30
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Fatigue Management – The ‘ HOT ’ topic
By
Chris Coetzee , OHSS Consultant
Fatigue – both mental and physical – can have an impact on you and your business .
It ’ s a new year and you are no doubt working on new ideas , as well as a potential new you . With the challenges that any company will go through as well as the struggles of daily life in South Africa , fatigue can be a slow and dangerous killer of our time , finances and even our lives .
You may be wondering why we are discussing fatigue right at the start of the year . For many , the new year offers opportunities for personal and business growth , but it also comes with constraints , such as insufficient time to get everything done . Insufficient finances to achieve our new year ’ s goals can also be a factor . You may even spend too much time on planning for growth and never get to the starting point of implementation .
Regardless of what comes in the year , we want to point out that you should be taking care of yourself and what is in your immediate control first , then plan for the slow growth of yourself and your business ; otherwise , fatigue is waiting patiently to make you its next victim .
The main symptom of fatigue is exhaustion after a physical or mental activity . You do not feel refreshed after resting or sleeping . Severe fatigue may undermine your ability to carry out usual activities . Fatigue has a direct impact on progress and production .
Patients describe fatigue , especially chronic fatigue ( chronic fatigue syndrome ), as overwhelming , and describe the tiredness as completely different from what they have experienced before – not a result of overdoing things , but simply a loss of motivation . Fatigue is a common symptom among people with clinical depression .
Physical fatigue - the person ' s muscles cannot do things as easily as they used to . Climbing scaffolding and carrying heavy equipment or plumbing materials to be installed may be much harder than before . Physical fatigue is also known as muscle weakness , weakness , or lack of strength . Doctors usually carry out a strength test as they go about diagnosing and trying to find out the causes of individual cases of physical fatigue .
Psychological ( mental ) fatigue - concentrating on things has become harder . When symptoms are severe the patient might not want to get out of bed in the morning or perform their daily activities . Mental fatigue often appears together with physical fatigue in patients , but not always . Employees may feel sleepy , have a decreased level of consciousness , and in some cases show signs similar to an intoxicated state . Mental fatigue can be life threatening , especially when the sufferer must perform some tasks , such as working at heights . Fatigue among plumbers working during dangerous situations is a serious health concern ; both for the health of the employee and those who work around them .
Fatigue signs and symptoms may be physical , mental , or emotional . Below is a list of some possible signs and symptoms :
○ Bloating , abdominal pain , constipation , diarrhoea , nausea , possibly problems like IBS ( irritable bowel syndrome )
Image by The Yuri Arcurs Collection on Freepik www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline January 2025 Volume 30 I Number 11