FATIGUE
While human error is credited with at least 80% of all aviation accidents, fatigue is another hidden factor. Fatigue can be either acute (intense but short duration) or chronic (long duration). Obvious causes of fatigue include lack of sleep, stress, boredom and long hours of labor. Some less obvious causes include low blood sugar, dehydration, noise, vibration, strong lighting, severe temperature swings, circadian rhythm disruption and some over-the-counter medications.
It is generally accepted that humans need a fairly consistent 6-8 hours of sleep to fully refresh and function near 100%. An ongoing lack of sleep carries with it a compounding effect.
It may be obvious that long hours lead to fatigue; however, not so obvious is that the type of work will also cause fatigue. Repetitive motions and monotonous work without using the thinking or problem- solving parts of the brain may induce further fatigue. This is especially true if combined with other fatigue factors.
Stress, both acute and chronic, are precursors to sleep disorders resulting in fatigue. Stress is your body’s reaction to fatigue. Stress is your body’s reaction to change and affects sleep schedules and sleep quality. Lack of quality sleep results in increased fatigue.
Boredom is a condition that can be more stressful and damaging than overwork. As your job becomes more routine, boredom can set in and create dangers of complacency. The repetitive tasks of passenger briefings or preflight equipment checks can be overshadowed by personal business, e-mail and texts, phone calls or issues at home.
Even though you are very competent at your job, your skills can go on auto-pilot and create problems. The tedium of doing the same things over and over again can cause fatigue.
Low blood sugar is not only an issue for people with diabetes. Your body will attempt to regulate its blood sugar from the foods you eat. Comfort foods can make your blood sugar spike and drop rapidly, leading to a situation of low blood sugar. Action requires slow- release energy to maintain good body function and a consistent mental alertness. Fatigue compounds the problem by decreasing function which increases the risks associated with fatigue.
Dehydration is the removal of water from an object. That object, in this case, is your body. Medically, dehydration is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition in which the body contains an insufficient
54 Central Nervous System
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