Fatigue is a serious issue in all workplaces because of the potentially serious consequences that can arise from workers suffering from fatigue.
In particular fatigue is an issue where workers such as long haul truck drivers are subjected to dangerous risks when they are fatigued and road users can also be on the receiving end when the outcome is a truck crash.
Safe Work Australia has prepared a draft of ‘Managing the risk of fatigue at work’ which is part of the harmonisation process for workplace health and safety laws across Australia.
This is a general guide and not applicable to any particular industry and the draft was released so that people could submit feedback on its contents.
The submission time for comment has been closed but more information on the proposed guide can be found at http://www.comcare.gov.au:
This document provides practical guidance for persons conducting a business or undertaking and other duty holders on how to manage fatigue to ensure it does not contribute to health and safety risks at the workplace. Although the information in this guide can be applied generally to all types of work and all workplaces covered by the WHS Act, it is not designed to provide information on how to manage fatigue in specific industries and does not replace requirements related to fatigue under other laws, for example heavy vehicle driver fatigue laws or rail safety requirements under the Rail Safety National Law. This information is available in the National Transport Commission’s Guidelines for Managing Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue and the National Rail Safety Regulator’s Guidance on Fatigue Risk Management Program. 1.1 What is fatigue?Fatigue is mental or physical exhaustion that prevents a person from performing work safely and effectively.It is more than feeling tired and drowsy—it is a physical condition that can occur because of prolonged exertion, sleep loss and/or disruption of the internal body clock.Fatigue can be caused by factors that may be work-related, lifestyle-related or a combination of both, and it can accumulate over time. Chapter 2 provides further details about factors that may cause fatigue.1.2 Why is fatigue a problem?Fatigue impacts safety at the workplace and public safety. Fatigue has been directly associated with increased error rates and risk taking behaviour. The risk of an incident occurring also increases with each additional hour worked. When workers are fatigued there is the potential for an increase in incidents and injuries to occur, particularly:
- when operating fixed or mobile plant, including driving vehicles
- when undertaking critical tasks that require a high level of concentration
- where the consequence of error is serious
- when undertaking night or shift work when a person would ordinarily be sleeping.
The effects of fatigue can be short or long term. In the short term a person may show the signs or report the symptoms of fatigue outlined in section 1.3. The longer term health effects of fatigue can include:
- heart disease
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- gastrointestinal disorders
- lower fertility
- anxiety and/or depression.
1.3 How can you tell if someone is fatigued?A fatigued worker may show the following signs:
- constant yawning or falling asleep at work
- short term memory problems and an inability to concentrate
- noticeably reduced capacity to engage in effective interpersonal communicationage 4 of 24
- impaired decision-making and judgment
- reduced hand-eye coordination or slow reflexes.
A fatigued worker may report:
- feeling drowsy
- headaches and/or dizziness
- hallucinations
- blurred vision or impaired visual perception
- a need for extended sleep during days off work.
Source:http://www.comcare.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/121691/Managing_the_risk_of_fatigue.pdf
The intention of this guide is not to replace specialised legislation like the heavy vehicle driver fatigue laws. Instead it is a general document that can be used across industries as a way of better informing people about fatigue and its potentially debilitating effects.
Peter Cutforth is a Director at Urban E-Learning, a global elearning and web strategy firm based in George St Brisbane. Peter's interests extend to training, safety and compliance, online marketing, and Mobile Apps.
