Fatigue Management — Shift Work and Overtime
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- Fatigue impairs judgment, reaction time, and coordination — similar to the effects of alcohol. After 17 hours awake, performance equals a 0.05% blood alcohol level.
- The risk of workplace accidents doubles after 12 hours of work. After 16 hours, it triples.
- If you are fatigued, speak up. Pushing through is not toughness — it is a risk to yourself and your crew.
- Hydration, nutrition, and quality sleep are the foundation of fatigue management. Energy drinks and caffeine mask fatigue but do not eliminate the risk.
- Supervisors: monitor your crew for signs of fatigue — slow reactions, confusion, irritability, and near-misses. Adjust schedules and tasks accordingly.
Ask the crew
Is anyone on the crew running on less than 5 hours of sleep — and what can we do to manage the risk today?
Standards this talk is built on
- Section 5(a)(1)
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
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Sign-in sheet
Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.
| Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|
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