Focus on Fatigue is a collaborative newsletter between FaidSafe alliance partners. Views expressed in articles and links provided are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, all contributing partners.
Issue 18 – March 2012
Dear Reader,
Having been the editor of Focus and Fatigue, for 5 years it is timely to review the reason that FaidSafe exists and why it is offered as the global benchmark for services assisting the implementation of fatigue safe systems.
Many organisations faced with the challenge of managing fatigue can easily become daunted by the prospect. Impairment associated with fatigue can be difficult to detect, and harder still, is judging the level of impairment that could present a danger. Added to the complexity of individual differences in experiencing fatigue is the context for individuals (e.g. job type, activities, environment, time of day, etc.) and the degree to which this is vulnerable to fatigue.
Given the diverse factors needed to be taken into account in managing work-related fatigue, a risk-based approach that gives consideration to models like James Reason’s ‘Swiss Cheese’ model is often recommended. The Defences-in-Depth model (Dawson & McCulloch, Sleep Med. Rev. 2005) applies James Reason’s model to the fatigue context, targeting prevention through a series of barriers, safeguards, and defences. InterDynamics has included these concepts and ideas in its risk-based approach to managing fatigue (FaidSafe), summarised in this diagram.
Founded on staff engagement and consultation, shared responsibility, and effective risk management, the FaidSafe methodology represents a risk-based approach to managing fatigue that targets improved safety and performance as key outcomes.
FaidSafe services are modular in nature, and exist to assist organisations wherever they are at along the journey of fatigue risk management.
Products and services include:
- Organisational FRMS benchmarking and grading systems
- Fatigue surveys
- Managing fatigue training for employees
- Facilitation of Fatigue Hazard Analysis risk assessments
- Training in the context and use of FAID
- Change management support
- Assistance in incident investigation
- Hours of Work fatigue diagnostic reports (planned and actual)
- Data analysis
- Fatigue management policy, procedure and FRMS reviews, and
- The provision of decision making support tools (such as the internationally recognised and scientifically supported bio-mathematical model FAID) to assist in the identification and treatment of fatigue related risks.
NEWSFLASH:FAID v2.1 has just been released. See further down in newsletter for details and to enquire how to receive your upgrade!
The FaidSafe alliance consists of fatigue management professionals from around the globe that believe in using scientifically valid tools and best-practice methodologies in the management of fatigue from a risk perspective.
We hope that you will find this edition useful as we explore the importance of understanding bio-mathematical models and their appropriate use.If you wish to unsubscribe from our newsletter, please click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. Thank you for your continued support!
Work safely,
Fiona Johnston
Shiftwork Services.
Featured Articles
Understanding bio-mathematical models
When it comes to managing fatigue-related risk, regulators and businesses have been (and are increasingly) using bio-mathematical models to assist them in predicting the fatigue levels associated with hours of work. These predictions are often used in conjunction with other factors such as workload, commuting and on-call requirements. Such bio-mathematical models, including FAID®, have generally been developed after extensive scientific research, validation and industry testing. However, some available models have not undergone any sort of rigorous process.
More…
Practical use of bio-mathematical models
For the past twenty years InterDynamics has built and supplied software simulation models and decision support tools to assist managers, analysts and operators understand and manage their business operations. Over this time we have learned much about the practical implementation of models as decision support tools. This experience has also exposed us to common misunderstandings, and at times inappropriate use of models.
More…
New model Work Health and Safety Act – Australia
In Australia, one key challenge for 2012, is ensuring compliance with the new model Work Health & Safety Act (the WHS Act) as it is ratified around the country. The new Act has lifted the mode of addressing work health and safety, including fatigue management, to a more proactive and practical approach underpinned by effective risk management.
More…
In the next edition… we will explore how to get the most out of your risk assessment process, and in particular when considering the challenges presented by the fatigue context.
In the News
Metrorail employees are overworked – five year study…
New report finds Metrorail employees are overworked and five year study found that Metrorail employees in safety critical jobs are working longer hours which could lead to fatigue and accidents.
More…
Shhh! The kids need more sleep – or do they?
Kids don’t get the recommended amount of sleep — and they never have.
That’s the conclusion of Australian researchers who tracked changes in sleep recommendations, and what was known about actual sleep time, over more than a century.
More…
Workers are dying to get home from the coalface
Australia’s road transport industry operates under a stringent regulatory regime that ensures no one drives more than 12 hours a day. But the same rules don’t apply to mine workers who drive for 12 hours on mine sites, then drive long distances on public roads to return home.
More…
Sleep disorders costing
New research has found sleep disorders cost the Australian economy more than $5 billion a year in health care and indirect costs.
More…
Alliance Partner News
Integrated Safety Support
Integrated Safety Support invites you to sign up for a free demonstration of our Fatigue Awareness and Management eLearning course which is the most up-to-date online course available.
The eLearning course has been developed specifically for employees, supervisors, rostering personnel, managers and contractors. The aim of the course is to improve awareness about fatigue related risks and provide practical information about how to improve personal fatigue management.
Highly informative and easy to understand, this eLearning course offers participants who have successfully completed the course an option to print a Certificate of Completion.
Click here for a free demonstration.
We are happy to offer volume pricing to organisations wishing to implement the course in their workplace, making this course an affordable and valuable investment in managing fatigue.
For further information please contact Adam at the Melbourne office on 1300 98 57 58 or via email at training@integratedsafety.com.au .
InterDynamics
FAID® v2.1 Released
InterDynamics is proud to release v2.1 of it’s scientifically valid and operationally tested bio-mathematical model Fatigue Audit InterDyne® (FAID).
FAID Version 2.1 provides a refined experience of use, incorporating many of the suggestions received by users (as well as some extra features we’ve thought of ourselves). We hope you will find the improvements in FAID v2.1 of benefit in terms of speed, refinement of features, and ease-of-use. FAID analysis is a valuable means of identifying indicative fatigue exposure based on hours of work, and in particular for comparing roster patterns on this basis. However, other factors such as lifestyle, predictability, working environment and conditions, employee experience, etc should also be considered in determining the most appropriate hours of work.
As always it is good to remember that the use of FAID, in and of itself, is not a Fatigue Risk Management System, but one valuable tool in assessing indicative Hours of Work related fatigue, within the wider range of risk management activities and treatments required.
Full details of what is new in FAID v2.1 can be found here.
Contact us at faid@interdynamics.com if you would like to to upgrade your existing version of FAID to version v2.1 and take advantage of the new enhancements, or to discuss other aspects of FRMS that we can assist with.
Shiftwork Services
Based in New Zealand, Shiftwork Services provides a specialised advisory/training service to organisations whose employees work shifts or extended hours. Services include specialist workshops, fatigue risk management, wellness programmes, training materials, roster design. Call us to discuss your safety and performance issues.
Please browse our website here.
Working Globally
FaidSafe alliance partners are based in Australia, Europe, New Zealand and North America. Between us we are taking FaidSafe to the global market. We want to make this service available to every organisation that is exposed to fatigue risks. No matter where you are, we would like to hear from you. We want to add value to your business.
About the Custodian of the Brand
InterDynamics have been in the planning, scheduling and risk business since 1992. InterDynamics has been privileged to work with leading operational practitioners, scientists and risk engineers to develop and deliver world class fatigue risk programs and products. FaidSafe is offered as a global benchmark for risk-based integrated fatigue management solutions.