🔹 Safety Moment: Fatigue Management in the Workplace
Purpose:
Fatigue is more than just feeling tired — it is a state of physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion that reduces a worker’s ability to perform tasks safely. Fatigue contributes to slower reaction times, poor decision-making, micro-sleep events and, in high-risk environments, can lead to serious injuries or fatal incidents. Managing fatigue is therefore a critical part of ensuring a safe and productive workplace.
1. What Causes Workplace Fatigue?
Fatigue can result from long hours, shift work, night work, insufficient sleep, high physical or mental workloads, heat exposure, stress, long commutes and inadequate rest breaks.
Workers in remote or demanding environments — including drilling, logistics, construction and agriculture — face added risks because fatigue accumulates quickly under physical strain or environmental extremes.
Organisational factors such as understaffing, overtime expectations and poorly designed rosters often amplify the problem.
Understanding these root causes helps identify where controls must be strengthened.
➡ Take-away: Fatigue is a foreseeable hazard — not a personal weakness.
2. Recognising Fatigue Warning Signs
Common indicators include slowed reactions, poor concentration, irritability, lapses in memory, difficulty maintaining posture, and reduced coordination.
Micro-sleep episodes (2–10 second involuntary sleep events) are especially dangerous when operating vehicles or equipment.
Teams should be trained to recognise these signs in themselves and others, and feel empowered to speak up when fatigue is affecting performance.
➡ Take-away: If you notice fatigue symptoms in yourself or a coworker, stop and reassess — silence leads to incidents.
3. Controls: How We Manage Fatigue
Fatigue management requires both organisational and individual controls:
-
Rosters that minimise long shifts, excessive night work or rapid shift rotations
-
Mandatory rest breaks and limits on overtime
-
Fatigue-risk assessments for high-hazard tasks (driving, lifting, heavy machinery, confined space work)
-
Fit-for-work checks and supervisor monitoring
-
Encouraging workers to report fatigue without fear of consequences
-
Training on sleep hygiene and the effects of fatigue
Environmental controls — such as heat-stress management, hydration, job rotation and adequate lighting — also reduce the impact of fatigue.
âž¡ Take-away: Effective fatigue management = Good rosters + Good supervision + Workers empowered to speak up.
4. Responsibilities – Everyone Has a Role
Employers/PCBU: Design safe systems of work, provide adequate staffing, schedule reasonable hours, and conduct fatigue-risk assessments.
Supervisors: Monitor fatigue indicators, intervene when necessary, and ensure breaks are taken.
Workers: Arrive fit for duty, manage personal fatigue factors, report concerns early, and follow safe-work procedures.
âž¡ Take-away: Fatigue management only works when everyone takes responsibility.
Final Message
Fatigue is a hidden hazard that can impact anyone, regardless of skill or experience. Identifying it early and managing it proactively prevents serious incidents.
If you're too tired to work safely — you’re too tired to work.
Speak up, take a break, and protect yourself and your team.