Working patterns - Fatigue
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ORR published guidance on managing fatigue in safety critical work in July 2006. Hours of work and other conditions of service are primarily matters for agreement between employers and their staff. But fatigue, particularly when work is critical to safe operation such as work done by drivers, signallers and maintenance workers, can pose a serious safety risk for railway workers and others, and must be effectively managed.
The problem
Fatigue reduces workers' mental alertness and can affect performance. Errors caused by impaired concentration, perception, judgement or memory may become more likely. People may become more impatient. Ultimately this can lead to drowsiness or involuntary sleep.
For railway safety critical work, fatigue may cause or contribute to potentially dangerous errors: a signal or an indication on a control panel may be misread or overlooked; an important instruction or message may be misunderstood; and staff will be more likely make an error. For example, a driver might move away forgetting that permission has not been given; or an engineer carrying out maintenance or renewal work might fail to complete necessary checks or procedures before finishing a job; or a signaller set an incorrect route/message.
Managing the problem
Fatigue can be caused both by the number and nature of hours worked. The following can all have an impact on fatigue:
- the length and time of the shift (e.g. long night shifts, shift start times);
- the nature of the changes between shifts (shift rotation), especially backward rotation;
- the balance in concentration and stimulation in the work activities being undertaken;
- insufficient rest breaks; and
- the time of day.
Fatigue management should include:
- development and implementation of appropriate policies;
- design of shift rosters;
- risk assessment of changes to rosters;
- monitoring levels of fatigue; and
- shiftwork education.
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