TRAINING NATIONAL

Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue

Sheet 1 - Fatigue and what causes it

One or more symptoms of fatigue could be:

• exhaustion and a feeling of never being able to get enough done;

• feeling sluggish each morning and being unproductive for half of the day;

• taking a long time to recover after exerting yourself;

• a constant lack of energy;

• feeling unfit;

• feeling confused; and

• being unable to concentrate.

TRAINING NATIONAL

Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue

Sheet 2 - Signs of fatigue

• feeling cramped or fidgety;

• driving erratically;

• continually yawning;

• your mind wandering;

• often feeling drowsy; and

• impatience.

• finding it hard to concentrate;

• having difficulty with problem solving;

Some signs of fatigue include:

TRAINING NATIONAL

Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue

Sheet 3 - The effects of fatigue on your work performance

Some of the likely effects could be:

• taking longer than usual to complete a task;

• making mistakes or being slow to diagnose problems;

• losing your temper with workmates or customers;

• injuring yourself or damaging equipment due to forgetting to replace a part; and

• failing to recognise a hazard or a dangerous situation.

• sustaining an injury because you are rushing to complete a task;

TRAINING NATIONAL

Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue

Sheet 4 - Minimise and manage fatigue

THINK YOUR WORK THROUGH AND PLAN AHEAD ON A DAILY, WEEKLY OR EVEN MONTHLY BASIS.

Distribute strenuous work throughout the day, rather than doing it all at one time.

Try to rest before doing the really heavy work.

Plan complex tasks carefully.

USE GOOD MANUAL HANDLING AND ERGONOMIC TECHNIQUES.

If possible, sit down to do the job.

Maintain good posture to take the strain off your joints.

In order to be more efficient, arrange you tools and work area sensibly.

TRAINING NATIONAL

Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue

Sheet 5 - Minimise and manage fatigue (cont’d

PACE YOUR WORKAvoid rushing.

Rest before you exhaust yourself.

Spread your work throughout the day and take planned rest breaks.

Alternate between light and heavy work.

BE SELECTIVE ABOUT ACTIVITIESPrioritise your tasks.

Simplify the way you plan to do the work.

Stand back, look at the situation and organise the tasks accordingly.

To conserve energy, use labour saving devices, such as trolleys and fork lifts.