Fatigue in Highway Construction Workers: Risks and Countermeasures in Rapid Renewal Project Schedules

This paper describes findings from a field study conducted during the first phase of a 3-year project sponsored by the SHRP 2 Renewal Program that investigated the problem of worker and manager fatigue on highway construction sites that use rapid renewal practices. The field study included interviews with 20 subject matter experts, contractors, and state departments of transportation representatives, and a survey of 47 employees measuring work and sleep schedules, attitudes about fatigue, fatigue levels, and fatigue countermeasures employed. Worker and manager fatigue was found to be a problem on highway construction sites that was exacerbated by accelerated construction practices such as night work and weekend closures. This problem was widely acknowledged by both management and labor. Methods for dealing with fatigue were found to be informal, and there was wide variability in attitudes about fatigue. Fatigue countermeasures relevant to highway construction have been studied in other contexts and are al...