Center for Work and Fatigue Research

Key points

  • Committed to exploring and mitigating health and safety risks related to nonstandard work schedules and worker fatigue.
  • Aims to develop and implement effective solutions and strategies for managing workplace fatigue.
  • Engages in active collaboration with researchers, policymakers, employers, workers, and health and safety professionals.
Exhausted African American businessman wearing a tan colored shirt is sleeping at his desk during a late night at work.

Overview

The Center for Work and Fatigue Research (CWFR) is dedicated to expanding work on health and safety risks associated with nonstandard work schedules and other sources of fatigue. The Center seeks to develop practical and effective solutions to these challenges.

Fatigue has been described as "a feeling of weariness, tiredness or lack of energy."[1] In workplace settings, it is commonly associated with nonstandard schedules which disrupt or shorten sleep. Examples of nonstandard schedules include night shift work and extended work hours. Nearly 30% of the American workforce has a work schedule that is outside of a "regular daytime shift."[2] One in four workers reports working more than 40 hours per week.[3]Fatigue can also be associated with other workplace factors. Learn more on the NIOSH fatigue worker safety and health topic page.

Program priorities

The Center for Work and Fatigue Research launched in May 2020. The CFWR collaborates with other government agencies, industry, labor, safety professionals, and scientific researchers. Through these partnerships, the Center aims to:

  • Raise awareness of various sources of worker fatigue
  • Identify effective methods to assess fatigue-risk in workplaces
  • Reduce health and safety risks associated with workplace fatigue

What we've accomplished

  • Hosted a mini symposium on work-related fatigue for the NIOSH Board of Scientific Counselors in May 2021. Presentation topics included the evolution of fatigue research, COVID-19 and work-related fatigue, fatigue risk management strategies and global perspectives of work-related fatigue.
  • Published on shift work, fatigue, and fatigue detection technologies.
  • Published an proposing an industrial hygiene approach to anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control work-related fatigue.
  • Contributed articles to the American Journal of Industrial Medicine about current knowledge and gaps in work-related fatigue research and effective countermeasures.Topics include: , , , and .
  • Conducted a of fatigue interventions used in mining operations and similar industries. Substantial evidence was found for the use of bright-light treatments to improve night shift worker alertness.
  • Reviewed and validated data for World Health Organization/International Labour Organization study: . Working 55 or more hours per week had a higher risk of stroke and dying from ischemic heart disease compared to working 35-40 hours per week.
  • Presented on the benefits and challenges of fatigue detection technologies at the Electric Power Research Institute Thought Leadership webinar series, , National Safety Council Work to Zero meeting, OSHA Oil and Gas Conference and XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work
  • Developed the infographic "How to Choose the Right Fatigue Detection Technology for Your Workplace" to highlight factors for employers to consider when selecting a technologies as part of a comprehensive safety management system.

What's ahead

  • Publish a Cochrane Review on adaptation of shift work schedules to reduce sleepiness and improve sleep.
  • Develop videos with tips to manage fatigue during challenging times.
  • Publish a scoping review of sleep education and training interventions for nurses.
  • Partner with US Department of Transportation, Volpe Center, to develop communication and educational products about risk of fatigue with automated and assisted driving.
  • Publish a thematic journal issue of emerging concerns in workplace fatigue and effective solutions specific to various industry sectors.

Contacts

For more information or inquiries about the Center's initiatives, contact the Center for Work and Fatigue Research at [email protected].

Resources

ob体育/NIOSH

Other Government Agencies

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Partners

U.S. Partnerships

  • American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
  • American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
  • American College of Preventative Medicine.
  • The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) (2017)
  • National Association of State EMS Officials.
  • National Safety Council.

International Partnerships

  • International Agency for Research on Cancer.
  • International Fire Chiefs Association.
  • International Labour Organization.

Sleep Disorders Specialists and Centers

Print
Content Source:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  • A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia [Internet]. Fatigue; [reviewed 2019 Apr 16; cited 2020 Dec 12]; Available from:
  • 2015 National Health Interview Survey, Occupational Health Supplement.
  • 2019 Bureau of Labor Force Statistics, Current Population Survey.
  • National Safety Council. Drowsy Driving.
  • National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.