OCC/Welfare/TBT-OCC-024
Fatigue Management and Working Hours
Occupational Health › Welfare › Fatigue Management and Working Hours
Toolbox Talk
Fatigue Management and Working Hours
Fatigue is a significant but often underestimated safety risk on construction sites. Tired workers have slower reactions, impaired judgement, reduced concentration, and are more likely to make errors that cause incidents. Long working hours, early starts, night shifts, physically demanding tasks, and long commutes all contribute to fatigue. The Working Time Regulations set legal limits on working hours, but managing fatigue requires more than just counting hours — it requires active planning and personal responsibility.
Key Hazards
Impaired concentration and slower reactions increasing the risk of accidents
Poor decision-making from mental fatigue during complex or safety-critical tasks
Drowsy driving causing road traffic collisions during the commute to and from site
Cumulative fatigue from sustained long hours reducing overall health and immunity
Control Measures
- Comply with the Working Time Regulations limiting average weekly hours to 48 unless opted out.
- Plan shift patterns to allow a minimum of 11 consecutive hours rest between working days.
- Provide adequate rest breaks during the working day — at least 20 minutes for shifts over six hours.
- Monitor working hours including overtime and travel time to identify workers at risk of fatigue.
- Rotate physically demanding tasks to prevent exhaustion from sustained heavy work.
- Encourage workers to report when they feel too fatigued to work safely without fear of consequences.
- Avoid scheduling safety-critical tasks at the times when fatigue is highest: early morning and late afternoon.
- Provide welfare facilities that support rest including a warm, quiet area for breaks.
- Review working hour records weekly and intervene when individuals are consistently working excessive hours.
Remember
- Fatigue impairs your reactions, judgement, and concentration as much as alcohol consumption.
- The legal minimum rest period between shifts is 11 consecutive hours — this is not optional.
- If you feel too tired to work safely, report it to your supervisor before an accident happens.
- Long commutes add to fatigue even though they are outside formal working hours.
- Safety-critical tasks should not be scheduled during known fatigue peaks in the early morning or late afternoon.
- Managing fatigue is a shared responsibility between the employer planning the work and the individual managing rest.
Applicable Legislation: Working Time Regulations 1998 · Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 · Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 · CDM Regulations 2015
Delivered By
RAMS Builder
Generate professional Risk Assessment and Method Statements in minutes. 10 document formats, site-specific content, instant Word download.