Safety Flyer

1. Know your “FATIGUE LEVELS" Issue 025
What is Fatigue?
Fatigue refers to mental or physical exhaustion that stops a person from being able to function normally.
However fatigue is more than simply feeling tired or drowsy. Fatigue is caused by prolonged periods of physical
and/or mental exertion without enough time to rest and recover. Circadian rhythms are our body’s natural cycles
that control energy, appetite, mood, sleep and libido. They are an internal biological ‘body clock’ that follows a
roughly 24-hour cycle in our behavioural, physiological and biochemical processes.
Due to circadian rhythms, the human body is programmed for different levels of wakefulness depending on the
time of day.
It is normal for the human body to experience a depression or reduction in activity in the midnight to dawn
period.
Work schedules that require people to work for extended periods of time, or to be awake and active at night,
disrupt these circadian rhythms and increase the risk of fatigue.
A person suffering from fatigue may in turn experience:
• Sleepiness
• Poor judgement
• Lack of concentration
• impaired recollection of timing and events
• Irritability and reduced capacity for effective interpersonal communication
• reduced hand-eye coordination and visual perception
• Slower reaction times and reduced vigilance.
Fatigue Management
Infraworks and our clients have strict guidelines when it comes to hours, consecutive days and stand down
periods between shifts.
Employees must understand that they may only work 12 shifts in a 14 day period or a maximum of a 124
hours. A 10 hour standown period between shifts must be adhered to.
If these hours are exceded based on what is referenced in the timesheet it is to be asumed that they are
breaching Fatigue Managment requirements. Please indicate actual hours worked and then reference
whatever client hour requirements they have agreed upon in their timesheets.
We also understand that our clients may be unaware of your status regarding consecutive shifts and will ask
that you return for shifts. It is your responsability to inform Infraworks if you think you may be close to breaching
Infraworks Fatigue Management requirements.
“…fatigued individuals are more likely
to engage in risk taking
behaviours.”
5th
November 2014