Fatigue is defined as being in a state of physical or mental exhaustion, which compromises both workplace safety and a worker’s ability to perform efficiently. Here are seven statistics relating to fatigue in the workplace

1. There are three causes of fatigue: sleep loss, disruption of a person’s body clock, and prolonged mental or physical activity.
2. Fatigue can reduce a worker’s alertness, leading to errors and an increased possibility of injury under these two conditions: either when operating equipment or vehicles, or when performing important tasks requiring considerable concentration.
3. Seven long-term health effects of fatigue include increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and reduced fertility. (Safe Work Australia)
4. A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study found that fatigued workers had nearly twice the risk for injury compared to non-fatigued workers.
5. Five symptoms indicating that a worker is experiencing fatigue include excessive yawning or falling asleep at work; impaired decision-making ability; short-term memory impairment and reduced concentration; slowed reflexes and reduced hand-eye coordination; and a noticeable decrease in one’s ability to communicate clearly.
6. One major cause of fatigue is a work schedule that limits the amount of rest time a worker has before starting the next shift, because of issues such as overtime on the previous shift.
7. Three things supervisors can do to reduce fatigue among their workers are: allowing workers to vary their work tasks to avoid monotony; allowing workers to take short power-nap breaks, especially on the night shift; and encouraging workers to manage their fatigue risk factors. Risk factors include cutting sleep time short to complete tasks or to read, use a computer or watch TV, and consuming excessive nicotine, alcohol or caffeine, especially in the hours close to bedtime.

Fatigue is defined as being in a state of physical or mental exhaustion, which compromises both workplace safety and a worker’s ability to perform effectively. Here are seven statistics related to fatigue in the workplace: