Worker fatigue is a “serious issue” for construction, with over a third of those in the sector working in excess of 50 hours a week, and more than half saying it affects productivity.
That’s according to a new survey by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, which found that 75% of respondents see fatigue as a major issue in the industry.
It also revealed that 37% of more than 1,000 respondents are working more than 50 hours a week, prompting the launch of the Scheme’s “Spotlight on…worker fatigue” campaign to highlight the rules and regulations about fatigue in the workplace.
The survey also found that:
- 86% of respondents work over the national average of 37.3 hours per week.
- 65% do not think the industry is doing enough to prevent worker fatigue.
- 58% say feeling tired affects their productivity at work.
- 50% have little understanding of the regulations surrounding worker fatigue.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme warned of the serious health and safety risk fatigue can pose in construction, with the potential to significantly impair physical and cognitive capacities, as well as having a damaging effect on the mental health of the industry’s workforce.
Available on the Scheme’s Best Practice Hub, ‘Spotlight on… worker fatigue’ provides the latest best practice examples, case studies, guidance and other resources, such as key details about the law and legislation within construction.
The Campaign includes a range of case study contributions from Scheme-registered sites and companies such as: A-one+, Carnell Group, Farrans, J. Murphy & Sons, Munnelly Support Services, Robertson and VolkerRail.
Amanda Long, chief executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme said: “Our workforce is at the centre of the success of our industry and, as the industry survey clearly shows, we must do more to improve standards to tackle the issue of worker fatigue.
“The Scheme is at the centre of raising awareness and spreading best practice across the entire industry and I would encourage everyone to read the Campaign and utilise the resources available within it.
“Thank you to all organisations which have contributed to the Campaign so far, and we look forward to continuing to grow the Best Practice Hub’s suite of resources on this critical subject to help to continue to raise standards across our industry.”
‘Spotlight on… worker fatigue’ follows a series of campaigns which cover issues including, drugs and alcohol, mental health, occupational cancers, illegal workers, plastics and packaging, and air pollution. All campaigns can be accessed here.
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It is very refreshinging to that finally this issue is being taken seriously.
I have seen first hand the effect
Tha fatigue has on construction workers, the projects they are involved in and also the effect this has on the wellbeing of the workers themselves and their families.
I am unfortunately of the opinion that left unchecked the consequences of this problem will affect the health and wellbeing of the workforce, productivity, quality and additional long term problems.
Despite all the good work that has been done within the indudtry, unless workers health is put before programme schedules, we will still see this issue.
I have recently conducted my own small survey using the HSE risk index and found the results worrying.
At site level their is still a culture that is fearful to speak out, as the prospect of losing their job comes before the risk involved in the work they do.
In my opinion, the only way this can be addressed is by awareness, supervision and senior management putting the health of workers before time constraints imposed on projects.
In my experience, more projects are being awarded to the lowest tender, therefore the winning bidder is having to overlook certain aspect of health and wellbeing to complete the projects on time.
It is great to see this issue being highlighted, but without all stakeholders being made aware of the issue, and making it clear to contractors that fatigue is detrimental to the its workforce and a realistic method to combat the problem integrated into policies, this will continue to be a priblem.
Most of the workforce are made up from sub contractors, more often then not they are working to a really tight schedule. Management often ask these contractors to reduce their costs and the way this is normally acheived is to reduce labour, fatigue will set in because of the reduction in the workforce.
The schedule remains the same for a short term until it is brought forward.
Cost management and looming profit margins often put the workforce at risk of fatigue.
Better planning, and communication, might reduce this but the common consensus is “just get on with it”.
Maybe in time attitudes will change and a ballence will be found.