Fatigue update on WorkSafe Victoria s activities

1. Fatigue – update on WorkSafe Victoria’s activities Elizabeth Kilduff VTHC HSR Conference

2. Introduction WorkSafe Victoria is developing generic guidance on fatigue: Fatigue Management in the Workplace The guide is being developed in conjunction with WorkCover New South Wales and Workplace Health & Safety Queensland

3. Definition WHAT IS FATIGUE? It is quite normal to feel tired or drowsy after prolonged mental or physical effort. Fatigue, however, is more than feeling tired or drowsy. It is an acute and ongoing state of tiredness that leads to mental or physical exhaustion and prevents people from functioning normally. source: Fatigue Management in the Workplace (Draft Guide)

4. Risk of injury & shift work Where work 6 consecutive 10-hour shifts, risk of injury increased by 16% for day shifts and 38% for night shifts Risk increased by 46% with five twelve hour night shifts

5. Draft guide – fatigue management mental and physical demands of work work scheduling and planning working time environmental conditions individual factors & factors outside work

6. Risk control examples redesign the job to include a variety of mental and physical tasks introduce job rotation to limit a build-up of mental and physical fatigue avoid working arrangements that provide incentives to work excessive hours

7. Risk control examples provide adequate breaks between shifts to allow workers enough time recovery time control overtime, shift swapping and on-call duties use a forward rotation shift system

10. Implementation Undertake six months of awareness raising activities Train inspectorate in operational approach to work-related fatigue

11. Implementation Evaluate awareness raising activities Finalise & implement program enforcement approach for fatigue