OSHA to Present at “Work, Stress and Health” Conference

The concept of fatigue as an injury risk in the workplace is a familiar topic to risk managers in many different industries.  Indisputably, when employees attempt to perform their duties while suffering from the tired and unfocused feeling that is associated with a lack of rest the chance of an accident occurring is significantly elevated.  This is especially true when workers are asked to interact with machinery which requires a high level of engagement in order to safely operate, such as a vehicle, saw or welding equipment.

There are other, less obvious health effects that go hand in hand with fatigue.  Workers who feel run down become more sensitive to stress, which can in turn render them susceptible to higher rates of sickness or depression when compared to the general population.  It can also make it more difficult for them to recover from an illness, or to function at the top of their game over the long term.  Those who are most affected include personnel who are asked to work long shifts under difficult circumstances, such as emergency medical personnel, fire fighters and police officers, as well as industrial and factory workers asked to perform double duty.

In order to better inform risk managers as to the effects of fatigue in the workplace and what can be done to mitigate the issue, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will be presenting at the “Work, Stress and Health: Global Concerns and Approaches” conference, to be held between November 5 and 8, 2009 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The conference itself is sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Occupational Health and the University of Puerto Rico.

OSHA will table several methods for recognizing the symptoms and effects of fatigue in the workplace, as well as outline possible strategies for dealing with the problem.  These can include concepts such as decreasing shift lengths in favor of extended work cycles, and examining break frequency and length.  Risk managers can also proactively manage fatigue by scheduling difficult, complex or physically demanding tasks to take place at the beginning of a shift as opposed to the end.  While some industries feature a heavy overtime component, managers need to be cognizant of the fact that allowing workers to work extended shifts for more than a few days at a time can seriously impact their efficiency and health.

Employees cannot always be relied upon to accurately gauge their own fatigue level.  This inability to objectively self-evaluate is compounded by the fact that many workers feel that admitting to fatigue will place them lower in the estimation of their employers and possibly have a negative effect on their career path.  While they do not officially provide guidance in terms of the effects of extended work shifts, OSHA’s goal at the conference in San Juan is to provide the necessary tools to identify and deal with fatigue before it manifests itself as a workplace hazard.  As an added bonus, the conference will also address the issue of violence in the workplace.