Feeling tired in the workplace is more common than you may think, with a staggering 69% of workers admitting to feeling burnout in both physical and office roles.
Do you often find yourself feeling exhausted during your work day? Struggling to motivate yourself to go to work? Finding your patience wearing thin with coworkers and customers? These are all side effects of burnout and could indicate you might need help managing fatigue.
But don’t worry, managing fatigue isn’t all in your hands. It relies on collaboration between employer and employee to effectively create a safe working environment – Keep reading to discover more about workplace fatigue, with a spotlight on forklift drivers and forklift safety!
What is Workplace Fatigue?
Signs of worker fatigue aren’t always as obvious as you may think. While the usual symptoms like sleepiness and lack of energy are clear indicators, further traits include mental health concerns and eyesight issues. Research suggests around 13% of workplace injuries are due to managing fatigue poorly.
What are the Causes of Fatigue?
Numerous factors in both life and work can lead to burnout in the forklift industry, the typical contributions when managing fatigue are excessive work hours, poor shift patterns, the complexity of work, monotonous work, and very fast or slow machine pace.
Why is Fatigue a Problem in the Forklift World?
In any industry, managing employee fatigue is a concern. However, in manual roles like forklift operation, there are additional challenges to consider, such as:
- Decreased awareness and lack of attention
- Slower reactions and reduced co-ordination
- Absent-mindedness and difficulty in processing information
- Underestimate risks
- Physical problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, muscle pain, headache, or hallucinations
How to Manage Worker Fatigue in Forklift Operations as an Employer
Did you know, it’s estimated that UK businesses lose a whopping 207,000 days of work due to fatigue? If you’re an employer looking for ways to improve managing fatigue here are a few helpful suggestions…
- Provide thorough forklift training.
- Ensure a safe working environment, including lighting and temperature.
- Show approachability so staff know they can come to you if feeling stressed or fatigued.
- Have a well-staffed team.
- Reports show that shift workers don’t get quality sleep – When designing monthly rotas make sure employees have enough time to rest between shifts and that the shifts are not too long.
- Allow accommodations for medical conditions, both physical and mental.
- Promote work-life balance.
- Provide break/s during shift.
Effective Strategies for Preventing Fatigue in Forklift Driver Employees
Alongside your HR managing fatigue there are many things you can do as a worker to ease burnout…
- Get enough sleep and stay hydrated.
- Speak to management when experiencing exhaustion.
- Visit a medical professional if necessary.
- Try to reduce any stressors in your private life that affect your work.
- Take up exercise or a new hobby.
- Manage workload and learn from colleagues/management.
- Don’t abuse food, drink, alcohol, and other substances to aid the fatigue.