Sleep duration and fatigue in construction workers: A preliminary study

Abstract

The construction industry is known for its high rate of accidents. Among the different possible causes of this situation, we could find lack of sleep and fatigue. Chronic sleep deprivation is a determining factor in the deterioration of vigilance and alert, and consequently a risk factor for occupational accidents. Fatigue is the answer of our organism to sustained physical and mental stress. Regretfully, those topics have been ovelooked in the construction industry. The objective of this study is to understand better these phenomena, such as sleep duration and fatigue, and whether they are interrelated, and to propose strategies to mitigate them and contribute to the reduction of accidents in construction projects. We worked with 154 male construction workers from one Chilean construction company. To assess sleep quality, we used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). To evaluate fatigue, we used a personal computer version of the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PC-PVT) that measures alertness and vigilance. This 5-minute test was performed on construction workers on-site in the morning. Those people who took part in the test were classified into various groups according to self-reported sleep hours, namely: 7–9 h (26%), 5–7 h (61.7%), and <5 h (12.3%). These results were compared for three variables (Mean Reaction Time (RT), 10% faster, and 10% slower) using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. Differences were found for Mean RT and Slowest 10%, the difference being greater in the group that reported sleeping <5 h, but without statistical significance. Studies with a greater number of subjects and measurements are required throughout the working day.

Individual evaluation of fatigue at work to enhance the safety performance in the construction industry: A systematic review

“…The review articles were published from 2008 to 2022; one in 2018, two in 2009, two in 2014, three in 2015, three in 2017, four in 2018, two in 2020, two in 2021, one in 2022. Most of the studies were conducted in Asia: Taiwan (n = 4) [ 35 – 38 ], Hong Kong (n = 3) [ 39 – 41 ], India (n = 2) [ 42 , 43 ], Korea (n = 1) [ 44 ], China (n = 1) [ 20 ]; followed by United States(n = 3) [ 32 , 45 , 46 ], Brazil (n = 2) [ 7 , 47 ], and one article each for New England [ 8 ], Poland [ 48 ], Iran [ 49 ] and Chile [ 50 ]. Two-fifth of the studies (n = 8) employed experimental design in which three used simulated construction tasks.…”

“…On the other hand, validated questionnaire like Work Ability Index (WBI) [ 47 , 49 ], Subjective fatigue symptoms RCIF scale [ 35 , 37 ], Fatigue Assessment Scale for Construction Workers (FASCW) [ 7 , 20 , 37 ], Self-reported physical fatigue, physical and cognitive function and Swedish Occupational Fatigue Inventory (SOFI) [ 44 , 46 ] were able to evaluate both physical and mental fatigue. For the objective measurement tool, it was further categorized based on the performance measure that the tool is able to assess, namely (i) physiological metrics of calf circumference [ 35 , 37 ], blood pressure [ 35 , 42 ], heart rate [ 7 , 35 – 38 , 40 , 42 , 45 ], oxygen consumption [ 36 , 41 ], skin thermoregulation [ 40 , 45 ] and electrical brain activity [ 38 , 45 , 46 ],(ii) physical performance measure of stability test of one leg standing test with eyes closed and opened [ 48 ], static balance test [ 39 ], core strength and endurance [ 43 ], lower limb flexibility [ 43 ], muscle strength test (pinch, grip, back) [ 35 , 37 , 43 ]; and (iii) cognitive performance measure of personal computer version of the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PC-PVT) [ 46 , 50 ] and critical flicker fusion [ 35 ]. The type, scope and challenges of the evaluation tool were illustrated in Table 4 .…”

“…Poland [48], Iran [49] and Chile [50]. Two-fifth of the studies (n = 8) employed experimental design in which three used simulated construction tasks.…”

“…Data overwhelmingly showed that even with mild degrees of weariness, all of these sophisticated cognitive tasks were severely worsened [ 96 ]. The 5-minute test was ease to be performed on construction site in the morning prior to the start of work task, and Ferrada et al [ 50 ] reported that the mean reaction test was significantly correlated with the fatigue level indicated by self-reported sleep hours. According to the thorough analysis conducted by Dawson et al [ 97 ], PC-PVT is the most favored objective technique for assessing fatigue at specific periods in time in the field.…”

“…A longitudinal day-level of fatigue or fitness indicators should be considered to examine the day-level fluctuation of energy resources which denotes fatigue and recovery [59,60]. In the following Require artificial intelligence implementation in real-life occupational settings and is costly [46,50] Critical flicker fusion (CFF)…”