Part Fatigue - Work Health and Safety (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work) Code of Practice 2024 - Fatigue

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Fatigue

Note: Some of these examples of hazards may not create psychosocial risks on their own but may do so if combined with other hazards. Some hazards may only create risks on their own when severe. Consider all hazards present and the circumstances to determine what is reasonably practicable to manage the risks.

Fatigue may include:

\- Physical exhaustion due to work that involves high physical demands (see Job demands listed above in this Code for examples of high physical demand)
\- Physical exhaustion due to working in poor environmental conditions (see poor physical environments listed below in this Code for examples).
\- Mental exhaustion due to work that involves high mental or cognitive demands (see Job demands listed above in this Code for examples of high mental or cognitive demands), and
\- Emotional exhaustion due to work that work involves high emotional demands (see Job demands listed above in this Code for examples of high emotional demands).

Controlling Fatigue

Note: These are examples only. You must identify and implement control measures that eliminate or minimise the risks in your workplace, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Job/work design	- Incorporate fatigue management into rosters and work practices to allow for adequate rest and recovery, particularly between periods of high demand.- Establish hours of work guidelines to manage the likelihood of fatigue (e.g. maximum shift length, maximum number of consecutive shifts, minimum break/rest periods, maximum night shifts, maximum overtime).- Ensure journey management process to manage fatigue-related risks when travelling for work purposes.
Reducing fatigue	- Provide additional support during periods of high demand (e.g. provide more workers, better equipment or outsource tasks).- Providing workers with control over their work pace and allowing them to take breaks to manage their workload and fatigue.- Rotate workers through demanding or repetitive tasks.- Reschedule non-urgent tasks if demand is unexpectedly high.- Outsource tasks to external companies with the capacity to deliver services safely (e.g. outsource tasks to companies that have appropriately skilled workers or specialised equipment).
Physical work environment	- Reduce exposure to conditions that influence worker comfort.- Provide suitable accommodation arrangements that allow workers to get good quality of rest and sleep.- Provide quiet spaces for workers doing mentally demanding work.- Provide appropriate break areas (e.g. air-conditioned or shady areas for physically demanding work or staff-only areas for workers dealing with difficult customers).

Job/work design

- Incorporate fatigue management into rosters and work practices to allow for adequate rest and recovery, particularly between periods of high demand.- Establish hours of work guidelines to manage the likelihood of fatigue (e.g. maximum shift length, maximum number of consecutive shifts, minimum break/rest periods, maximum night shifts, maximum overtime).- Ensure journey management process to manage fatigue-related risks when travelling for work purposes.

Reducing fatigue

- Provide additional support during periods of high demand (e.g. provide more workers, better equipment or outsource tasks).- Providing workers with control over their work pace and allowing them to take breaks to manage their workload and fatigue.- Rotate workers through demanding or repetitive tasks.- Reschedule non-urgent tasks if demand is unexpectedly high.- Outsource tasks to external companies with the capacity to deliver services safely (e.g. outsource tasks to companies that have appropriately skilled workers or specialised equipment).

Physical work environment

- Reduce exposure to conditions that influence worker comfort.- Provide suitable accommodation arrangements that allow workers to get good quality of rest and sleep.- Provide quiet spaces for workers doing mentally demanding work.- Provide appropriate break areas (e.g. air-conditioned or shady areas for physically demanding work or staff-only areas for workers dealing with difficult customers).

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