Fatigue Management

which are prone to fatigue, for example, diagnosis and safety-related decision
making.
Common fatigue induced problems in maintenance work include:
a. reduced communication;
b. misinterpretation of instructions;
c. complacency;
d. distraction; and
e. loss of ‘system awareness', eg, noticing progress in tasks.
In a recent BASI (Bureau of Air Safety Investigation)
study of regional aircraft maintenance personnel, 29 per
cent of respondents reported that they were sometimes so
tired at the end of a long shift "that they could not perform
their tasks properly."
Beyond the Midnight Oil: An Inquiry
into Managing Fatigue in Transport, 2000
Extreme fatigue can impair visual perception which is a key component of
search functions and fault detection. As expected, research has shown the
circadian trough hours to be associated with increased error rates in the
complex socio-technical systems of maintenance and inspection. The various
fatigue countermeasures discussed in this guide are relevant for maintenance
personnel. Additional, specific fatigue prevention strategies for maintainers
also include:
a. determining points within existing aviation support systems
where there is potential for operator error;
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