The construction industry demands risky tasks and long hours from workers and site managers. With the physical demands required to perform daily, workers are at an increased risk of workplace fatigue on-site, putting worker safety in danger. Basic fatigue management plans can help workers limit the effects of workplace fatigue by managing working hour limits and limiting high-risk tasks near the end of the work shift.

Quick look

• Workplace fatigue in construction increases the risk of accidents, injuries, and fatalities, making fatigue management essential for job site safety.
• Fatigue can stem from lack of sleep, burnout, or physical exhaustion, leading to slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and higher risk-taking behaviors.
• Symptoms of workplace fatigue include reduced cognitive function, physical exhaustion, and increased errors, affecting communication and productivity.
• Fatigue risk management plans (FRMPs) help mitigate workplace fatigue by establishing policies on shift work, work hours, and employee responsibilities.
• Benefits of fatigue management include fewer accidents, better compliance with safety regulations, improved worker morale, and lower costs from safety violations.

What is workplace fatigue? 

Workplace fatigue refers to feelings of tiredness, sleepiness, or exhaustion in a work setting. It is often discussed in contexts of boosting workplace productivity, workplace safety, or lowering fatigue-related incidents. It’s a common safety risk in construction and other industries where physical safety is a top priority. 

Workplace fatigue can result from factors entirely unrelated to sleep, like burnout and physical exhaustion, producing symptoms ranging from mild to dangerous on the job site. In contrast, effectively managing workplace fatigue brings benefits beyond feelings of alertness on site. Proper workplace fatigue management creates a ripple effect, meaning better safety standards, more productivity, and fewer injuries and fatalities. With the construction industry facing the second-highest rate of serious and fatal injuries each year, a basic fatigue management plan could mean the difference between life and death.

Common symptoms of workplace fatigue 

Workplace fatigue’s impact on the average job site is threefold, affecting construction professionals in the following ways: 

Physically: Including physical exhaustion and restricted bodily function

Mentally: Slowed cognitive functioning and reduced mental capacity 

Subjectively: Personal feelings of sleepiness, tiredness, or drowsiness

General symptoms in each state include:

• Impeded communication skills
• Slowed decision-making
• Lowered productivity 
• Less capacity to handle job site stress
• Impaired memory and other cognitive functions
• More errors in judgment
• Slower reaction time
• Inability to recall details 
• Increased tendency to take risks
• Inability to respond to changes in surroundings

Why basic fatigue management is important for safety 

According to the National Safety Council’s Fatigue In Safety-Critical Industries report, 94% of construction employers feel the impacts of fatigue on their organization. With this impact comes 71% of employers experiencing productivity decreases and 45% seeing more safety incidents. 

Some research suggests that losing even one night of sleep can impair a worker’s performance on the job nearly as much as consuming too much alcohol to drive legally. When fatigued, a worker’s judgment is impaired, their reaction time is slower, and they could even risk falling asleep. The dangers of fatigue also bring on a feeling of being invincible, causing workers to make decisions that put themselves and others at risk. These risks exist for everyone, from crane operators to envelope installers to those driving heavy machinery to and from the site. 

Fatigue management for shift workers

Fatigue management for shift workers is even more important as irregular sleep patterns due to odd working hours can lead to increased fatigue. Even for the most seasoned shift workers, the natural circadian cycle can keep them up during the day and asleep at night, making it difficult to get proper rest.

Causes of fatigue for shift workers also include lack of rest for the body between shifts, short turnarounds from day to night shift, and poor sleeping conditions. For shift workers, including frequent rest breaks can be a way to offset some of the tiredness. However, implementing a full fatigue management plan will provide more ways for them to manage their fatigue.  

How to implement a fatigue risk management plan in 6 steps

Workplace fatigue affects the professionals in your organization regardless of shift schedule, role, contractor type, or place in the hierarchy. A proper fatigue risk management plan (FRMP) can be executed in six steps. 

1. Create and document your plan to mitigate workplace fatigue

A proper FRMP starts with a clear statement detailing a business’s commitment to improving fatigue risk management. It’s typically referred to as a policy, standard, or workplace practice. 

Employees and managers should develop and review this document outlining the strategies used to formally manage health and safety risks associated with fatigue. Once understood and training completed, the FRMP should be signed by each employee and their accountable manager. 

2. Identify high-risk tasks and jobs 

The FRMP document should include a thorough section outlining the policy’s scope, including a statement of the tasks, roles, operations, and sites to which it applies. Some organizations have a unified FRMP that applies in any context, whereas others are more particular and develop different policies restricted to those performing safety-critical jobs and tasks. 

The FRMP should also clarify which normal operations it applies to and how fatigue associated with shutdowns, emergency response, and turnarounds will be handled. 

3. Establish roles and responsibilities 

The FRMP will also detail the shared and siloed roles and responsibilities related to workplace fatigue for employees and managers. The employer is responsible for providing employees with the resources to work safely, including enough time off to achieve adequate sleep. 

Employees are responsible for being fit for work, including using their off-time to get adequate sleep and rest. It also includes self-reporting when they’ve received insufficient sleep or feel otherwise excessively tired on the job. 

4. Create a policy around shifts, working hours, and overtime hours

The policy should also clarify what your organization deems to be a limit regarding: 

• Maximum overtime hours
• Monthly and weekly overtime
• Minimum duration of rest between duties
• Maximum number of consecutive night and day work
• Maximum number of hours worked before a break

Consider local and industry-specific regulations that must be met. Introduce more stringent procedures where applicable to reduce the risk of workplace fatigue further.  

5. Create a training program for employees

Training programs help employees understand safety procedures and empower them to get rest when needed. The last thing you want is a tough worker mentality in an industry already prone to serious injuries. Make sure to create a training program that focuses on educating employees on the organization’s objectives as outlined in the FRMP and prevents the development of a toxic work culture. 

The training program should motivate employees to think about how fatigue impacts them, their colleagues, their families, and the greater organization. It should also encourage them to make changes to improve or maintain a proper sleep regimen and a generally healthy lifestyle. 

The training format could be similar to in-house safety training, or organizations can consult a third-party training company to conduct the training on-site. A mix of active teaching and lecture-style training has proven effective for FRMP.

6. Review success and adjust plans accordingly 

Continue to foster open communication around workplace fatigue, allowing workers the comfort of self-reporting and keeping teams safe. A well-executed FRMP will show success incrementally and will build a stronger safety culture within your organization in the long term. 

If worker fatigue fails to improve over months, revisit the plan and assess which elements need to be adjusted and reimplemented. 

Benefits of implementing a fatigue management plan 

Once you implement your fatigue management plan, you should see slow improvements after consistent monitoring. It may take time, but it will lead to better mental health for your workers and more on-site safety and productivity. Other benefits include:

• Greater site awareness of fatigue issues
• Improved ability to manage risk factors 
• Better understanding of compliance legislation
• Fewer fatigue-related injuries or incidents 
• Boosted employee morale
• Reductions in safety violation fines, thanks to reduced incidents
• Fewer costs for the public

Bottom line

Being fatigued on the job leads to dangerous conditions for employees and their colleagues, as well as the organization at large. Worker fatigue is a major part of incidents, injuries, and deaths in the construction industry. Without a basic fatigue management plan, your organization could see its insurance rates raised and face heavy fines for safety violations. 

By implementing an FRMP that includes establishing roles and responsibilities, policies regarding work hours, and a comprehensive training program, organizations can reduce fatigue risk and improve safety culture for the future. 

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