1. Fatigue Management in the Workplace
The Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association
Employee Training Package
The slides within this presentation describe the general fatigue management information required for all employees. Managers and supervisors require additional information to assist them in the day-to-day management of fatigue and this additional training is supplied in the ARHCA Manager/Supervisor Training Package. This information and the accompanying slides may be modified to suit each company’s operational situation. It is strongly recommended the person(s) facilitating the training, review all of the fatigue related material found on the roadbuilders web site at
Introduce yourself and ask participants questions in regards to their experiences working long hours and/or consecutive days.
Ask some probing questions about how they felt (tired, burned out, fatigued etc.).
Introduce this program by tying in their experiences and how they felt to the importance of understanding and coping with fatigue related issues.
Inform participants of your company’s commitment to managing fatigue and thus the fatigue awareness training they are about to receive.
Discuss any housekeeping items (in case of fire, washroom location, length of the training, breaks etc.).

2. Agenda Fatigue management and what it means to you
Alberta Employment Standards Code exemption permits
What fatigue is and isn’t
Signs, factors and impacts of fatigue
Managing your fatigue
Employee responsibilities
Benefits of a FMP
Briefly outline the topics to be discussed
Inform participants of what you have decided in regards to questions and participation.

3. Why Fatigue Management?
Roadbuilding in Alberta is seasonal
Contract demands require extended work hours and consecutive work days
Extreme weather has a big impact on when we can work
ARHCA members have obtained two exemption permits from the Employment Standards Code to work extended hours and extended consecutive days of work
Previously, the roadbuilding industry wrongfully assumed we had an exemption to the hours of work section under the Employment Standards Code (for the wording of, definition and more information on the Code, please review the contents of the Manager/Supervisor training package).
It was discovered that there wasn’t an exemption or permit in place allowing the roadbuilders to work longer than 12 hours a day (Section 16).
The ARHCA (Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association) on behalf of it’s membership, holds two permits allowing extended hours of work and extended consecutive days for the reasons stated on the slide.

4. What Does This Mean To You?
ARHCA member employees may work up to 16 hours a day unless they are regulated by other legislation (Alberta Drivers’ Hours Of Service Regulation, federal National Safety Code Regulations etc.)
Days of rest do not have to be taken consecutively, however employers must allow employees at least a total of 4 days rest in each period of 4 consecutive work weeks
If an employee works less than 4 hours a day (including travel time), it will be classified as a half day of rest
All employees must have at least 8 hours of rest, not including travel time, before starting work the next day
Additional background information for facilitator:
The ARHCA received approval for an exemption under section 19. This further exemption allows the employer to give employees rest days which do not have to be taken consecutively (see Manager/Supervisor training package).
The definition of a work day was also clarified and it has been determined if the employee works 4 hours or less, including traveling time, then that day would be classified a day of rest.
There is no exemption to Section 17 of the Code which means all employees must have 8 consecutive hours between shifts.
To comply with the exemption permits:
A safety program must be in place (does not have to have a Certificate of Recognition)
A fatigue management program must be in place (see Manager/Supervisor training package) an
A Fatigue Management Program Employee Checklist must be completed by each employee working extended hours (see web site arhca.ab.ca)
An ARHCA Member Employer Checklist must be also completed and kept on file

5. What Is Fatigue?
“A state of feeling very tired, weary or sleepy resulting in insufficient sleep, prolonged mental or physical work or extended periods of stress of anxiety. mind and body; our response to continued physical or mental activity”
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
Characterized by both mental and physical effects
Diminished ability to do work, including loss of attention, slower reactions, deterioration of judgment, alertness and other problems
Subjective feelings of tiredness, loss of motivation, a lethargic mood, or a desire for rest or sleep
Additional information is provided in the
the Fatigue Management Program Guidelines
Workplace Health & Safety bulletins
the exemption permits
All of this information is on the ARHCA web site (arhca.ab.ca./safety).

6. Signs of Fatigue Tiredness Sleepiness Irritability Depression
Giddiness
Loss of appetite
Susceptibility to illness
Working slower
Worker error
Discuss some of the signs and impairments of fatigue.
Opening this up as a discussion and/or asking the participants for the answers and recording them on a flipchart etc. could be an alternative method of instruction.

7. Potential Causes of Fatigue
Inadequate rest
Sleep loss and/or disrupted sleep
Stress at work or at home
Displaced biological rhythms
Excessive physical activity (labour)
Driving or operating equipment
Excessive mental or cognitive work (thinking, reasoning and decision making)
Discuss where fatigue may result from
Inadequate rest and what the employee does on their own time may have a big impact. – lifestyle choices

8. Factors Contributing to Fatigue
Time of day and weather
Working alone
Length and frequency of breaks
Availability of food and water
Use of personal time
Drug and alcohol use
Being inactive and/or performing boring functions
Duration of extended hours/consecutive working days
Psychological and mental conditions
Work-related stress or home stress
This slide could be utilized the same as the previous slide.
Ensure the last two bullets are discussed and stress the importance of taking care of yourself.

9. Fatigue Is Not:
Hours Of Work – we may be working extended hours or continuous days and not be fatigued. We may also be fatigued even if we are not working long hours
Simply Falling Asleep – you can experience the effects while awake. The effects of fatigue begin to take hold long before we are actually nodding off at the wheel of a vehicle or operating a piece of equipment.
It is very important to discuss what fatigue is not

10. Potential Impacts and Consequences of Fatigue
Slowed reactions – physical and mental
Failure to respond to stimuli, changes in the surroundings
Incorrect actions
Memory errors and forgetfulness
Reduced motivation
Increased tendency for mistakes
Poor communication

11. What Can You Do About Fatigue?
Relax – relaxation is necessary, not a wasteful luxury. It is downtime, with the mind and body at rest, no distractions
Exercise – exercise relieves stress and promotes cardiac and respiratory health. It does not have to be grueling, a brisk walk, or a few stretches before physical activity can be beneficial. Do not exercise or shower shortly before attempting to sleep. Allow an hour to wind down before trying to sleep.
Please refer to available additional information.

12. What You Can Do Continued
Dietary Choices – good eating habits can help you function well even if you’re working long hours or consecutive days.
1st meal equal protein and carbohydrate calories
2nd meal higher in proteins and lower carbs
Final meal high in carbs and low in protein
Consume caffeine and alcohol very moderately, you may think they help to keep you awake and help you sleep, but they damage the quality of your sleep and wakefulness
Examples of carbohydrates include: cereals, bread, pasta, potatoes, peas, corn, sugars
Examples of proteins are: meats, fish, cheese products

13. What You Can Do Continued
Communication and Relationships – identify the people that are important to you in both your work and home life. Nurture those relationships. Try to eat some meals together and spend time keeping in touch with their lives.
Working long hours and consecutive days may have a large affect in this area.
Facilitator may want to ask participants for their insight/experiences on this.
Participants may have some unique and interesting methods of how they deal with this.

14. What You Can Do Continued
Get Proper Sleep – quality of sleep is critically important to quality of life and effectiveness at work. Your sleep environment should be dark, cool, quiet and relaxing.
If sleeping during the day, darken the room and reduce as much noise as possible. Mask external noise by “white noise” such as a fan.
Take a break from your smart technology (cellphones, iPads, etc.)
Don’t deal with time constraints or scheduling problems by cheating on sleep!
Getting proper sleep is crucial for dealing with fatigue.
Technology is the biggest distraction, turn your device on silent when you’re trying to sleep.
Shift work, whether regularly scheduled or switching from days to nights and back again can have a big impact. If you require your employees to work different shifts, it’s recommended your company provide further training on how to cope with shift work.

15. Employee Responsibilities
Actively participate in FMP training
Recognize symptoms of fatigue and speak up when fatigue may impact performance
Promptly report any fatigue related concerns
Report any individual medical or personal situations, which may have an affect on fatigue
Make smart lifestyle choices (sleep hygiene, nutrition, fitness, etc.)
Identify personal stress and seek assistance if required
Inquire about sleep disorders and potential symptoms
A company may have an effective Fatigue Management Program however, it is ultimately up to the individual employee to take responsibility for their own actions. This point needs to be stressed.
The fatigue video can be shown before, after or during this training.
You may also want to have the employees evaluate the training and/or develop a little quiz about fatigue.
All employees must complete the Fatigue Management Program Employee Checklist at this time.

16. Questions?
At the conclusion of this slide, you may want to recap what has been discussed, ask for questions, concerns and/or thoughts of the training.
All employees must complete the Fatigue Management Program Employee Checklist at this time.