International Aluminium Institute Publishes New Fatigue Risk Management Guidelines for Industry

health, News, safety

The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has today published a set of guidelines on how to develop systems to manage fatigue risks in the aluminium industry.

The Fatigue Risk Management Guidelines will provide IAI member companies and other aluminium industry stakeholders with a systematic approach to managing fatigue in the workplace.

Key recommendations:

  • IAI Member companies should include “fatigue” as a specifically listed contributing factor in incident reporting and also in accident investigation systems;
  • As appropriate, IAI Member companies should integrate the fatigue risk management approach within existing health & safety, wellness, and human resources initiatives;
  • IAI Member companies should deploy comprehensive training that focuses on the science of sleep, fatigue physiology, sleep disorders, alertness, etc;
  • IAI Member companies may also make use of technologies (such as app-based personal monitoring, vehicle operator-centred systems, pre-shift testing etc.) to assist in the measurement and management of fatigue.

Commenting on the Guidelines, IAI Deputy Secretary General, Chris Bayliss said:

“There is overwhelming evidence that fatigue, a consequence of lack of sleep, negatively impacts the health and safety of workers. It is therefore important that fatigue is identified as a health and safety risk and management system are put in place to control that risk. This is particularly relevant as the industry adapts its working practices to manage Covid and other disease transmission risks.”

Fatigue is about lack of sleep and is a feeling of constant tiredness or weakness and can be physical, mental or a combination of both. It can affect anyone, and most adults will experience fatigue at some point in their life.

The IAI, therefore, considers these guidelines to be of the utmost importance in protecting the safety and wellbeing of the industry’s workforce and safety in the workplace.

“It is essential that organisations begin to look at how fatigue can be considered within existing or emerging health and safety risk management systems and that such systems get buy-in from workers as well as management. Fatigue risk management is a shared responsibility of both the employer and the employee and must be implemented across organisations. If all stakeholders work together, they can build a culture of fatigue awareness which will benefit all,” Chris Bayliss added.

This newly published document aligns with global standardised approaches used for managing occupational health and safety and workplace psychological health and safety.

Download the Fatigue Risk Management Guidelines here