FLEET MANAGEMENT 71
“ Working in hot environments , cold conditions or heavy lifting jobs exacerbate fatigue , likewise in workplaces with excessive vibration or noise which can cause irritation ,” he points out . “ Sometimes even monotony has a tendency to increase fatigue . So there ’ s the work itself , the scheduling of work rosters – they say don ’ t drive when you should be asleep for a reason – because operating outside of your circadian rhythm disrupts sleep patterns and increases risk . Night shifts have to be planned carefully to manage this , likewise the number of hours worked .” Circadian rhythm is often referred to as the ‘ body clock ’, the physiological pattern that tells your body when to sleep and be awake .
Where 4C sees fatigue more prevalent is in organisations with distributed operations like remote , rural worksites where employees travel to the worksite , do a day ’ s work and travel home again . “ That ’ s a classic example we see ,” Rob said , “ and where possible we encourage methods to avoid having to put undue pressure on the driver . So we ask , ‘ Can the shift finish earlier or is vehicle pooling an option ?’ It ’ s about mobility and if someone has to drive , absolutely must do that work , we ask if they can stay a night somewhere and continue tomorrow .”
But take other examples where getting your hands dirty isn ’ t the main course . It ’ s just as easy , he says , for white collar workers to find themselves dicing with fatigue without even knowing it , in particular salespeople or frequent flyers .
“ You fly out first thing in the morning , run around a strange city going from appointment to appointment , barely stopping to eat , hire a car , take calls and then fly home that night . There ’ s potential for fatigue to catch up with you in that last leg home ,” he warns of scenarios affecting various industries and sectors .
“ I ’ ve delivered two-hour training sessions just so staff and management are aware . I would say to fleet managers , make sure everybody is aware of the signs and consequences ; develop policies and procedures to address fatigue , train staff accordingly and continually review the effectiveness of your approach ,” he advises .
There are now smartphone apps that can help workers and management assess their workplace which Rob suggests any employer has a look at .
Another woman fighting fatigue is Ann Williamson , a shining light in fatigue research and how to combat it . As director of the Transport and Road Safety ( TARS )
GOVLINK » ISSUE 3 2016