NFSHW26: The Cost of Fatigue in Agriculture: Practical Solutions to Protect Workers and Increase Productivity

Summary: Fatigue among agricultural workers is a significant yet underrecognized occupational health and safety hazard, with important implications for injury risk, productivity, and long-term health outcomes. Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable to fatigue due to a combination of factors, including long work hours, irregular schedules, inadequate sleep duration and quality, physically demanding tasks, exposure to environmental stressors such as extreme heat and cold, and ongoing mental stressors. This presentation will review the science of healthy (“good”) sleep and examine the relationships between fatigue and injury and fatality risks, as well as acute and chronic health effects. It will also explore the economic burden of fatigue in agricultural settings. Finally, practical mitigation and prevention strategies will be presented, with a focus on interventions that can be implemented at the individual, clinical, and industry levels to reduce fatigue and improve worker health, safety, and productivity.

Intended Audience: Agricultural producers, workers, managers, healthcare providers, and safety professionals

Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to…

1. Understand the causes and impact of worker fatigue by identifying common contributors, including long work hours, demanding schedules, poor sleep quality, sleep disorders, and environmental or lifestyle factors.
2. Recognize the consequences and warning signs of fatigue and describe how fatigue affects safety, health, decision-making, productivity, and team performance.
3. Understand the science of sleep by exploring sleep quality, sleep stages, recovery, cognitive function, learning, memory, and factors that disrupt healthy sleep.
4. Identify and apply strategies to reduce fatigue risks through workplace solutions, engineering controls, and organizational approaches.
5. Adopt healthy sleep and lifestyle practices using evidence-based strategies to improve rest, safety, and overall well-being.
6. Improve workplace safety and productivity through effective fatigue recognition and management practices.

Presenter: Ellen Duysen, MPH, COHC, Research Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health

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