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reduced ability to pay attention to the
situation at hand; low motivation’ as
possible symptoms of fatigue.
The South African mining industry
has been paying increasing attention to
the importance of fatigue management
to prevent accidents and injuries, and on
19 December 2014, the Chief Inspector
of Mines gazetted a guideline for the
compilation of a mandatory code of
practice (COP) for risk-based fatigue
management at mines.
The guideline defines fatigue as
more than a simple feeling of tiredness
or drowsiness, saying ‘it is caused by
prolonged periods of physical and/
or mental exertion without enough
time to rest and recover’, and goes on
to list potential side effects, including
‘decreased performance and productivity,
and increased potential for injuries to
occur’. According to the guideline, the
responsibility of fatigue management must
be shared between employer and employee
because ‘it involves factors that occur both
in and outside of the workplace’.
While those factors that occur outside
might be outside the employer’s control,
it is still possible for the employer to
provide information, education and
support to assist the employees in
addressing medical and lifestyle-related
issues that may affect levels of fatigue and
therefore fitness to work.
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 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
daily tasks.
Managing fatigue
In addition to identifying causes of fatigue, it
is important that managers and supervisors
(and the staff themselves) can identify
symptoms of fatigue, and know what t o do
about them. While it is relatively easy to
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