Fatigue is a feeling of being tired, exhausted, or listlessness that can be experienced and reported by a worker, but that cannot be observed by others. Fatigue differs from weakness in that it can be alleviated by periods of rest. Fatigue can be both mental and physical, and prevents the worker from performing at optimal levels.
Fatigue is a feeling of being tired, exhausted, listless, sleepy, or weary that lessens a worker's ability to perform duties at an optimal level, affecting productivity and placing the worker at risk for workplace injury. Fatigue is a personal subjective feeling in that it can be experienced and reported by a worker, but cannot easily be observed by others, making it an extremely important factor in worker rotation and periods of rest from working. Fatigue differs from weakness because is possible to address the sitaution with by periods of rest, relaxation, or sleep. Fatigue is a very personal state of being and both thresholds and results vary widely between employees. Causes of fatigue can include loss of sleep, various sleep disorders, or periods of intense physical or mental work. The effects of fatigue on workers can include poor decision making skills, decreased attention span, forgetfulness, impaired performance, and diminished communication skills.
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