Shift Worker & Night Shift Fatigue SWMS
Fatigue risk management for shift workers — roster design, circadian rhythm, night shift nutrition, napping policy, impairment detection, and accommodation support.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
Shift work and night shift operations disrupt circadian rhythms, causing cumulative fatigue, impaired cognition, and elevated injury risk. PCBUs must manage fatigue as a psychosocial and physical hazard under WHS Act 2011 s.19, with documented controls covering rosters, napping, impairment detection, and worker support.
Hazards identified
3 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Microsleeps, errors, vehicle and plant incidents
Cognitive impairment equivalent to alcohol intoxication
Metabolic disease, depression, workforce attrition
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Design forward-rotating rosters with minimum 10-hour breaks and capped consecutive night shifts.
- 2Implement controlled napping policy, fatigue self-assessment tools, and supervisor impairment checks pre-shift.
- 3Provide hot meals, lit break rooms, and Employee Assistance Program access for night shift workers.
Applicable Codes of Practice
Identifies shift work and fatigue as psychosocial hazards
Roster design and fatigue control benchmarks
What you receive
- ✓Editable DOCX SWMS tailored to shift work and night shift fatigue management
- ✓State-specific WHS legislation schedule including Comcare jurisdictions
- ✓Fatigue and psychosocial hazard register with risk ratings
- ✓Worker sign-on register for SWMS acknowledgement
Related legislation
- WHS Act 2011 s.19 — Primary duty of care
- WHS Regulations 2011 Part 3.2 — Risk management
- Fair Work Act 2009 — Hours of work and rest entitlements