Sleep disorders education and screening programme offered to UK policing

Oscar Kilo, the national police wellbeing service, is inviting officers and staff from UK policing to get involved in the SAFER (sleep, alertness and fatigue in emergency responders) programme.

The aim of the programme is to reduce fatigue and sleep problems suffered by police officers and staff.

Oscar Kilo is making this programme available in response to the findings of the National Wellbeing Survey, which highlighted fatigue as a big area of concern due to long work hours, shift patterns, untreated sleep disorders and stress.

Fatigue can affect workplace performance, increase the risk of accidents and injuries and affect long-term health.

The organisation has teamed up with experts at the University of Surrey to launch a new sleep disorders education and screening programme.

Professor Steven Lockley of the University of Surrey has developed and designed this programme. He has been studying sleep and circadian rhythms for over 25 years.

In a previous study Steven conducted at Harvard Medical School, he and his colleagues implemented similar education and screening programmes for police officers and firefighters. They found that over a third of active duty personnel were at risk of at least one sleep disorder without knowing it.

The SAFER programme is open to anyone working in UK policing. You do not have to work shifts or be in a frontline role.

Read more: Sleep, Alertness and Fatigue in Emergency Responders.