Effects of Occupational Fatigue on Cognitive Performance of Staff From a Train Operating Company: A Field Study

Abstract

Background: Occupational fatigue is a key issue in the rail industry that can endanger staff, passenger, and train safety. There is a need to demonstrate the relationship between workload, fatigue, and performance among rail staff. Objective: The present study, conducted in the workplace in realistic situations, integrating both subjective and objective measurements, aimed at demonstrating the relationship between workload, fatigue, and cognitive performance with a rail staff sample. Methods: The "After-Effect" technique was applied in the current study. Online diaries and cognitive performance tasks were used to assess the fatigue, work experiences, and performance of rail staff before and after work on the first and last days of one working week. Results: Reported fatigue was greater after work on both the first and last day of the working week. There were large individual differences in the change in fatigue and workload ratings. Analysis of covariance with age and the pre-work performance score as covariates and the post-work performance score as the dependent variable showed that high levels of fatigue were associated with impaired performance on both the visual search and logical reasoning tasks. Workload had fewer effects on performance than fatigue. Conclusion: This field study provided evidence for the relationship between workrelated fatigue and performance impairment. The findings show the need for future work on predicting fatigue-related performance decrements, and the necessity of providing interventions and support so that the risk to safety can be reduced.

Should All Minimal Access Surgery Be Robot-Assisted? A Systematic Review into the Musculoskeletal and Cognitive Demands of Laparoscopic and Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery

“…7 Studies in the workplace have clearly established a relationship between cognitive fatigue and impaired performance, including slower reaction times, 8 reductions in concentration 9 and impaired memory and information processing. 10 This has extensively been researched amongst pilots 11 and train operators, 12 clearly demonstrating that cognitive fatigue is associated with decreased overall performance and safety. This has vital consequences, especially in professions which require a very low margin of error to maintain safety.…”

“…Even studies amongst drivers revealed that cognitive fatigue accounted for 12% of car crashes and 10% of near-misses. 12 , 13 Amongst surgeons, level one evidence is lacking but the impact of cognitive fatigue and impaired performance on patients could be critical. Indeed, whilst there is significant heterogeneity in the literature, several studies have shown fatigue can result in increased surgical errors and adverse patient outcomes.…”

The Relationship Between Workload, Fatigue and Sleep Quality of Psychiatric Staff

“…They report higher mental fatigue than physical fatigue [23]. The central role of fatigue in impairing their work performance has been supported by research using subjective measures, objective measures, or both [23,24,25,26]. In China, healthcare workers were listed as one of the most vulnerable work populations to occupational fatigue, followed by taxi drivers and police officers [27].…”

The Use of Coconut Fiber Padded Seat in Reducing Vibration and Fatigue of Bus Drivers

“…A driver seated for too long and exposed to full body vibration is prone to fatigue and back problems (Wang et al, 2017;Park et al, 2020) Fatigue is one of the factors causing accidents in the transportation sector (Zuraida and Abbas, 2020). It can affect the safety behavior of bus drivers and their cognitive abilities and is associated with occupational safety factors (Fan and Smith, 2020). Adam and Jalil argued that the main point of contact for the WBV transmission to the driver is via the vehicle seat, originating from the engine when the vehicle is running.…”