Study finds sleep deprivation lowers FIFO workers' attention by 20 percent

Study Finds Sleep Deprivation Lowers FIFO Workers' Attention by 20 Percent

A study has found that fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers in Western Australia are not getting adequate sleep. Researchers from Edith Cowan University analysed sleeping habits in 88 FIFO workers and found sleep reduces FIFO workers' alertness, with lack of enough rest reducing attention by 20 per cent.

"As humans, we require about seven to nine hours of sleep per night," adjunct associate professor Ian Dunican said.

"People are getting approximately six hours of sleep working [12 hour] day shifts, five and a half after [12 hour] night shifts," he said.

Why Sleep Health Matters for Mining Workers

Dr Dunican said employers need to do more to improve sleep health in the WA mining industry. "I've been working around mining for the last 20 years, and I think it's quite poor, really that we haven't done more in this space," he said.

Poor rest doesn't just affect wellbeing generally — quality of alertness on site has direct safety implications. Fatigue-related lapses can compromise decision-making, reaction times, and overall workplace health outcomes for personnel operating heavy machinery or working at height.

Employers across construction, manufacturing and healthcare sectors face similar challenges when rostering staff for extended or irregular hours. Building fatigue management into broader Safe Work Method Statements helps ensure risks tied to sleep loss are properly documented and controlled.

Broader Health and Safety Implications

This finding adds to a growing body of evidence linking occupational exposures to long-term health issues among Australian workers. For example, other research has explored how engineered stone can damage workers' lungs, while separate findings show a third of Victorian paramedics are injured at work. Elsewhere, studies indicate one-quarter of Australian workers suffer from tinnitus.

Together, these findings highlight quality of life and quality of care concerns that extend well beyond the mining sector, underscoring the need for robust health monitoring and quality assurance across high-risk industries.

Read the full story on the ABC News website.