Worker fatigue can impact all businesses. Certain sectors or those utilising shift work are at higher risk. Fatigue is more than feeling tired & drowsy. It is a state of mental and/or physical exhaustion that reduces a person’s ability to perform work safely & effectively. ?
Fatigue Management – The Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011 places a legal obligation on a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to consult and manage risks to health and safety by either eliminating risks so far as is reasonably practicable or if not reasonably practicable, minimise those risks. The same principles apply when managing the risk of fatigue in the workplace
Fatigue is more than feeling tired and drowsy, it is a state of mental and/or physical exhaustion that reduces a person’s ability to perform work safely and effectively. Fatigue may increase the risk of incidents because of a lack of alertness and slower reaction times. It can also affect the ability to make good decisions. Fatigue can be caused by prolonged or intense mental or physical activity, sleep loss or disruption of your internal body clock, long shifts, short recovery times between shifts, strenuous jobs, long commuting times, poor sleep, family demands.
How to manage fatigue – Safe Work Australia has a guide for managing the risk of fatigue at work and fatigue management provides practical guidance for business and employers (and other (PCBUs) and other duty holders on how to manage fatigue to ensure it does not contribute to health and safety risks in the workplace. The guide contains information that can be applied generally to all types of work and workplaces covered by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. The guide is not designed to provide industry specific information on managing fatigue and does not replace the requirements related to fatigue under other laws, for example heavy vehicle driver fatigue laws or rail safety requirements.
For support or advice, please contact our WHS specialists for assistance.
For further information, please refer to:
Title: Safe Work NSW
Source: Fatigue Management
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