Appendix A: Working long hours in emergencies and shutdowns

Coping with a major natural or industrial emergency, or a planned shutdown for maintenance or repair, will usually mean that some people must work extended hours, often at night.

Employers are not expected to follow the suggestions below as a prescription, but rather to adapt them to their own needs.

Working through an emergency

Pre-planning anticipates emergencies and prepares responses as far as possible. Assess fatigue risks as an integral part of planning for envisaged emergencies.

• Provide appropriate preparation and training of people who may be called on.
• Provide supervision and prompt feedback about how to deal with uncertainties on the job
• Make sure workers get at least 6 hours sleep in each 24 hours, as well as other appropriate breaks.
• Allow time for napping, and provide beds or comfortable loungers.
• Provide washing facilities, including portable hot showers.
• Provide appropriate food and drinks.
• Assess fatigue risks as work proceeds.
• Provide information, consultation and opportunities for feedback.
• Keep special checks on workers aged over 50, who may not tolerate shift work well.
• Enable workers and their families to contact each other.
• Limit continuous work periods to 3-4 days.
• Allow workers enough time for full recovery after their period of work.
• Assess and monitor each worker's recovery.

Working through a shutdown

The following strategies could apply to a prolonged industrial emergency such as repairing a damaged item of plant, or to a planned shutdown required for maintenance.

• Provide appropriate preparation, training and supervision, and prompt feedback about how to deal with uncertainties.
• Provide time and a suitable place for napping, with beds or comfortable loungers.
• Provide appropriate meal and refreshment breaks.
• Monitor fatigue risks.
• Provide information, avenues for consultation, and opportunities for feedback.
• Limit individual work hours to a maximum of 80 a week for a maximum of 2 weeks
• For night workers, provide transport to and from home, and make sure they can get appropriate food during their meal breaks.

Appendix B: Your legal obligations

The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 requires employers to take all practicable steps to prevent harm from workplace hazards, including fatigue and the behaviour of fatigued workers.

Your legal obligations include:

• identifying and assessing fatigue hazards (section 7)
• controlling fatigue hazards by eliminating or minimising them
• where a significant fatigue hazard can only be minimised (rather than eliminated), monitoring employees' workloads and work hours , and (with their consent) monitoring their health in relation to that hazard (section 10.2)
• providing information and training about fatigue management (sections 12 and 13)
• making employees aware of their responsibilities in minimising fatigue (section 19)
• ensuring employees participate in health and safety processes (section 19A)
• responding to reports of fatigue, and report serious harm (section 25)
• acknowledging employees' right to refuse work that is likely to cause fatigue leading to a risk of serious harm (section 28A)
• detecting fatigue-related impairment in employees (section 19).

References

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[2] Gander P H, Merry A, Millar M M, and Weller J. 'Hours of work and fatigue-related error: A survey of New Zealand anaesthetists.' Anaesth Intensive Care 28(2) (2000): 178-183.

[3] Barger L K et al. 'Extended work shifts and the risk of motor vehicle crashes among interns.' NEJM 352 (2005): 125-134.

[4] Caldwell J A. 'Efficacy of stimulants for fatigue management: The effects of Provigil and Dexidrine on sleep deprived aviators.' Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Fatigue and Transportation. Western Australia: Institute for Research in Safety and Transport, Murdoch University, 2000.

[5] Rau P S. 'NHTSA's drowsy driver research program.' Washington DC. National Highway Traffic Administration. 1996.

[6] Klein K E, et al. 'Circadian rhythms of pilots' efficiency and effects of multiple time zone travel.' Aerosp. Med. 41 (1970): 125-132.

[7] Coleman R M. Wide awake at 3.00am. By choice or by chance? New York: W H Freeman and Co, 1986.

[8] Akerstedt T. 'Sleepiness at work: effects of irregular work hours.' In Monk T H (Ed) Sleep, sleepiness and performance. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 1991. 129-52.

[9] Rosekind M R, et al. Crew factors in flight operations X. Strategies for alertness management in flight operations. CA: NASA Moffett Field, 1996.

[10] Caruso C, et al. 'Overtime and extended work shifts: Recent findings on illnesses, injuries and health behaviours.' DHSS. CDC. NIOSH. (2004).

[11] Ribet C, and Derriennic F. Sleep 22 (1999): 491-504

[12] Tucker P. 'The impact of rest breaks upon accident risk, fatigue and performance: a review.' Work & Stress 17(2) (2003): 123-137.

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