Worker Fatigue: Understanding the Risks in the Workplace

Fatigue is a risk to worker safety and health. For moderate- and high-risk environments, one can present a strong business case to justify comprehensive management of fatigue risks. OSH management has evolved to a point where proactively managing nonphysical hazards such as fatigue is recognized as good business practice.

So why aren't more organizations in North America effectively managing fatigue as a hazard? To understand the relative inertia in dealing with fatigue, one must understand current barriers and recognize the importance of managing the hazard of fatigue across all levels of operations. Fatigue is a hazard that can exist at the worker level, due to worker health issues or workers who improperly prioritize sleep, and at an organizational level, when fatigue risks are inherent in the scope of operations. Recognizing the different sources of this hazard allows for comprehensive and effective mitigation strategies.

North America is not the first to have recognized or moved toward managing fatigue issues. Thus, myriad proven best practices exist for effectively managing fatigue. Yet, many companies lack an awareness of the need to assess existing risks to proactively manage fatigue using these best practices. Different strategies are needed for low, moderate and high levels of fatigue risk exposure.

Properly managing fatigue in a high-risk environment typically involves multiple levels of control, implemented with strong education and training, to allow for a cultural shift in existing safety management. This shift requires awareness and knowledge at all levels of the organization. It often starts with OSH professionals who understand fatigue issues and develop comprehensive plans to effectively create change.

How Fatigue Affects Worker Safety

Let's begin by examining how fatigue fits into the world of OSH. Fatigue can create a significant hazard in many workplaces because of the way it affects a worker's ability to safely perform job duties. Fatigue can impair workplace performance in four key areas.

1) Alertness: To notice or react to changes in a work environment; to remain vigilant.

2) Emotional stability: To remain emotionally calm and stable when dealing with critical situations.

3) Mental ability: To remember, think clearly, make decisions and communicate.

4) Physical ability: To perform with adequate reaction times and overall coordination.

Short-term effects of fatigue can lead to significant safety hazards as the...