At some point during harvest, with long working hours and a lack of sleep, you have more than likely wondered – how can I manage fatigue at harvest?
We all know harvest is often the busiest and most stressful time of the year. And high-pressure, time-bound tasks combined with long working hours creates a high-risk environment for injuries, accidents and close calls.
People are essential to keeping the harvest system going and everyone need to be healthy and rested so they can work safely and efficiently. The key to this is fatigue management. This includes understanding what fatigue is, what causes us to be fatigued and taking steps to minimise the risk.
Read on for a back to basics guide on fatigue at harvest. We hope this provides food for thought and some actionable points.
What Is Fatigue?
Fatigue is defined as “an acute and/or ongoing state of tiredness that leads to mental or physical exhaustion and prevents people from functioning within normal boundaries.”
Causes and Symptoms
Common causes of fatigue can be work-related and non-work-related factors, or a combination of both.
Keep reading to learn more about the different causes and symptoms of fatigue.
Work-Related Causes of Fatigue can Include:
- Boredom
- Excessive noise
- Extreme temperatures
- Insufficient recovery time between shifts or rest breaks
- Irregular roster patterns, or poorly planned work schedules
- Mentally or physically draining tasks such as repetitive tasks that require high levels of concentration
- Timing of shift work which disrupts the internal body clock – also known as a circadian rhythm or cycle
- Working alone, isolated from others
Non-work-related causes can include an unhealthy diet or medical conditions.
Overall, the main cause of fatigue is a lack of sleep. And a cycle of fatigue can be created if workers are not allowed adequate time to recover or rejuvenate.
To recognise signs of fatigue in yourself and your workers, make yourself familiar with the common symptoms of fatigue – and remember there are symptoms in others that you will not be able to see. Therefore, it is important to foster a workplace culture that encourages workers to voice how they feel.
Immediate Symptoms of Fatigue can Include:
- Aching and weak muscles
- Blurred vision
- Constant yawning
- Difficulty concentrating, distracted from the task at hand
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness, falling asleep while working
- Headaches
- Low energy
- Poor decision making
- Reduced hand-eye coordination and slow reflexes and reaction
- Short-term memory problems such as difficulty remembering events
- Slow to recognise risks and hazards, not aware of surroundings
- Trouble controlling emotions, easily irritated
- Unmotivated
Some long-term effects of fatigue can include heart disease, high blood pressure and anxiety.
These symptoms all contribute to an increased risk of workplace accidents and injury. Read on for tips on how to manage fatigue and minimise risk.
How To Manage Fatigue at Harvest and Minimise Risk
For employers and owners, it’s your duty to use a risk management approach to manage fatigue, as outlined in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.
Safety is really everyone’s responsibility though, and it is important that workers, contractors and owners all work together to manage fatigue.
6 Ways To Manage Fatigue at Harvest
1
Communicate!
It is important to have a reliable communication system to check in with your workers to see how they are going, and how they are feeling.
Effective communication is also key to managing and reducing stress – 7 Strategies To Reduce Your Stress At Harvest
2
Eat Healthy
Eating regular, healthy meals and staying hydrated can help you manage and recover from fatigue.
For example, eat balanced meals rather than relying on foods that provide a quick, short term energy boost i.e., chocolate bars. These can often leave you feeling lethargic afterwards.
And of course – drink water – especially during hot weather.
3
Self Assess
Educate your team on the signs and impact of fatigue and encourage them to self-assess – and take a break if they become tired while working or are too tired to perform a task.
Taking a break could include having something to eat or drink, 5 minutes of stretches, or a 15-minute power nap – often easier said than done at harvest!
4
Prioritise Sleep
Taking time to relax and unwind before going to bed can also improve the quality of your sleep.
5
Plan Tasks Ahead Of Time
Planning your tasks could include outlining start and finish times, setting a maximum time for a working day or week, and having all the required equipment in good working order before the task is due to start.
For example, minimising maintenance downtime reduces stress and pressure to meet already short deadlines.
Rostering extra labour resource for high-demand periods can also be a good idea. This provides flexibility around scheduling and can help provide a plan B when somethin unexpected crops up.
And finally, consider rotating tasks.
6
Rotate Tasks
Rotate tasks for variety to help keep your team alert and focused.
Changing the tasks during hot weather is also a good idea so everyone can have time in the shade, or air conditioning during the hottest parts of the day.
We have also listed some useful resources below.
Useful Resources
- Fatigue management – a worker’s guide
- Grain Harvest Management Scheme Guidelines
- Safe Ag Systems Fatigue Self-Assessment Checklist Template
- Safe Work Australia’s Guide for managing the risk of fatigue at work
It is important to tailor your fatigue management plan to suit your farming operation and your workers. We hope these tips and suggestions help you review and improve your fatigue management.
For more articles like this, browse our Learning Hub. Stay safe!
