Fatigue Management
I. Purpose:
Fatigue can be defined as a state of impairment that can include physical and/or
mental elements, associated with lower alertness and reduced performance. Signs of
fatigue include tiredness even after sleep, psychological disturbances, loss of energy,
and inability to concentrate. In addition to physical signs and symptoms, fatigued
workers may have their ability to perform mental and physical tasks impaired, which
has the potential to result in incidents because employees/workers may not be alert
and are often less able to respond to changing circumstances. As well as these
immediate problems, fatigue can lead to long‐term health problems.
II. Training:
All employees should be provided with initial Fatigue Management awareness
training at the time of hire and annual refresher training. The purpose of the training
is to provide personnel with the knowledge and skills to recognize the causes and
consequences of fatigue, manage fatigue-related risk through appropriate work and
personal habits, and the importance of reporting fatigue to their respective
supervisors. Furthermore, supervisory personnel must remain vigilant in observing
their respective employees for signs of fatigue, and when necessary, take
appropriate action(s) to mitigate associated risks and prevent loss.
III. General Information:
Fatigue is a state of ‘being tired’. It can be caused by long hours of work, long hours
of physical or mental activity, inadequate rest, excessive stress, and combinations of
these factors.
Although signs of fatigue vary from person to person, typical physical signs and
symptoms are as follows:
i. Tiredness
ii. Sleepiness, including falling asleep against the individual’s will (micro
sleeps)
iii. Irritability
iv. Depression
v. Giddiness
vi. Loss of appetite
vii. Digestive problems
viii. An increased susceptibility to illness
In addition to physical signs and symptoms, fatigued workers may have their ability
to perform mental and physical tasks impaired. These “performance impairments”
can take many forms including but not limited to those listed below:
ix. Slowed reactions – physical reaction speed and speed of thought
x. Failure to respond to stimuli, changes in the surroundings and/or
information provided
xi. Incorrect actions/reactions - either physical or mental
xii. Flawed logic and judgment and an inability to concentrate
xiii. Increases in memory errors, including forgetfulness
xiv. Decrease in vigilance
xv. Reduced motivation
xvi. Increased tendency for risk-taking
Incidents or injuries are the result of a number of factors acting in combination, fatigue
being just one of them. Because fatigue cannot be measured, it is difficult to isolate the
effect of extended work hours or lack of sleep on any changes in incident and injury
rates. Although difficult to measure, fatigue has been identified as having played a
significant role in a number of recent transportation and utility disasters.
b. Extended Hours of Work:
Typical hours of work and the number of overtime hours have increased in many
industries to match the demands of increased production or fluctuations in product
or service demand.
There is little agreement however, as to what is meant by “extended hours of work”.
For some industries it refers to 12-hour workdays, while other industries consider it
as work periods exceeding 12 hours, with periods of up to16 hours being the norm in
some sectors.
Employers must be aware of the factors influencing worker performance, work site
productivity, and methods of preventing or reducing the likelihood of problems. These
methods may include work site accommodation to eliminate travel time, prepared
meals to eliminate meal preparation time, and quiet accommodation. Additionally, the
employer will set work hour limitations and will control job rotation schedules to control
fatigue, allow for sufficient sleep, and increase mental fitness in an effort to control
employee turnover and absenteeism.
c. General Guidelines:
The following are some general guidelines and best management practices
(BMP’s) for increasing worker and public safety when fatigue management
may be an issue:
i. Ergonomic equipment will be used to improve workstation conditions
such as anti- fatigue mats for standing, lift assist devices for
repetitive lifting, proper lighting and control of temperature, and other
ergonomic devices as deemed appropriate.
ii. Work tasks to control fatigue must be analyzed and evaluated periodically.
iii. Where practical, chairs will be provided for personnel to sit periodically,
iv. Periodic rest breaks will be provided for personnel.
v. Employees must not chronically use over the counter or prescription
drugs to increase mental alertness. Employees should be
discouraged from taking any substance known to increase fatigue in
that employee, including fatigue that sets in after the effects of the
drug wear off.
