Most leaders picture “hazards” as equipment, traffic, chemicals, heights, or electricity. Fatigue is different. It’s a risk multiplier that quietly makes normal work more dangerous without changing the task, tools, or site conditions.
Fatigue destroys decision-making and hazard perception faster than most leaders realize. People can still look and sound fine, but their risk picture gets blurry and small errors start to stack.
If you want one habit that improves safety immediately, use this micro-tip at the start of your next toolbox meeting: ask every worker, “What’s your fatigue level from 1 to 5?”
In Canadian OH&S, we’re used to managing impairment as a workplace risk. Fatigue belongs in that same category. This isn’t about blame. It’s about recognizing that tired brains make different choices, and safety depends on choices.
When workers are fatigued, they’re more likely to miss steps, accept “good enough,” and forget to pause when something changes. Communication gets sloppy. Situational awareness shrinks. And the job becomes dependent on luck instead of control.
A practical way to think about fatigue is this: it doesn’t remove knowledge. It reduces performance.
A tired worker might know the lockout steps, but forget one isolation point.
A tired worker might know the lift plan, but skip a check because they’re trying to move faster.
A tired worker might know they should stay out of the line of fire, but stand in it anyway because “it’ll be quick.”
CCOHS treats fatigue as a form of impairment and points to research showing that extended time awake can affect performance in ways comparable to alcohol impairment. If you wouldn’t let someone work impaired, you can’t ignore fatigue just because it’s common.
Fatigue is not only “night shift.” It shows up whenever recovery time gets squeezed.
Common fatigue traps include long commutes, early starts, overtime, on-call work, physically demanding tasks, mentally demanding tasks, monotonous driving or monitoring, extreme heat or cold, and high stress outside of work. In winter, it’s even easier to start the day already drained.
One overlooked issue is exposure time. CCOHS notes that when the workday is lengthened, exposures to hazards like chemicals, noise, vibration, heat, and cold need to be re-evaluated. Even if the job is “controlled,” a longer day can quietly turn acceptable exposure into too much exposure.
In toolbox meetings, ask: “What’s your fatigue level from 1 to 5?”
Then define the scale so everyone answers the same question:
Two rules keep this real.
Keep it non-punitive. If people think a “4” means punishment or lost pay, they will say “2” forever.
Have a response plan. Asking the question without acting on answers is worse than not asking. It teaches people that the conversation is fake.
Workers don’t always self-report, especially if the culture is “tough it out.” That means leaders need to notice the early warning signs.
Here are practical red flags that often show up before an incident:
You won’t catch every case, but you’ll catch enough to prevent the high-consequence ones.
If someone reports a 4 or 5, you don’t need drama. You need a consistent process.
Have a quick, respectful check-in about what’s driving it (sleep, commute, illness, medication, stress, extended hours). You’re not diagnosing anything. You’re identifying risk factors.
Then apply controls the same way you would for any other hazard:
WorkSafeBC’s guidance is blunt: employers must manage the risk of harm when workers are fatigued, and workers must tell their supervisor if they’re impaired. That shared accountability is exactly what a strong safety culture looks like.
If you want wording that keeps it respectful and practical, here’s a script you can use when someone reports high fatigue:
“Thanks for saying it. I’m not going to punish honesty. Let’s control the risk. Today you’re not doing safety-critical tasks. We’ll put you on lower-risk work, pair you up, and we’ll do extra checks on anything high consequence. If you get worse, we stop and reassess.”
That one minute does two things: it manages today’s risk, and it teaches the crew that reporting fatigue is normal and expected.
Most workplaces don’t need fancy fatigue software. They need practical controls that target the real causes.
Extended shifts and overtime aren’t automatically unsafe, but they have to be managed like any other exposure. If fatigue is showing up repeatedly, it’s a system signal: staffing, workload, or scheduling needs adjustment. Even simple changes can help, like building predictable rotations, limiting back-to-back extended shifts, and moving high-consequence work away from the deepest overnight and early-morning low points.
Fatigue is often built into how work is packaged. Rotate tasks to reduce monotony. Build pause points into complex jobs. Improve lighting for detailed work. Reduce heat/cold stress with warm-up or cool-down strategies and hydration planning. Pay attention to noise and vibration, because they quietly chew through energy and attention.
Fatigue is when drift accelerates. Supervisors should increase field verification on critical controls during high-fatigue conditions and use short, specific check-ins: “Show me your isolation point.” “Walk me through the lift plan.” “Where’s your escape route?” Small questions catch big mistakes.
Sometimes fatigue isn’t just a bad night’s sleep. It can be a pattern that keeps showing up no matter what you do. WSPS highlights screening for sleep disorders as one workplace strategy, and it notes that obstructive sleep apnea risk can be widespread. You don’t need to play doctor, but you can create a pathway: encourage workers to talk to a health professional, and make sure your policies support treatment and safe disclosure.
The best fatigue management isn’t a poster. It’s part of the system:
This is due diligence in practice: you identified a real risk, you controlled it, and you verified it.
Most companies don’t need a 60-page fatigue binder. They need a simple, usable approach that fits the way they actually work.
Calgary Safety Consultants can help you identify where fatigue creates the highest consequence risk, build a clear fatigue reporting and response process, and integrate fatigue into your hazard assessments, JHAs, and supervisor verification routines. If you’re working toward COR or strengthening an existing program, we can align fatigue management with a functioning, field-verified safety system.
If you want practical support, visit https://calgarysafetyconsultants.ca and reach out. We’ll keep it realistic and built for your operations, not a generic template.
Fatigue is the quiet hazard that shows up everywhere. The fix starts with making it visible.
Ask the question in your next toolbox meeting: “What’s your fatigue level from 1 to 5?”
Then act on the answer. That’s what leadership looks like when safety is real.
Connect with us here and let us help you improve your OH&S practices.
CCOHS Fatigue: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/fatigue.html (ccohs.ca)
CCOHS Extended Workday: Health and Safety Issues: https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/workday.html (ccohs.ca)
WorkSafeBC Fatigue impairment: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/health-safety/hazards-exposures/fatigue-impairment (worksafebc.com)
WorkSafeBC Managing the risk of fatigue in the workplace (information sheet): https://www.worksafebc.com/resources/health-safety/information-sheets/fatigue-risk-in-the-workplace?lang=en (worksafebc.com)
WSPS 7 workplace strategies for managing employee fatigue: https://www.wsps.ca/resource-hub/articles/7-workplace-strategies-for-managing-employee-fatigue (WSPS)
Canada Safety Council Fatigue: https://canadasafetycouncil.org/fatigue/ (Canada Safety Council)
NIOSH Fatigue Risk Management Systems (training module): https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses/longhours/mod5/17.html (CDC)
OSHA Long Work Hours, Extended or Irregular Shifts, and Worker Fatigue: https://www.osha.gov/worker-fatigue (OSHA)
Alberta.ca Fatigue Management Program and Training: https://www.alberta.ca/fatigue-management-program-and-training (Alberta.ca)
Alberta Mine Safety Association guideline (Fatigue Impairment – Managing the Risk): https://abminesafety.ca/media/attachments/2025/01/20/fatigue-impairment---managing-the-risk---guideline-amsa.pdf (abminesafety.ca)
Worker fatigue is a state of mental and physical exhaustion that affects concentration, reaction time, and decision-making. It increases the risk of incidents, especially in safety-sensitive roles.
Because it increases the likelihood of unsafe acts and control failures, especially during safety-critical work like driving, lifting, energized work, heights, and confined space tasks.
It’s a quick self-report check in toolbox meetings where workers rate their fatigue level so supervisors can adjust tasks and controls before mistakes happen.
Calgary Safety Consultants is here to help you ensure compliance, enhance safety, and streamline your OH&S program. Don’t wait—fill out the form, and we’ll connect with you to discuss how we can support your business. Let’s get started!
Calgary Safety Consultants delivers game-changing COR Audits and OH&S consulting designed to keep your business safe, compliant, and accident-free. With 30+ years of expertise in high-risk industries like oil & gas, construction, and manufacturing, we understand the unique challenges you face. We offer tailored safety solutions that not only meet regulatory standards but also reduce operational risks and protect your workforce. From conducting thorough safety audits to implementing comprehensive safety management systems, we ensure your team is fully supported. Our hands-on, collaborative approach means we're with you every step of the way, helping you achieve a safer, more efficient workplace. Let us handle the heavy lifting so your team stays protected, and your business thrives!
