tms consulting - fatigue management: the next steps
DESCRIPTION
Fatigue-related impairment can lead to human error, and subsequently serious accidents. Large-scale catastrophes such as the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster and grounding of the Exxon-Valdez oil tanker both listed fatigue as major contributing factors. Fatigue is implicated in up to 20% of road traffic accidents and also negatively impacts productivity and workforce health. Little scientific evidence exists pertaining to occupational fatigue in the pipeline industry. This is troubling given the arduous working conditions and long working hours present in many fly-in/fly-out pipeline operations in Australia. In addition, existing prescriptive fatigue management strategies are limited in their ability to control for the complex nature of fatigue and all of its influencing factors. As such, an integrated scientifically driven and data-driven Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) is recommended over traditional (and limited) methods. To fill this research gap, the Australian Pipeline Industry Association has funded a Fatigue Management Study (FMS) to investigate effective fatigue management strategies in the pipeline industry. Complimentary to this is an industry wide lifestyle and fatigue survey conducted by TMS Consulting. This paper will provide the results of that survey on an industry wide basis along with how it relates to effective fatigue management strategies and outline the benefits of managing fatigue under an FRMS, over traditional or unevolved methods.TRANSCRIPT
© 2010 TMS Consulting
tmsconsulting.com.au07 3003 1473
[email protected] Mary Street, Brisbane Q 4000MS
T Optimise Your People & Performance
Fatigue Management – The Next StepsHelen Wood, Managing Director
TMS Consulting16 October 2012
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Focus for Today’s Presentation• Fatigue in the workplace• Fatigue in Australian pipelining• The APIA Fatigue Management Study (FMS)• Preliminary research findings• What do these findings mean?• Next steps for managing fatigue
© 2010 TMS Consulting
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Fatigue and the Workplace
• Fatigue is:– associated with some of the most devastating accidents of all
time– a “common, almost universal feature of modern life”, but when in
excess, it is a real concern
• Across industries and countries, associated with:– Increased risk of workplace
accidents – Increased workplace injury hazard
rates
© 2010 TMS Consulting
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Is Fatigue an Issue for the Aust Pipeline Industry?
• Definitely an issue in similar industries – mining & transport– Performance impairments/accidents– Work-related risk factors– Lifestyle risk factors
But pipeline-specific data and information was lacking
© 2010 TMS Consulting
The Fatigue Management Study: Outline• Seven 28-day cycles (180 days)• 347 participants• Measures
– daily surveys– sleep recording actigraphs (1900 nights)– psychomotor vigilance performance– one-off detailed surveys
• Surveys captured (12000 questions)– Demographics– sleep/wake history– work histories– health and safety information
© 2010 TMS Consulting
FMS Preliminary Findings: DemographicsDemographic Variable Average / Percent of totalSex Male = 97% Female = 3%Age (years + SD) 35 (11)Pipeline exp. (years + SD) 2 (7)Hours worked onsite per week (+ SD)
80 (10)
Smoking status Never = 42% Current = 28% (15 p/day SD
16)
Former = 31%
Alcohol consumption (units p/week )
Onsite = 4 (13) Offsite = 6 (23)
Body Mass Index Normal = 24%
Overweight = 44%
Obese = 32%
© 2010 TMS Consulting
FMS Preliminary Findings: Body Mass Index
0
10
20
30
40
50
Normal Overweight Obese
Perc
ent o
f Tot
al
Body Mass Index Categories
Pipeline Nat. avg
(avg = 28 [SD 4])
© 2010 TMS Consulting
FMS Preliminary Findings: Perceptions• % of participants that believe unsafe levels of fatigue are
common in pipelining.
© 2010 TMS Consulting
FMS Preliminary Findings: Sleep per Night
© 2010 TMS Consulting
FMS Preliminary Findings: Sleep Across Industries
© 2010 TMS Consulting
FMS Preliminary Findings: Sleep across roster
© 2010 TMS Consulting
FMS Preliminary Findings: Subjective Sleepiness and Fatigue Over Roster
© 2010 TMS Consulting
What do These Preliminary Findings Mean?• Preliminary findings suggest:
– Large proportion of participants have key risk factors for fatigue and sleeping disorders
– Level of sleep obtained similar to other relevant industries– Probable that excess fatigue is a problem in this pipeline project
• Full report will:– Provide full statistical analyses– Analyse cognitive performance and objective data– Help determine whether excess fatigue is an issue industry-wide– Suggest management strategies that can be utilised by members
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Next Steps
• Fatigue to be recognised as genuine safety hazard– Treated as any other safety concern but it is about psychology as
much as it is about process• Aligned with a holistic safety management system• Aligned with defined and proactive approach to the human factors and
employee engagement with the issue• More integrated fatigue risk management systems
– Proactive– Integrated with safety– Performance-based– Joint responsibility
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Fatigue Risk Management System
Fatigue Risk Management
System
Internal/ external auditing
Fatigue risk management
processes
Policies and procedures
Roles & responsibilities
Comms & Consultation
Training & education
Fatigue reporting processes
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Defences in Depth
Dawson and McCulloch, 2005
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Next Steps – Embedding an FRMS in the Culture
• Challenge for the pipeline industry– Transient workforce– Regular turnover of staff– Large ‘unengaged’ workforce
• Intangible components– Leadership– Behaviours and values– Induction– Performance management
framework– Sharing of knowledge – Generating pride in results
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Next Steps – what can your company do?• Link policy right through to procedure and make it meaningful on the ground –
bottom up and top down equally important • Use technology (within your FRMS) to better monitor fatigue levels• Provide better hydration management in the field• Cross skill key roles so people can opt out• Monitor/control access to distractions that increase fatigue• Allow employees to bank time to take a break • Force breaks into the cycle or have ‘sleep ins’ – more sleep opportunity• Implement team and site based activities that result in positive psychosocial
impacts e.g. team sports, family days• Human Factors advisors or expertise on site and empower them to challenge
the management team
© 2010 TMS Consulting
Services
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Fatigue Management
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[email protected] Mary Street, Brisbane Q 4000MS
T Optimise Your People & Performance
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