Fatigue is a health and safety risk. This resource helps workers and staff recognise the signs of fatigue, understand why it matters and know when to raise concerns.
What fatigue is
Fatigue is more than feeling tired. It can involve reduced alertness, slower reactions, poor concentration, memory lapses, reduced coordination and poor decision-making. It may be linked to long hours, insufficient rest, night work, shift patterns, physically demanding work, travel time or personal circumstances.
Why fatigue matters
Fatigue can increase the risk of errors, accidents and injury. This is especially important for workers driving, operating machinery, working on construction sites, completing safety-critical tasks or working extended shifts.
Warning signs
- Struggling to stay awake or concentrate.
- Making mistakes that are unusual for you.
- Slower reactions or poor judgement.
- Feeling irritable, withdrawn or overwhelmed.
- Relying heavily on caffeine or stimulants to get through a shift.
- Driving while tired or after a long shift.
Responsibilities
Workers should take rest seriously, follow working time and site rules, and raise concerns if they are too fatigued to work safely. Agencies, clients and QPS all have a role in identifying patterns of excessive hours or unsafe working arrangements.
What to do
If you believe fatigue is affecting safety, stop and raise the concern as soon as it is safe to do so. Speak with your site contact, agency contact or QPS. Do not continue a safety-critical task if you believe you are not fit to do it safely.
