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Fatigue in the Mining Industry
One of the main recommendations that arose out of the ACARP “Development of a risk management tool for shiftwork in the mining industry” report was that there was a need for a tool that could assist in supervisors to identification of fatigue by assessing whether a worker was suffering from fatigue to a level that would affect safety.
Combined with the research from Centre for Sleep Research, the Fatigue Calculator has been created to specifically address this current need in the mining industry.
The figures and statistics have been resourced from the ACARP Development of a risk management tool for shiftwork in the mining industry report.
Fatigue in the Mining Industry
The factors leading to fatigue in the workplace can be segregated into work and non work issues as has been previously discussed. The mining industry shares the same fatigue characteristics.
Whilst the mining industry presents occupational hazards that are more diverse and more extreme than most other industries , research and studies within the mining industry seem to demonstrate that the industry as a whole is managing the non-work fatigue issues quite successfully, however fatigue related incidents in the workplace continue to pose human and financial costs to organisations. This seems to indicate that it is the non-work fatigue issues that need to be addressed further. The problem is highlighted as 55% of workers have reported that working shifts caused problems frequently or always with their social life. And herein lies the basal cause of non-work fatigue as workers choose less sleep and greater social activities.The issues of fatigue affect workers across the entire spectrum of shifts and activities performed and are not specific to night shifts only. The ACARP reports states that 36% of Day Shift and 37% of night shift workers sometimes experience problems with fatigue. This problem with fatigue extends to driving home from work, with 57% of workers struggling to stay awake.
When incorporated with a working Fatigue Management plan, the fatigue calculator will assist in identifying fatigue hazards in the workplace, regardless of whether they are non-work related; what shift an employee is currently on; and what activity they are performing.
Fatigue and your responsibilities
Division 1, Part 6, S42 of The Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2001 addresses fatigue as a requirement of fitness for work. Whilst the Act does address specific requirements regarding fitness for work and fatigue in regards to work-related fatigue there are no specific requirements regarding non-work related fatigue. However, the requirement for a health management system that controls risks resulting from fatigue is addressed.
An effective Fatigue Management Program is the most basic requirement of any successful fatigue program on a mine site. Within a Fatigue Management Program, hazards resulting from fatigue – whether work or non work related – should be identified and assessed with sufficient control measures put in place.
The Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 into further detail by specifying that management and operating systems must identify, analyse and assess risk.