BUSINESS
Shift workers, whose normal circadian rhythms are disrupted, are more susceptible to
fatigue than those who work normal office hours.
WHEN ‘TIRED’ BECOMES
‘TOO TIRED’
By Robyn Grimsley
Fatigue can stem from a variety of factors including medical and psychological conditions, as well as causes
relating to a person’s workplace or lifestyle. In the mining sector, where employees are involved in high-risk
activities on a daily basis, fatigue can be a particularly pressing issue.
F
atigue is a critical safety issue
affecting many South African
mines, with a number of high-
profile accidents pointing to fatigue
as either a causal or a contributory factor
(Theron, 2015). Studies have shown that
8 _ QUARRY SA | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
being awake for 17 hours can have the same
effect on a person in terms of cognitive
impairment as having a blood alcohol level
of 0.05BAC, and being awake for 20 hours
is the equivalent of 0.1BAC 1 .
1 Williamson & Feyer, 2000.
And the article ‘Fatigue knowledge—a new
lever in safety management’ lists, ‘impaired
hand-to-eye coordination or blurry vision;
appetite loss or reduced immune system
function; short-term memory problems,
poor concentration or hallucinations;