Mining in focus
Physically demanding work activities can contribute to extreme forms of fatigue.
In addition to identifying causes of fatigue, it is important that managers and supervisors( and the staff themselves) are able to identify symptoms of fatigue and know what to do about it.
Among medical factors that can contribute to fatigue are diseases and disorders such as anaemia, sleep apnoea, hypothyroidism, heart problems, tuberculosis( TB), and diabetes, while lifestyle-related causes such as too little— or too much— sleep; disturbed sleep; lack of exercise; use of alcohol, caffeine or drugs( including prescribed medication); and poor diet and nutrition can also have a detrimental effect on a person’ s ability to function optimally.
Within the workplace, the employer has more control. Organisational factors that commonly contribute to fatigue include shift work, long and / or irregular working hours, physically demanding work activities, extremes of temperature, high noise exposure, increased humidity, vibration, and ergonomic factors( like poor design of workstations or equipment). Shift workers are particularly susceptible to fatigue, due to disruption to the body’ s circadian rhythm( internal body clock). While shift work may be unavoidable, it is necessary to ensure that those working shifts do not become so fatigued that they cannot safely conduct their daily tasks.
Managing fatigue
In addition to identifying causes of fatigue, it is important that managers and supervisors( and the staff themselves) are able to identify symptoms of fatigue and know what to do about it. While it is relatively easy to identify signs such as yawning, this is not sufficient for actually measuring the levels of fatigue that employees are experiencing, or identifying when such levels impact their fitness to operate.
Section 11 of the Mine Health and Safety Act( MHSA) requires the employer to identify hazards and to assess the health and safety risks employees may be exposed to while at work, and then eliminate the risk, if possible, or otherwise control or minimise it. The purpose of the COP on fatigue management is to set out how these risks will be addressed.
[ 22 ] MINING MIRROR JUNE 2018