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 science blogs on shift work, fatigue, and fatigue detection technologies.
- Published an article 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: mining, oil and gas extraction, economic benefits and cost, and populations at disproportionate risks.
- Conducted a systematic review 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: Burden of ischemic heart disease and stroke attributable to long work hours for 194 countries: 2000-2016. 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, NIOSH Data 2 Info Workshop, 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 cwfr@cdc.gov.