COVID-19 and Worker Fatigue: Lessons Learned and Mitigation Strategies

Details

• Journal Article:
  The Synergist
• Personal Author:
  Wong, Imelda S.
• Description:
  The declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a public health emergency in the United States immediately changed the way we work and live, and intensified feelings of stress and uncertainty about the future. New routines and behaviors such as adhering to stay-at-home orders, wearing masks, and social distancing, along with frequent messaging about handwashing, cleaning, and not touching our faces, are constant reminders of our "new normal" and have been shown to increase anxiety. Exposure to an abundance of news coverage, some of which is conflicting or has changed over time, has fueled feelings of uncertainty and fear. The closure of many businesses has led to job loss and financial instability for millions for an undetermined period. Essential service occupations- some of which might not have been previously recognized for exposure to infectious diseases- are now perceived as more dangerous due to the increased infection risk associated with working among the general public. Worries about the health and wellbeing of ourselves and loved ones have further affected our emotional health and added to fatigue. New terms such as "caution fatigue" and "quarantine fatigue" have emerged to describe the weariness we feel about our new restrictive circumstances as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. ... The only certain thing during these uncertain times is the need to work together to navigate through uncharted territories. Recognizing that worker fatigue can be attributed to a variety of sources stemmfog from individual concerns, changes in work routines and schedules, and varying degrees of stress due to adversities related to COVID-19 can aid in the development of targeted, efficient mitigation strategies. A holistic approach with shared responsibility and open communication among employers and employees is needed to ensure worker safety, health. and well-being and a successful return to regular operations. As the economy reopens, addressing changes in work hours and routines, organizational practices, and the physical and psychosocial work environment due to COVID-19 will help mitigate worker fatigue and can sup· port healthy behaviors and practices as workers adjust to the new normal. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases COVID-19 Emergencies Fatigue Occupational Health Public Health Safety Viral Diseases Work Schedule Tolerance
• Keywords:
  Fatigue; Workers; Viral diseases; Stress; Coping behavior; Infection control; Infection prevention; Infectious diseases; Public health; Emergency response; Emotional stress; Adaptation; Psychological fatigue
• Source:
  Synergist 2020 Nov; 31(11):20-25
• ISSN:
  1066-7660
• Document Type:
  Still Image
• Genre:
  Presentation
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSI - Division of Science Integration
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  23 pdf apges
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061463
• Contact Point Address:
  Imelda Wong, PhD, NIOSH Center for Work and Fatigue Research, Cincinnati, OH
• Email:
  kwn0@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• NORA Priority Area:
  Oil and Gas Extraction ; Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f3e9dd65efc9d9e22f11247f0716ab00630846b4e8eb5b6df04f1068f63e7ea5150d6e3c2b086478d7d8c8ed286f14739ba6e136ae666e49af834b01869f4978
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/147322/cdc_147322_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.59 MB ]