Fatigue Consulting
Fatigue is a major issue in the workplace. Fatigue impairs judgment, slows production, causes damage to equipment, and worst of all causes many deaths each year. There have been many industrial catastrophes caused by fatigue and/or human error including Chernobyl and Exxon Valdez. The fact of the matter is the only way we can combat this issue is by figuring out where the problems lie. All the aspects of Fatigue consulting are site specific, please reach out to us to start your Fatigue Management journey.
FRA (Fatigue Risk Assessment)
A desktop risk assessment that through surveys and site visits establishes the companies fatigue risk. Fatigue can be addressed through the workplace’s safety management system, or as a separate fatigue management program. Creating a program that addresses both workplace and personal factors may include:
- Identify the hazards and conduct a risk assessment for factors associated with fatigue
- Develop and implement the organization’s response to when a person is experiencing fatigue
- Document the steps to take to report fatigue in self or others
- Design the work area to have appropriate lighting, temperature, and noise levels
- Develop administrative practices such as maximum hours of service, appropriate shift rotation, extended workdays, reduced or eliminated needs to do high risk activities between certain hours (e.g., between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.), etc
- Assess physical and mental job demands
- Provide appropriate work, where possible. For example, try to offer a variety of tasks that vary in interests and movements throughout the shift
- Provide lodging or areas to rest/sleep, where appropriate or necessary
- Educate and train members about fatigue, including how to recognize signs and symptoms of fatigue, how to gauge alertness, or steps to help achieve better sleep
- Provide medical screening for health issues that may affect sleep
- As needed, provide mental health services, including employee assistance programs (EAP)List Item
- Include fatigue as a possible factor and related causes of fatigue when investigating incidents
A desktop risk assessment that through surveys and site visits establishes the companies fatigue risk. Fatigue can be addressed through the workplace’s safety management system, or as a separate fatigue management program. Creating a program that addresses both workplace and personal factors may include:
Fatigue Education (Employees)
Understanding fatigue and how it can affect our daily lives, is so important. We teach employees that fatigue does not happen when a shift starts or at clock in time, it starts at home.
- What time did I go to bed last night? In other words, did I receive enough sleep before the start of my next shift?
- What did I eat last night? Was it spicy food that kept my stomach busy and therefore my brain could not do what it is supposed to do when I rest?
- When was my last cup of coffee before I went to bed? Does it prevent my brain from going into stage 4 and 5 of sleep?
When employees understand this subject, they can manage their own fatigue and improve the quality of their lives.
Train-the-Trainer
As employees come and go, mines/companies understand that for programmes to be sustainable, they need to be done repeatedly. In our TTT programme we educate your trainers once a year, and then they can do the programmes monthly or quarterly as new employees arrive.
Key elements of training include, why sleep is so important when working shifts, what happens in the body when one is fatigued, what causes fatigue, what the signs and symptoms are of fatigue, how exercise and nutrition affects fatigue, and how fatigue impacts one’s day.
The manual is designed and developed according to the SETA unit standard of Fatigue. The trainers must do quizzes in class, present back to our fatigue specialist and the class, and will receive a certificate after completion of the manual.
Family Education
We all know fatigue does not start at work; it starts at home! With all our research and previous experience, we have realized that as soon as a family understands fatigue, they can support the employees’ working shifts so much better.
This little booklet addresses all ages in a household – from mom/dad to grandma who is taking care of the household, teenagers, and little ones. There are activities for each age and even a page on how to become a young gardener and grow your own vegetables. It is a 12 page, A5 booklet full of fun information.
This programme can be presented at schools in class format OR you can use this as a handout to your employees on wellness days etc.
We have won several international awards with the Family Education – Gold Quill award, African Quill and the CommPrix, just to name a few. The feedback was, “you communicate a very difficult subject in a very easy way”.
Roster Education
Excessively long working hours and poorly planned shift work can result in workers’ fatigue. Poor work schedules where there are inadequate rest breaks can also accelerate the onset of fatigue in the workplace, especially when the work is demanding.
Have you ever wanted to know the most dangerous or at risk fatigue points in your shift roster? We analyse rosters using our latest proprietary Bio-Mathematical modelling. This software pinpoints the exact days/times that are dangers of fatigue in the roster. The shift start times, days and nights, duration of the shift and days off all contribute to the fatigue risk score. Quantify fatigue risks of current schedules showing key fatigue danger zones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ft = Fss + Few + Fpf
Total fatigue = Shift systems + Ergonomics and Work + Personal Factors
Shift Systems
When you wake up and go to bed
Shift start time
Hours worked
How much sleep does one have in a 24 hour period
Ergonomics and work
Lighting in your work area
Body posture
Temperature in your work place
Can your office chair move up or down
Can your truck/vehicle seat move forward/backword and up/down
Personal factors
Chronic medical conditions
Stress
Sleep hygiene
Caffeine intake
Nutrition
Hydration
Fatigue kills more drivers than drugs and alcohol combined. If one of your workers is awake 21 hours in a row, they have the reflexes of someone that is legally drunk. Do you want that employee driving your truck?
Fatigue is like a loaf of bread with many slices. Each slice adds up to your daily total fatigue.
Some of those slices have to do with:
Nutrition
Wellness
When caffeine is used as a countermeasure
Hours of sleep a day
Shift pressure
Overtime worked
Schedules worked
Day/night shifts worked
External environmental impacts like:
Temperature
Noise levels etc.
And many more factors for consideration
Every time you have an accident or incident ask did it happen during a circadian low point. Some of these points are:
First hour of the shift
Post lunchtime dip
Between 1am and 5am
Continually robbing the body of sleep increases your risk of diabetes, hypertension and many other chronic medical conditions. It also increases your chance of Alzheimer’s by increasing the plaque in your brain.
We have one-day site visit audits. Here we look at how your break rooms, cafeterias/canteens and worksites are set up and leave you with a step forward that gives you many aspects to implement yourself at a low or no cost.
