Free fatigue management plan template

• Fatigue is a WHS hazard you must eliminate or minimise so far as is reasonably practicable.
• For heavy vehicles, the HVNL sets Standard, BFM and AFM work and rest hour options.
• Chain of Responsibility makes fatigue a shared duty across the whole supply chain.
• Strong plans combine roster design, rest breaks, journey management and fit for work checks.
• Review the plan yearly and after any incident, roster change or route change.

Learn more about compliance and inspections in MapTrack.

• Compliance: shows how you meet your WHS and Heavy Vehicle National Law fatigue duties so far as is reasonably practicable.
• Chain of Responsibility: helps every party in the supply chain evidence that schedules and demands do not create fatigue.
• Risk reduction: lowers the chance of fatigue related incidents by setting clear work, rest and break arrangements.
• Consistency: gives schedulers and supervisors one agreed standard for rostering, hours and fit for work checks.
• Accountability: defines who is responsible for monitoring fatigue and for acting when a worker reports impairment.
• Review ready: creates a documented baseline you can audit, update and present to a regulator or insurer on request.

• Scope and duty holders: the sites, roles and vehicles covered, and the WHS and Chain of Responsibility duties that apply to each party
• Work and rest arrangements: the hours, shift patterns and break rules in use, including the Standard Hours, BFM or AFM option for heavy vehicle drivers
• Rostering and scheduling controls: how schedules are planned so they do not encourage fatigue, speeding or unrealistic delivery times
• Fatigue signs and risk factors: the physical, mental and behavioural warning signs and the personal and work factors that raise fatigue risk
• Fit for work and self-assessment: how workers report fitness, declare insufficient sleep and complete a self-assessment before high risk tasks
• Fatigue controls: job rotation, rest breaks, journey management, controlled napping, limits on night work and removal of high risk tasks at low alertness times
• Reporting and response: how a fatigued worker or near miss is reported, who is notified and what immediate action stands the worker down
• Roles and responsibilities: the duties of managers, schedulers, supervisors and workers for managing and reporting fatigue
• Monitoring and review: the records kept, the triggers for review such as an incident or roster change, and the date of the next scheduled review

1. Identify fatigue hazards

   Map where fatigue can occur across your roles, shifts and routes. Consider long or night work, early starts, heavy physical or mental demand, monotonous driving, insufficient rest and any heavy vehicle work governed by Heavy Vehicle National Law hour limits.

2. Assess the risk

   For each hazard judge how likely fatigue is and how serious the consequences could be. Weigh schedule demands, cumulative hours, time of day, recovery time between shifts and the safety criticality of the task being performed by the worker.

3. Set controls using the hierarchy

   Apply controls so far as is reasonably practicable, starting with schedule and roster design, then administrative controls such as break rules, job rotation, journey management, controlled napping and fit for work checks before relying on monitoring alone.

4. Document and consult

   Record the arrangements, duties and controls in the plan and consult workers, health and safety representatives and other parties in the chain. Consultation confirms the controls are workable and that everyone understands their fatigue responsibilities.

5. Monitor and review

   Track hours, breaks, fatigue reports and incidents, and review the plan after any fatigue related event, roster change, new route or at the scheduled review date. Update the controls whenever the review shows the current arrangements are no longer adequate.

Practical answers about the form, record keeping and using MapTrack.

This form is a starting point. Check the current requirements that apply to your equipment, work and location. The form alone does not establish compliance.

• Heavy Vehicle National Law - fatigue management (work and rest hours: Standard Hours, Basic Fatigue Management and Advanced Fatigue Management options, administered by the NHVR)
• Heavy Vehicle National Law - Chain of Responsibility (section 26A: safety of transport activities is the shared responsibility of each party in the chain, so far as is reasonably practicable)
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 - primary duty of care to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety, including fatigue, so far as is reasonably practicable
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 - risk management duties and the hierarchy of control measures (Regulation 36)
• Safe Work Australia - Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of fatigue at work

• Model Codes of Practice (Safe Work Australia)
• Model WHS Regulations (Safe Work Australia)
• Model Work Health and Safety Act (Safe Work Australia)
• Heavy Vehicle National Law and Regulations (NHVR)

MapTrack publishes this template. The linked authorities publish their own guidance; they haven't endorsed this form.

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