatigue risk management toolkit is launched.

Worryingly, the last National Police Wellbeing Survey found that 45% of officers were getting fewer than six hours’ sleep a night. Nearly 70% of respondents said they had high levels of fatigue, and 28.9% reported ‘very high levels’ of fatigue.

Fatigue affects work performance, increases the risk of accidents and injuries, and impacts people’s long-term health. Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), has responded by launching a new online Fatigue Risk Management Toolkit (www.oscarkilo.org.uk/fatigue-risk-management-guidance-policing).

It can be used to develop a force fatigue risk policy, or simply when dealing with the challenges around sleepiness and fatigue in policing.

The kit includes sections on the factors that lead to fatigue, spotting the signs of fatigue, achieving healthy sleep practices, and links to training.

South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said he welcomed the toolkit: “I don’t know if this is going to be a black-and-white moment where this problem is finally solved, but it will help with awareness and education, and encourage better sleep practices.”

Steve said that high levels of fatigue in policing were highly worrying, considering that frontline officers and detectives may spend hours driving every day.

He said: “Our colleagues in traffic and firearms, if they’re single-crewed, they could be driving for up to 12 hours. If they’re not getting enough sleep, there is a massive risk there.

“When officers are expected to use legitimate force, when they are expected to write really long files, they’ve got to be sharp because the risks they face are enormous.

“It can be a particular challenge for people working shifts, because your sleep patterns are all over the place – some people grab a few hours’ sleep here and there.

“My message to the public would be to have some compassion if you see a cop having a coffee. We should be encouraging cops to take breaks, to start to break this culture.

“Of course, our officers are highly skilled at what they do. But ultimately everybody needs proper rest.”