Workplace Safety and Human Factors: Fatigue

Safety standards and workplace safety measures are important to any safety program. Many kinds of equipment and safety practices effectively reduce risks and eliminate hazards in the workplace. Safety products, such as personal fall protection systems, personal protective equipment, and many others, can help companies comply with legal workplace regulations and provide a safe working environment.

Despite the abundance of safety equipment, some hazards can never be eliminated. Often, human factors can endanger workers even when the appropriate safety measures are in place. In our blog on creating a culture of safety in the workplace, we discussed the situation of workers who have access to fall protection but failed to use it. An employee’s attitude toward safety equipment or practices is one human factor that can affect the safety of that employee and others. Fatigue is another common human factor that elevate workplace safety hazards.

Fatigue

Fatigue can be the result of different circumstances, including lack of sleep and prolonged physical or mental exertion. One common cause of fatigue for workers is shiftwork. Employees who work late or overnight shifts are more likely to experience fatigue while working. For employees who work long shifts at physically demanding tasks, fatigue can be a serious concern.

Fatigue can affect a worker’s memory, concentration, judgment, and decision making. Unfortunately, many people underestimate the effects of fatigue or fail to recognize their own level of fatigue. When it is not addressed, fatigue can cause workers to work in an unsafe way, leading to an increased risk of accident or injury in the workplace.

Jobs and tasks that involve risk normally, such as work at height, become even more dangerous when a worker is experiencing fatigue. A fatigued worker might forget to take certain safety precautions; they might remember to wear a full-body harness while working at height, but forget to connect to a lifeline. A fatigued worker may also have slowed reactions and reduced situational awareness, which can lead to a slip, trip, or fall—and a potentially serious injury.

Solutions

Fortunately, managing fatigue in the workplace can often be achieved without dramatic changes to workplace safety programs. Many elements of a typical safety program can be used to address concerns about fatigue as well. One of the first steps in mitigating fatigue risk is education. Part of the reason fatigue is dangerous is that people often fail to recognize its effects. Education can be especially useful by helping managers to recognize symptoms of fatigue in workers to avoid dangerous situations.

Employers can also take measures regarding worker schedules to help reduce the risk of fatigue. Allowing rest days between longer than usual shifts or allowing flexibility in start times for late shifts can reduce long-term worker fatigue. Ensuring that workers take sufficient breaks during long shifts also decreases the effects of fatigue during a single shift.

When schedule flexibility is not viable, there are additional ways to reduce the risks caused by the effects of fatigue. One of the best ways is to schedule work during a shift to avoid workers performing higher-risk tasks while experiencing fatigue. Workers tend to be most alert at the beginning of a shift, so it can be safest to perform more difficult or dangerous tasks early, if possible. The worker can then do less demanding tasks later in the shift, when fatigue may set in.

There are many variables concerning workplace safety. Safety equipment, PPE, workplace safety training, and other controls are common parts of work safety programs. Human factors, including fatigue, complacency, and others, should also be considered as crucial elements of complete workplace safety. A workplace safety expert can help you find the best ways to address human factors in your safety program.