Any person that works a night shift should do what they can from a rest standpoint, but the reality is not that black and white. You are dealing with a very natural and obvious physiological problem, where you have to fight the bodies natural need for sleep at certain times (circadian rhythm).
People who work nights are not as sharp, make more mistakes, and aren't as efficient. You try to manage that and mitigate it as much as possible, but it is a reality. Not to mention that people still must deal with the regular worlds hours (construction and noise during the day, kids going to school, all that other 'life' stuff). Never mind that sometimes people don't sleep well at night, and it is a much greater problem when working back side of the clock and trying to get proper sleep during the daytime.
So, just fire the dude who fell asleep in the middle of the night, huh? It was an extremely natural physiological response at that time of night, not necessarily negligent. What if he has to run to the bathroom, should he be fired for that too?
The risks here, as others have mentioned, really weren't that great---'Landing Blind!!'--typical media. But having 2 people on through the night makes sense in any safety related job at all times, especially during the red eye hours.
|