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Fatigue

Fatigue can lead to serious short-term and long-term health effects on workers.


Fatigue is more than feeling tired and drowsy. It is a state of physical, mental and/or emotional exhaustion that reduces a person’s ability to perform work safely and effectively.

Fatigue may include:

  • physical exhaustion due to work that involves high physical demands or poor environmental work conditions
  • mental exhaustion due to work that involves high mental or cognitive demands
  • emotional exhaustion due to work that work involves high emotional demands.

Examples of work factors that may lead to fatigue include:

  • unpredictable time arrangements, irregular hours, long work hours and roster cycles and shift lengths that do not allow adequate time for sleep and recovery
  • performing emotional labour or providing emotional support
  • high cognitive demands, such as sustained concentration and extended work hours
  • roster cycle or shift length
  • high workload and/or working overtime
  • limited ability to self-advocate
  • environmental stressors such as light, noise, climate or vibration
  • design, quality and management practices for accommodation facilities that compromise the amount and quality of sleep and rest.

Fatigue can be influenced by activities beyond work tasks and is not exclusively caused by work-related activities.

Effects of fatigue

Fatigue is a contributing factor to accidents, injuries and fatalities across various workplace environments as workers who are tired and/or work irregular hours are less likely to perform tasks safely. The effects of fatigue, such as slowed responses, inattention or failure to control inappropriate actions, have been identified as factors in workplace accidents.

Managing the risks of fatigue

Everyone in the workplace can contribute to a safer, healthier and more productive workplace by investing in health and safety strategies and practices to mitigate the risks associated with fatigue.

Fatigue has been identified as a hazard in the Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2024.

This guidance will help you meet your obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011.

Resources on fatigue

References

Page last reviewed: 04 November 2024

Comcare
GPO Box 9905, Canberra, ACT 2601
1300 366 979 | www.comcare.gov.au

Date printed 10 Dec 2024

https://www.comcare.gov.au/safe-healthy-work/prevent-harm/psychosocial-hazards/fatigue