Fatigue
Build Intentional Relationships
In our discussions regarding well-being and strategies to reduce fatigue, we often hear many of the same messages: eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and
October 1, 2025
In our discussions regarding well-being and strategies to reduce fatigue, we often hear many of the same messages: eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and
Sleep is a fundamental human need, as vital as food, water, and air. Sleep helps our body and minds repair, rejuvenate, and consolidate memories. Yet,
Water is one of the most essential nutrients, yet its importance is frequently underestimated. While carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals all play crucial roles
Have you ever started a task with energy and focus, determined to see it through, only to run out of steam too soon? Hours melt
In the hectic pace of life, the concepts of “well-being” and “fatigue” have become increasingly intertwined. We are constantly bombarded with demands, both personal and
We think of sleep as a passive state, however, it is a rather complex and dynamic process [1] involving neurons (or nerve cells) and their
It never fails that the first or second night someplace new, I relax and get cozy to rest, but I cannot sleep much at all.
Managing fatigue on the job is crucial for your personal well-being as well as for the safety of the pipeline. Add shift work into the
Both the United States and Canada observe Heart Health Month in February. In Canada, the emphasis is on raising awareness about cardiovascular health and promoting
Experts recommend that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, but most shift workers sleep less than 6 hours per day
The role of Controllers is vitally important to the safe and efficient operation of pipelines. Due to the high risk nature of these jobs, the
It’s 2 am on your fourth consecutive night shift, and the fatigue is setting in. If you have an elliptical nearby, do you hop on
Many 24×7 high-risk industries, including rail, aviation, pipeline, emergency services and healthcare, struggle with balancing safety, productivity and worker well-being. It should be no surprise
Sleepiness can arise any time of day, but for shift workers, incidents of sleepiness may naturally be more common. Sleepiness and fatigue can impact job
After a wonderful day, playing outdoor games with the family and grilling our favorite foods for dinner, I grab a warm shower, put on my
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why managing fatigue is challenging for shift workers. The stretches of 12 hour day shifts, most often
As I grow older, I find that my pill organizer grows larger. While I used to take just a single multivitamin each day, my daily
On June 8, 2022, at 11:28 am central time, a Natural Gas Facility in Quintana, Texas experienced a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (“BLEVE”) when
We spend a lot of time learning about the various aspects of fatigue and sleep, but what do we do with what we learn? As
Here’s what we know: all shiftworkers experience fatigue at one time or another. The good news is that understanding the cause of our fatigue can
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US and is the second leading cause of death in Canada. February is heart health
During my daughter’s first year of college, her volleyball coach called me with some shocking news. The coach informed me that my daughter, who played
To comply with Control Room Management regulations[1], companies must establish shift lengths and schedule rotations that allow Controllers enough off-duty time to get eight hours
The SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) HMI (Human Machine Interface) provides Controllers with ears and eyes into the pipeline. A well-designed HMI provides Controllers
We often hear the directive for adults to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night in order to meet the physical requirements of
Fasting is an ancient practice. It can be described as the absence of food during a prescribed period of time. The Bible teaches the use
The past few years have brought along an unexpected flood of disease, social and political conflict, job loss, changes in business practices and changes in
When you prepare to drive on a long road trip, most of us fill our vehicle’s tank to “full” before embarking on the journey. This
Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. This internal body clock is composed of thousands of neurons, or nerve
Microsleep is defined as a brief, involuntary episode of unconsciousness that can last between a fraction of a second to a few minutes. It’s a
When I was growing up, my brother and I spent a great deal of time on our grandparent’s farm. In addition to running a large
For years, people have attempted to manage their weight by counting calories. There are calorie calculators online, as well as apps, to facilitate that process.
February is here! This is a time for sharing sweet messages of love, from the heart. It’s also the time of year when we focus
Our bodies host many incredible design features, such as the natural ability to overcompensate for stress the body endures, consistently, over time. Think of a
The holiday hustle is upon us. Truth is, we have already experienced a great deal of hustle even before the holiday season arrived. Today’s article
Shiftworkers have a special role in the workforce, especially those who work rotating shifts. Most Controllers in the pipeline industry work 12 hour rotating shifts.
The heavy cloud of fatigue weighs on each one of us at some time or another. Pipeliners who work rotating shifts are more vulnerable to
Like air and water, we need sleep to survive. In fact, the brain will force sleep, if necessary, in the form of microsleeps. A microsleep
The only means of reversing fatigue is with sleep. Sleep debt refers to the mismatch of sleep you need, versus the amount of sleep you
Summer is the time of year when many of us plan a vacation in the hopes of catching up on much needed rest and relaxation.
Our Team Resource Management course includes a section on defining and applying professionalism. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) believes professionalism is important
One of the primary ways Controllers maintain situation awareness in the control room is with information perceived visually. The muscles and fibers in and around
When sleep seems like an elusive dream, you’ve checked all of the other boxes to see that your sleep hygiene is good and there are
Are all calories created equal? If you are a calorie counter, you may choose your meals based on calorie content and taste. This leads one
My mother suddenly became very ill the day after Christmas. Her blood pressure and heart rate had been somewhat erratic for weeks. Could it be
Any day is a good day to implement a plan for improvement. It may be safe to say that most of us have made attempts
I remember having to change elementary schools between 2nd and 3rd grade. It’s really quite amazing that it’s had such staying power in my brain,
We interviewed a young shift worker who admitted to getting only 5 or 6 hours of sleep each night. He reported that he stayed very
There is no doubt that you may sometimes feel bombarded with training requirements. On occasion, training is required as a result of a recent accident
Sleepiness and driving are a dangerous combination. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 6,400 U.S. deaths are attributed to drowsy driving each year.
In 1840 Henry David Thoreau observed that “Beauty is where it is perceived.” That quote rings true even today, and I believe it can be
Choices produce outcomes. Two people can go into the same grocery store, push the same sized carts through it, and choose from the same inventory.
Many years ago, a mentor of mine shared that we must be willing to see all of ourselves in order to create a personal strategy
Caffeine consumption is not without controversy in the community of health and wellness advisors even though it’s legal and unregulated throughout most of the world.
Socrates once said, “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people”. I believe this can be easily applied to how we
Our bodies are designed with an innate 24-hour cycle of energy and hormone production. Light enters the eyes and stimulates the brain to wake. When
“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” – Marcus Aurelius “Most people are subjective toward themselves and objective toward all others, frightfully objective sometimes–but
Several years ago, while visiting a Control Room, I had a lengthy conversation with a female Controller who had over ten years of experience at
In part one of the Porcupine Predicament last month, we examined the need for a proper amount of individual space in control rooms, using this
The two processes controlling our sleeping and waking periods are the circadian rhythm and sleep/wake homeostasis. The circadian rhythm changes with light and dark that
I have been thinking for a few months about the porcupine predicament, as described by Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher from the 19th century. In
Imagine our surprise at seeing Controllers turn on the radio, push away from their consoles, and begin dancing in the middle of the Control Room
I received an image of Mediocrates, with the caption “Ehh, Good Enough.” I do not think Mediocrates was an actual person, but I believe the
Controllers and their companies share responsibility for ensuring there is adequate time for getting sufficient rest between shifts. The company must provide time for employees
Socrates supposedly said, “All I know is that I know nothing.” That is the quintessential Lack of Knowledge. I think he meant that he knew
Joe has just completed the shift turnover and is finally ready to leave after his rotation on night shift. Due to a possible leak on
We were providing Control Room Management training a few months ago. We asked the participants to rate, on a scale from 1 to 10, the
February is American and Canadian Heart Health Month. This is a time when we highlight the need to remind people that heart disease remains the
There are several factors that contribute to Lack of Awareness. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to pay attention to one thing? Did
What unexpected and unanticipated lessons have been learned in the past year? What new lessons will this year bring? Will organizations and individuals do things
Lack of Resources is more of an organizational issue than an individual problem as it contributes to errors, accidents, and downtime. When I was a
The holiday season has arrived. Some of you feel elated by that; others feel a deep sense of dread. This time of year can be
Have you ever been afraid to speak up in a group setting or when you had a concern about safety in operations? You might suffer from
The Scrabble dictionary contains 4,030 four-letter words. There are, undoubtedly, many fine words contained in that list such as ship, goat, free and plot to
Pressure on and off the job can lead to errors and accidents. This is a pressure packed year due to a pandemic, politics, and economic
Air, food, water and sleep are some of the most important resources our bodies need. Sleep is a basic, physiological need which our bodies cannot
A PHMSA accident investigation report indicated that the cause of a rupture and spill was “incorrect operation” because someone closed a manually operated valve. The
Sleep is critical for brain functions. Most of us need our brains to perform tasks and relate to others, yet many don’t take seriously the
What does professionalism mean to you? Does your job description mention professionalism like these controller job descriptions? Demonstrated professional work experience in a customer service environment,
I’ve heard it said that common sense is not so common. No one is born with it, but it can certainly be developed over time.
What is different in your control room or workplace these days? I suspect some norms have changed and may never be the same again. My
What is normal in your workplace? What are the mostly nonwritten rules and behaviors dictated and followed by the majority of the group? I remember
Fatigue affects us in various ways. One example we can look to is exercise. If you’ve ever worked out with weights, you’ve experienced muscle fatigue.
Are you as easily distracted as I am? I used to be more focused and single minded, but it is now difficult to avoid looking
In 1903 Thomas Edison, concerned about the healthcare of his time stated, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his
Complacency is more likely to occur when we stop being afraid of doing something. I am not saying we have to be paralyzed with fear,
Have you ever walked out of your house, forgot to bring your cell phone with you, and nearly panicked at the thought of leaving without
We have provided since 2011 and continue to provide monthly “managing fatigue” articles that correlate to the topics in our managing fatigue calendars. The purpose
Control room operators, like many of us, spend a great deal of time sitting. It is likely the most comfortable position for monitoring the pipeline,
I am unfamiliar with any efforts to identify and to address the effects of job stress in most pipeline companies. In fact, one job posting
The month of March is an important time in my family. My dad, brother, nephew, granddaughter, and I have birthdays this month. We enjoy getting
A Natural Gas System Controller volunteered some information during a control room team training session. He was on duty when high pressure gas was accidentally
Have you ever had a car, motorcycle or truck that you liked a lot? You probably took very good care of the engine in that
In 1999, I was given a mission to reduce the number of pipeline operational errors that led to leaks, spills, and accidents. I sought to
During a recent workload assessment, I observed a Controller who completed the shift-change process thoroughly, then immediately set to work organizing his console. He rearranged
We have been using publicly available pipeline accident reports to develop scenarios and exercises for use in control room management (CRM) programs and control room
I’ve heard it said that the best shift schedule is the one you are not working. That’s a common perception, possibly because shift work is
We have led many control room team training sessions teaching non-technical skills. A part of the course are assessments through self-ratings of situation awareness, decision making,
Fatigue can be defined as a complex state characterized by a lack of alertness and reduced mental and physical performance, often accompanied by drowsiness. Each
What is your mission in life and work, and in the control room? In the 1980s I taught from the “Life and Work” Sunday School
How does the food you eat affect your ability to be “fit for duty”? Primarily it is important to provide energy to your body that
I am easily distracted. I am distracted by my personal electronic devices (PED) and I have observed that I am not the only one. I
Good morning! Did you wake singing, “Zippadee-doo-dah, zippadee-a; my, oh my, what a wonderful day”? A good night’s sleep can leave you feeling livelier, with
Plato, in the dialogue Phaedo, introduces the “Theory of Forms” along with other themes. The theory of forms means that for every object in the
Water is the primary foundational component of health. It’s known to be the most important nutrient we take in because it’s involved in every function
“Associate with people who are likely to improve you. Welcome those who you are capable of improving. The process is a mutual one. People learn
Bill Engvall made the phrase, “Here’s your sign” famous when he made us laugh about people not getting the picture, not understanding the obvious. The
“When you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, remember that your defining characteristic – what defines a human being – is to
For some of our readers, the abuse of drugs may be a very sensitive topic because you or someone you care about has become physically
“You don’t have to turn this into something. It doesn’t have to upset you. Things can’t shape our decisions by themselves.” – Marcus Aurelius Meditations
