Physical Fatigue Management Strategies using the Hierarchy of Control

Australian workplaces lose approximately 2 million working days each year due to fatigue-related issues (Source: Safe Work Australia).

When employees are fatigued, their performance, decision-making, and overall wellbeing suffers. This can lead to increased workplace accidents, errors, and a decline in overall workplace safety.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to managing the complexity of fatigue in workplaces, with physical, mental and emotional exhaustion impacting employees’ health and ability to perform work safely and effectively.

Here at Bodycare, we focus on helping workplaces manage physical fatigue as part of their overall workplace health and safety strategy, through onsite injury prevention programs.

What does Physical Fatigue look like?

First, it’s important to understand what physical fatigue looks like so it can be identified and proactively addressed. Signs include:

• Exhaustion: Overall tiredness that impacts physical and mental capabilities.
• Muscle Fatigue: Weariness resulting from prolonged physical exertion, repetitive tasks, poor posture, or inadequate manual handling.
• Weariness: A general sense of tiredness or lack of energy.

These conditions can lead to muscle pain, strains, injuries, and other musculoskeletal disorders and can increase the risk of errors and accidents in the workplace.

How does the Hierarchy of Control help manage fatigue?

The Hierarchy of Control is a critical framework used to manage workplace hazards, including physical fatigue. By applying this structured approach, businesses can systematically reduce risks and enhance worker safety.

For this example, we’re following the Hierarchy of Control from WorkSafe Victoria. The hierarchy includes four key levels of control measures:

1. Eliminate hazards and risks
2. Reduce the risk
3. Administrative Controls
4. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

How can you reduce physical fatigue using the Hierarchy of Control?

1. Eliminate Hazards and Risks

The most effective way to control fatigue is to eliminate the factors causing it. This might involve redesigning tasks to minimise prolonged physical exertion or automating repetitive tasks to prevent muscle fatigue.

• Change ways of working: Adapting new methods and strategies to improve efficiency and productivity.
  • Solution in Action: At a large abattoir, workers were becoming easily fatigued due to the repetitive process of cutting meat. The Bodycare Onsite Physiotherapist recognised that there was an opportunity to improve this process by sharpening the knife more frequently. The current process was to sharpen the knife every 4 hours – the solution was to sharpen the knife every 3 hours instead. This dramatically improved the reported strains, aches and fatigue.
• Reduce repetitive movement: Minimising repetitive actions can help prevent strain injuries and improve overall efficiency.
  • Solution in Action: At a large aviation company, workers were reporting injuries after repetitively bending over to gather magazines out of a trolley before placing them behind seats. The recommendation from our Bodycare Injury Prevention Specialist was to implement a spring-loaded trolley which kept the magazines at an accessible height throughout the task, eliminating the need for repetitive bending and lifting, thereby largely removing the physical strain on workers.

2. Reduce the Risk

If elimination is not feasible, substituting hazardous work practices with less strenuous alternatives can significantly reduce physical and muscle fatigue using three techniques:

• Substitute the risks with lesser risks.
  • Ergonomic Workstations: Replace traditional work setups with adjustable furniture to reduce poor posture and repetitive strain. For example, adjustable height benches can minimise bending and reaching.
• Isolate people from the risks.
  • Mechanical Aids: Use devices such as pallet jacks, forklifts, and trolleys to isolate workers from direct manual handling tasks, reducing the risk of muscle fatigue.
• Reduce the risks through engineering changes or changes to systems of work.
  • Job Rotation: Implement job rotation systems to minimise repetitive movements and overuse of specific muscle groups. For instance, rotating workers between assembly lines and machine operation can prevent overuse injuries.

3. Administrative Controls

Low level of protection and less reliable control.

These controls focus on changing work practices and policies. Implementing shift rotations, providing regular breaks, and offering training on proper manual handling techniques can help mitigate fatigue among workers.

Solutions include:

• Manual Handling Assessments: Conduct assessments to evaluate workers’ strength, posture, flexibility, and lifting techniques. Provide tailored suggestions to improve technique and posture.
• Training and Education: Educate workers on proper lifting techniques, the importance of taking breaks, and stretching exercises to avoid fatigue. For example, training sessions can be held regularly to reinforce safe practices.
• Early Reporting Protocols: Encourage early reporting of niggles and aches to facilitate early intervention and prevent injuries from escalating.
• Fatigue Management Programs: Develop and implement comprehensive programs to educate employees about fatigue and ways to manage it effectively. These programs can include guidance on adequate rest and nutrition.

4. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Lowest level of protection and least reliable control.

While considered the least effective control measure, PPE can still play a role in reducing fatigue by offering protection and support during physically demanding tasks. Examples include anti-fatigue mats, supportive footwear, and ergonomic braces.

Other types of fatigue

As well as physical fatigue, there is also mental and emotional fatigue to consider.

Mental Fatigue: contributes to mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. These issues not only affect individual wellbeing but also overall workplace morale and efficiency. A mentally fatigued workforce is less engaged, less creative, and less productive. Strategies like mental health training and wellbeing seminars can support employee health.

Emotional Fatigue: fosters psychosocial hazards, creating a stressful and dissatisfying work environment. When employees feel emotionally drained, it leads to higher absenteeism and turnover rates, impacting the organisation’s bottom line. Managing psychosocial risks has become a critical component of comprehensive health and safety management with recent legislative updates to the Australian Work Health and Safety Act. It is important that you understand your obligations as an employer.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to fatigue management

Fatigue is a multifaceted issue that businesses across various industries continually strive to manage. It’s important to understand that there is not one solution. Addressing fatigue requires a comprehensive and ongoing effort, incorporating multiple strategies to reduce its impact on workers.

With our industry-leading onsite physiotherapy and injury prevention programs, we provide tailored solutions that identify and mitigate the risks of physical workplace fatigue. We emphasise early detection, reporting, and treatment where necessary to prevent injuries and accidents before they occur.

Why Partner with Bodycare?

By partnering with Bodycare Workplace Solutions, you can safeguard your workforce against the detrimental effects of fatigue. Our comprehensive strategies ensure a healthier, more productive workplace, ultimately contributing to your company’s overall efficiency and financial health.

Speak with our team today about our Injury Prevention Programs which can help support your fatigue management efforts and keep your team safe, healthy, and engaged.