Identifying and reducing workforce fatigue in rapid renewal projects.

Author(s)
Thomas Sanquist, T. Jackson, J.E. Campbell, J.L. McCallum, M.C. Lee, E.B. Dongen, H.P.A. van McCauley, P. & Minor, H.
Year
Abstract

Worker and manager fatigue is a problem on highway construction projects 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 labour, although current methods that address fatigue tend to be informal and are widely variable. Working conditions associated with rapid renewal approaches include conducting work during off-peak hours, continuous weekend construction, extended nighttime operations, and conducting work in zones adjacent to traffic. Fatigue countermeasures and their effectiveness have been studied extensively and are already practised 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-monitoring and peer-monitoring). A comprehensive description of factors contributing to workforce fatigue and stress in the rapid renewal environment was developed as part of this study. These factors were examined in a range of scenarios and in the ways in which different segments of the highway construction workforce are affected. An integrated set of workforce fatigue risk factor definitions, fatigue risk management practices and techniques, and specific tools and procedures was developed into a toolkit that can be applied to comprehensively manage workforce fatigue. This toolkit complements the broader efforts of rapid renewal performance specifications, rapid renewal risk management, and rapid renewal project management. Training and outreach materials were also produced to support future workforce fatigue management efforts in the highway construction industry. Finally, an implementation strategy was prepared that identifies recommended activities to increase awareness of the potential risks and costs associated with workforce fatigue and stress, and to foster and reward industry members in adopting practices that manage these risks and costs. (Author/publisher)

Publication

Library number
20140499 ST [electronic version only]
Source

Washington, D.C., Transportation Research Board TRB, 2014, 119 p., 170 ref.; The Second Strategic Highway Research Program SHRP 2 ; Report S2-R03-RW-1 - ISBN 978-0-309-27299-5

Publication (link)

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