Evaluation of Fatigue and Workload among Workers Conducting Complex Manual Assembly in Manufacturing

Abstract

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONSWe conducted a study to evaluate fatigue and workload among workers performing complex assembly tasks. We investigate several predictors of fatigue, including subjective workload estimates, sleep duration, the shift being worked, and production levels. High levels of fatigue were reported in one-third of the shifts evaluated. The main predictors of high fatigue were workload estimates, working evening shifts, and baseline fatigue. Among the six dimensions of workload, only mental demand and frustration were predictors of high fatigue. Mental demand was also rated highest. Participants reported less than seven hours of sleep in 60% of the nights evaluated. These results suggest that managers and supervisors should consider cognitive workload as a key contributing factor to fatigue in complex manual assembly. Similarly, work schedule planning should consider shift duration, start times, and end times, because of the negative influence on fatigue and the potential disruptions on sleep among workers.