The Fatigue Factor
The end-of-year period can be a time of increased stress and fatigue for employees, which can dramatically affect their safety performance on the job.
Several factors can cause fatigue, including:
■ too little, poor quality, or interrupted sleep over a period of time;
■ long work hours and extended or irregular shifts; and
■ winter illnesses such as cold, flu, or sore throat.
When workers are fatigued, they can exhibit weariness, sleepiness, irritability, reduced alertness, impaired decisionmaking, and lack of motivation, concentration, and memory.
Why is worker fatigue important? Because fatigue has been a contributing factor in worker injuries and fatalities, industrial disasters, lower productivity, increased time off the job, and higher workers’ comp costs, among other effects. In addition, studies have linked fatigue to health problems such as heart disease, digestive disorders, depression, poor eating habits/obesity, and worsening of existing chronic diseases such as diabetes and epilepsy, among others.
Employers can help reduce the hazards of worker fatigue in the following ways:
■ Examine and adjust staff workloads and work hours, as necessary.
■ Arrange work schedules to give employees frequent rest breaks on the job and better opportunities for quality nighttime sleep.
■ Adjust the work environment—such as lighting, temperature, and physical surroundings—to increase employee alertness.
■ Educate and train workers on the symptoms and occupational hazards of fatigue, the importance of quality sleep, the impact of fatigue on health and relationships, and how diet, exercise, and stress management strategies can minimize the adverse effects of fatigue.
■ Consider implementing a Fatigue Risk Management Plan. (Click HERE for resources from other industries that have implemented such plans in their operations.)
Follow this link to access OSHA’s basic information on long work hours, extended or irregular shifts, and worker fatigue.
Worker photo by stockking from Freepik.
