Diagnosing fatigue in workplace personnel is daunting task because the afflicted worker might simply be too tired to describe or be too tired to describe or be aware that fatigue is the actual problem. Nonetheless, management and employees should at least try to consider potential causes of fatigue as way to reduce its effects on workplace safety and business performance.
Physical health
A person can suffer physical ailments or diseases that prevent him from performing at peak efficiency. For example, an active employee who is a sports enthusiast might suffer lifelong muscle and joint injuries. In fact, the medical community is starting to accept that patients who complain of constant tiredness might suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). According to research by Harrison Wein, PhD, in association with the National Institutes of Health, CFC may occur in combination with other viruses.
Mental health
Increased workload and responsibility can overtax the human brain, especially if the job requires if the job requires extended periods of deep mental though processes, according to a study conducted by Kei Mizuno, et al, and published through BioMed Central Ltd. On the other hand, some occupations have always required extreme mental aptitude from people, such as emergency room doctors, and so mental fatigue is par for the course. Another aspect of mental health is the mood of the person. Depression is a disorder that causes people to feel fatigued and sad overall. Mood disorders may be the result of the issues in the workplace or in the employee’s personal life.
Equipment and furniture
Workers can become fatigued from being ill-equipped to perform a task. An administrative worker that sits in comfortable, air-conditioned office all day, such as an accountant or secretary, looks fully accommodated for doing the job. However, a cheap, non-ergonomic office chair can create stress points and pain on a person’s back, seat and extremities. Factory and service workers who stand and walk all day need comfortable, quality walking shoes to reduce the pressure on the lower limbs. Failing to think about the ergonomics of the work setting can lead to bodily pain, which in turn causes fatigue.
Environmental
The working environment refers to indoors, as well as outdoors. Poor air conditioning, improper ventilation or harsh chemicals cam make workers tired from not being able to breathe fresh, clean air. Poor lighting can also strain the eyes causing fatigue. Outdoors, workers might have to contend with weather anomalies, such as unusually cold or hot temperatures, causing the body to tire out from trying to adapt to the changes. Also, workers can become exposed to ambient chemical and natural hazards, such as smog and pollen, causing an adverse and fatiguing effect on the body.
Work schedule
Workers who have long or late-night office hours might become tired from not being able to keep a normal schedule. Law enforcement personnel do have defined shifts, but an officer might also be on call for major incidents. The human mind body operates on a Circadian rhythm that automatically sense day and night. Fighting the body’s natural time clock can cause workers to suffer from fatigue.
To sum up, both the employers and employee should make efforts to avoid and prevent the above mentioned reasons that cause fatigue.
