Fatigue Management

h. During a 96-hr operation in simulated NBC conditions, a
battalion task force took 96 per cent longer to move to alternate
battle positions than a similar control unit in non-NBC
condtions 1 .
Many of the physical, behavioral and psychological reactions to working and
living in CPC are similar to those caused by fatigue and sleep loss, for
instance, greater error rates, less delegation, reduced responsiveness to
orders, increased irritation, reduced attention span, less accurate
performance monitoring, disorientation and slower work rate. Furthermore,
sleep quality is generally degraded by wearing protective clothing, especially
if a mask must be worn. People in full CPC usually take longer to fall asleep
and their sleep is considerably more disturbed.
Two apparently incongruent conclusions appear to dominate field research on
military performance in NBC environments. One general finding is that most
standard military tasks can be performed satisfactorily, but that extra time is
required to perform in CPC. The other main conclusion is that there is
significant impairment in the performance of most military tasks while
wearing full protective ensemble. This guide concludes that personnel
performing continuous, highly physical workloads in CPC are likely to
perform in a militarily effective manner for no more than six hours;
effectiveness could be less than two hours if ambient temperature is high. In
addition, command and control is generally degraded by wearing CPC due to
increased exhaustion in leaders, adverse changes in leader temperament (eg,
increased frustration) and the physical barriers to routine communication.
Measures to prevent fatigue in NBC conditions must be incorporated into
standard operating procedures. Research suggests several techniques and
factors which can contribute to the prevention and regulation of fatigue and
other adverse performance effects associated with working in CPC. These
include: fostering high levels of physical fitness, practising sleeping in full
CPC, ensuring heat acclimatisation, managing subordinate workloads with
an understanding of the impact of CPC on performance and endurance,
training in stress management techniques and allowing flexible work/rest
ratios that are linked to ambient temperature and individual physiological
differences (rest breaks of 5-15 minutes should occur at least hourly). Other
techniques include enforcing drinking water discipline, using unconventional
techniques for reducing fatigue, such as crew rotations, (which may require
cross-training) working in the shade and when ambient temperature is at its
lowest, and finally, extended training in CPC to both enhance habituation to
1. Military Psychology, Volume 9 (4), Special issue on the Effects of Chemical Protective Clothing
on Military Performance, 1997
47