WORKPLACE FATIGUE Fatigue is one of the leading causes of injury at the workpla…

WORKPLACE FATIGUE

Fatigue is one of the leading causes of injury at the workplace and at home. Operating equipment and vehicles while at the state of fatigue can be fatal to you and others, and is as dangerous as operating while impaired due to drugs and alcohol. Worktime fatigue can lead to the following hazardous/risk situations;

Ø Getting injured from equipment, or being hit by a vehicle from not paying attention to the work environment.
Ø Causing vehicle and pedestrian accidents.
Ø Poor reaction time to emergency incidents and near misses.
Ø Poor work performance and use of unprofessional skills.
Ø Inability to handle work tasks that requires multiples skills at a time.
Ø Unnecessary aggressiveness that result in arguments and loss of concentration.

RELATED DRIVER FATIGUE

Drowsy driving is suspected to be one of the primary causes of road accidents. Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination. Most people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving but don’t realize that drowsy or fatigued driving can be just as fatal.

Do you know that you are four times more likely to have a fatal fatigue crash if you are driving between 10pm and 6am? That’s because most people’s body-routine are programming them to want to sleep.

Driving when you are sleep deprived increases the risk of having a small sleep while driving and losing control of your vehicle or equipment.

EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF FATIGUE

Ø Yawning
Ø Poor concentration
Ø Tired eyes
Ø Restlessness
Ø Drowsiness
Ø Slow reactions
Ø Boredom
Ø Over steering

HOW TO STAY ALERT AT WORKHOURS

Ø Limit coffee and artificial stimulants; ingesting these stimulants throws off the body’s natural ability to stay alert and focused.
Ø Eat a balance diet and drink enough fluids to stay hydrated, ensure a fair balance of proteins and carbohydrates and vitamins.
Ø Strive for “work-life “balance, sleep a minimum of 7 hours per day.
Ø Very important, exercise / stretch the muscles at intervals. This allows for blood flow which supplies oxygen.
Ø Drink plenty of water, especially in hot working environments.
Ø Stop the vehicle when you feel drowsy or tired.
Ø Rotate drivers at regular intervals where possible when driving for long distances, or after long hours of driving.

Remember: Drowsy driving is suspected to be one of the primary causes of road accidents. Sleepiness and driving is a dangerous combination.

Reference: https://www.overcoming-fatigue-driving.

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