Reducing the Risks of Driver Fatigue
Fatigue creates a serious safety risk for drivers. It’s one of the leading contributors to crashes in BC. Fatigue is a form of impairment that slows driver reaction times and affects their concentration.
In this webinar, you’ll learn:
- How fatigue impacts driver safety and health
- The science behind fatigue
- The ways organizations can manage fatigue
- Things drivers can do to better manage fatigue
Susan Sawatzky, President and Founder of In-Scope Solutions and an international consultant and speaker on fatigue management and workplace stress, shares her expert views.
Robert Clark, Director, Health and Safety at The Universal Group, shares his experience and advice on managing fatigue in the workplace.
Heather Kahle, a human factors specialist at WorkSafeBC, shares her expertise in reducing the risks of fatigue.
You can view short videos on key topics or the entire webinar. You can also download slides from the webinar and review some of the submitted questions and answers.
Videos on key topics
These videos cover some of the main points about managing drive fatigue. They run 45 seconds to 6 minutes each. They are drawn from our Asleep at the Wheel webinar and the Road Safety at Work resource library.
Why Fatigue is a Driving Hazard
Fatigue is a form of impairment. Learn how it compares with alcohol consumption, and about the significant role it plays in crashes. (3:12)
Presented by Susan Sawatzky of In-Scope Solutions.
How Fatigue Impacts Us
Fatigue builds over time. Learn how it can gradually affect a driver’s alertness, emotional stability, and mental and physical capabilities. (1:48)
Presented by Susan Sawatzky of In-Scope Solutions.
What Drivers Can do to Reduce Fatigue
Everyone who drives can become fatigued. Learn what you can do before you get behind the wheel, and when you’re driving, to help manage your risk. (4:28)
Presented by Susan Sawatzky of In-Scope Solutions.
Employer Case Study on Fatigue
How do other employers deal with driver fatigue? Learn how Universal Group uses scheduling and other tactics to help keep its employees safe. (6:10)
Presented by Robert Clark of the Universal Group.
Fatigue Reduction Strategies
Employers can take a variety of steps to reduce driver fatigue. Use these tips in safety meetings to help train and educate employees. (5:05)
Presented by Susan Sawatzky of In-Scope Solutions.
The Nappuccino
Drivers need some techniques to help them stay alert on the road. Use this quick combination of caffeine and napping to give yourself a boost. (0:45)
Presented by Susan Sawatzky of In-Scope Solutions.
Quiz: Do You Have Sleep Debt?
Many people aren’t getting enough sleep. Use this 6-question quiz to assess your own situation, then check out our other fatigue videos for tips on how to reduce your sleep debt. (3:25)
Presented by Susan Sawatzky of In-Scope Solutions.
Fatigue Risk Assessment Framework
A risk assessment can help you identify and control the risks of workplace fatigue. Learn a 4-step approach you can take to manage the risk for employees. (4:45)
Presented by Heather Kahle, Human Factors Specialist with WorkSafeBC.
An Overview of Fatigue Management
Need some ideas on how your organization can address driver fatigue? Review these suggestions, which range from education to scheduling to the use of technology. (1:48)
Presented by Heather Kahle, Human Factors Specialist with WorkSafeBC.
Full webinar video: Reducing the Risks of Driver Fatigue
Fatigue magnifies the risks associated with complex tasks like driving. Watch this webinar to learn how to recognize, assess, and reduce the risks of driver fatigue.
Slides
You can download a PDF of the webinar slides. The file includes a page of links to some of the resources mentioned by the presenters.
DOWNLOAD SLIDES
Q & A
You can review some of the questions that were submitted for the webinar, as well as the answers provided by our experts.
What are some points to cover while educating my employees about driver fatigue?
Encourage drivers to report fatigue concerns and explain how they can do that. Talk about what fatigue is, its effects, and how to manage the risk. And provide plenty of reminders.
Remind drivers that it’s difficult to accurately self-assess fatigue. Other employees, especially if they’re passengers in the same vehicle, may be better at detecting issues. Educate all employees about their safety responsibilities, and about fatigue impacts, causes, and warning signs to help them recognize a driver who is too tired. Drivers then need to respect and act upon a co-worker’s evaluation of their fitness to drive.
Remind employees to advocate for their own safety when they are passengers in a work vehicle. They have the right to refuse unsafe work, including riding with a fatigue-impaired driver.
What conditions can affect driver fatigue?
Many road and weather conditions can contribute to driver fatigue. They include:
Low visibility
Fog, rain, snow, and low lighting conditions cause the driver’s eyes to work harder to see the road ahead. Similarly, driving into a sunrise or sunset can generate eye strain. That extra work tires the driver out sooner.
Short winter days
Driving in the dark is simply more work. It means the driver is going to encounter more oncoming headlights. A lot of vehicles have high intensity headlights and/or drivers who forget to dim their high beams for other traffic.
Temperature
Warm summer days seem to make drivers sleepy. Heat outside or inside the vehicle, and the monotony of driving, can cause micro-sleeps. These periods can last a few seconds as the brain rapidly switches between being asleep and being awake.
Uncertainty, anxiety, and stress
Stress generates fatigue. It can happen when a driver isn’t certain of the route they are taking, are anxious about road conditions or the vehicle they’re driving, or are in heavy traffic.
Rough roads
Drivers are likely to become fatigued sooner on roads with a lot of potholes or ruts than if they were on a smoother surface. Commercial drivers often deal with a lot of vibration that can contribute to driver fatigue in the near term and have significant health consequences in the longer term.
What can we do when an employee says they are fatigued while driving?
In BC, when a driver declares they are fatigued, it’s important to pay attention. Sections 4.19 and 4.20 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation states that people can’t do work if it would cause undue risks. So, workers are required to tell their employer if they are impaired by any means, including fatigue. Their employer is then not to assign them work.
Once you receive a report, there are options to pursue. You may want to confirm its validity. Maybe that employee can rest for a bit and go back to work. Maybe they can do other work with lower risks. But it’s important to encourage employees to understand fatigue and its risks, and to speak up when they know they are too tired.
People sometimes put themselves (or allow themselves to be put) in driving assignments where they will become fatigued. Perhaps they want to show they can drive for long hours. Maybe they think “toughing it out” makes them a good employee. Perhaps the supervisor, dispatcher, or the organization has a mindset that fatigue is just part of the job. Regardless, drivers and their employers need to be open and honest, recognize where and when fatigue risks are greatest, and take steps to reduce those risks.
Once the organization makes it clear it doesn’t want its employees driving while fatigued, it’s essential to communicate your expectations and process. Managers and owners need to talk about it. Our Toward a Stronger Road Safety Culture Webinar has some relevant ideas.
How helpful are energy drinks for countering fatigue?
Many experts aren’t fond of energy drinks because of the potentially dramatic adverse affects on our bodies. One a day is plenty.
The drinks typically contain large amounts of caffeine, added sugars, other additives, and legal stimulants such as guarana, taurine, and L-carnitine. These stimulants can increase alertness, attention, and energy but also increase blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
Some of the dangers of energy drinks include:
- Dehydration (not enough water in your body)
- Heart complications (such as irregular heartbeat and heart failure)
- Anxiety (feeling nervous and jittery)
- Insomnia (unable to sleep)
To get answers to your safety questions about managing driver fatigue, contact us.
Related resources
Tool Kit
Driving while fatigued is dangerous. Here’s what you need to know about the impacts, causes, and warning signs of fatigue in your workforce.
Template
Employers need to reduce the risk of impaired driving on the job. Customize this template to build an impairment policy that’s right for you and your employees.
Webinar
A strong road safety culture is vital to the success of your road safety program. Learn what every person in your organization can do to help strengthen your culture and improve outcomes.
