Identifying and Reducing Worker, Inspector, and Manager Fatigue in Rapid Renewal Environments

Worker and manager fatigue is a problem on highway construction sites, and is exacerbated by the rapid renewal or accelerated construction practices that involve longer shifts, night work and weekend closures. This problem is widely acknowledged by both management and labor. Methods for dealing with fatigue tend to be informal, and there is wide variability in beliefs and attitudes about fatigue. Relevant fatigue countermeasures have been studied extensively and are already practiced in other industries. Countermeasures include strategic management interventions (e.g., fatigue training, work scheduling aids, incident reporting) as well as individual interventions (e.g., sleep hygiene, napping, appropriate use of caffeine, self- and peer-monitoring). This report describes a 3-year project in which the authors reviewed and documented worker fatigue impacts during rapid renewal operations in the highway construction industry, and developed an integrated fatigue management toolkit, including work scheduling and work practice guidance based on models of fatigue, organizational practice guidance, fatigue management reference material, and training material for managers and workers. This suite of products can be integrated into existing safety management systems for highway construction environments, thereby reducing fatigue risk and increasing safety.