 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue Sheet 1 - Fatigue and what causes it One or more symptoms of fatigue could be: exhaustion and a feeling of never being able to get enough done; feeling sluggish each morning and being unproductive for half of the day; taking a long time to recover after exerting yourself; a constant lack of energy; feeling unfit; feeling confused; and being unable to concentrate.

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue Sheet 2 - Signs of fatigue feeling cramped or fidgety; driving erratically; continually yawning; your mind wandering; often feeling drowsy; and impatience. finding it hard to concentrate; having difficulty with problem solving; Some signs of fatigue include:

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue Sheet 3 - The effects of fatigue on your work performance Some of the likely effects could be: taking longer than usual to complete a task; making mistakes or being slow to diagnose problems; losing your temper with workmates or customers; injuring yourself or damaging equipment due to forgetting to replace a part; and failing to recognise a hazard or a dangerous situation. sustaining an injury because you are rushing to complete a task;

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue Sheet 4 - Minimise and manage fatigue THINK YOUR WORK THROUGH AND PLAN AHEAD ON A DAILY, WEEKLY OR EVEN MONTHLY BASIS. Distribute strenuous work throughout the day, rather than doing it all at one time. Try to rest before doing the really heavy work. Plan complex tasks carefully. USE GOOD MANUAL HANDLING AND ERGONOMIC TECHNIQUES. If possible, sit down to do the job. Maintain good posture to take the strain off your joints. In order to be more efficient, arrange you tools and work area sensibly.

 TRAINING NATIONAL Safety Talk ST071 - Work Fatigue Sheet 5 - Minimise and manage fatigue (cont’d PACE YOUR WORK Avoid rushing. Rest before you exhaust yourself. Spread your work throughout the day and take planned rest breaks. Alternate between light and heavy work. BE SELECTIVE ABOUT ACTIVITIES Prioritise your tasks. Simplify the way you plan to do the work. Stand back, look at the situation and organise the tasks accordingly. To conserve energy, use labour saving devices, such as trolleys and fork lifts.