Fatigue Management Policy¶
Document Information
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document Reference | POL_HSQE_31 |
| Issue Number | 1 |
| Issue Date | 1 June 2026 |
| Next Review | 1 June 2027 |
| Status | Uncontrolled when printed |
Purpose¶
A M Water Services Ltd recognises that worker fatigue is a real operational risk in a water-services contracting business — long days, driving to and from sites, emergency call-outs, lone working and overnight stays all build cumulative tiredness that, if unmanaged, increases the chance of road traffic accidents, hand-arm vibration injuries, near-misses and slipped decision-making on site. This policy sets out our practical commitment to managing that risk, scaled to AMWS as a ~20-person team.
Scope¶
This policy applies to all employees, directors, labour-supply subcontractors and visitors involved in AMWS operations — water-main installations, self-lay schemes, grab and aggregate haulage, emergency call-out work, lone-working tasks, plant operation and office-based driving for work.
Legal Requirements¶
This policy supports our duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (sections 2 and 3), the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (regulation 3 — risk assessment), the Working Time Regulations 1998 (rest breaks and weekly working-time limits), the Road Traffic Act 1988 (driver responsibility) and the Worker Protection Act 2023.
Policy Statement¶
A M Water Services Ltd commits to:
- Treating fatigue as an operational risk — assessed at RA_HO_18 Fatigue Management and reviewed alongside the other home-office and field risk assessments.
- Scheduling work to avoid foreseeable fatigue — drivers' hours reviewed weekly; on-call rotation capped at a maximum of 1-in-4; emergency call-outs over 10 hours or starting before 06:00 trigger a buddy check-in under SOP 8.8 Lone Working.
- Controlling vibration exposure alongside fatigue — HAVS trigger-time caps applied per SOP 8.10 HAVS; fatigue and HAVS interact and are managed together.
- Driving safely — fleet telematics, driver journey planning and DVSA Earned Recognition monitoring per SOP 8.13 Driving for Work; no operative drives at the end of a shift if visibly fatigued — the Site Supervisor or a Director arranges alternative transport.
- Acting on what operatives tell us — any worker raising a fatigue concern (their own or a colleague's) is heard at the next toolbox talk or weekly Director / HSQE compliance call. Fatigue is a legitimate reason to stop work or refuse a task.
Fatigue controls at AMWS¶
| Trigger | Control | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Long driving day | Drivers' hours reviewed weekly; telematics-based monitoring | SOP 8.13 Driving for Work |
| Emergency call-out > 10 hours or pre-06:00 start | Buddy check-in mandatory; permit issuer confirms fitness at shift start | SOP 8.8 Lone Working |
| High-vibration tool use (breakers, vacuum excavators) | HAVS trigger-time caps; rotation between operatives | SOP 8.10 HAVS |
| Cumulative on-call exposure | On-call rotation maximum 1-in-4 weeks | RA_HO_18 §Controls |
| Fatigue-related near-miss | Logged under SOP 8.1 Incident Reporting; reviewed at next weekly compliance call | APP_21 NC Register |
Responsibilities¶
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Aaron Mason (Managing Director) | Final accountability for fatigue-management commitments; approves on-call rotation; reviews fatigue-related incidents at the weekly call |
| Jason May (Site Supervisor) | Monitors operative wellbeing during morning brief; arranges alternative transport for visibly fatigued operatives; raises any concerns same-day |
| Leanne Mason (Director, HR/Admin) | Maintains drivers' hours records; tracks on-call rotation; ensures Working Time Regulations opt-outs are current |
| Sean Ashton (HSQE Consultant, Onyx Operations) | Annual review of RA_HO_18 and this policy; benchmarks against incident trends and ISO 45001 clause 8.1.2 expectations |
| All workers | Raise fatigue concerns early; never drive at the end of a shift if visibly tired; use the buddy check-in for long/early shifts |
Connection to other AMWS controls¶
| Linked control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| RA_HO_18 — Fatigue Management | The full risk assessment behind this policy |
| POL_HSQE_29 — Mental Health | Fatigue is a mental-health risk factor; MHFA cover available via Jason May + Leanne Mason |
| POL_HSQE_26 — Welfare | Physical welfare provisions support fatigue management |
| POL_HSQE_25 — Use of Company Vehicles | Driver fatigue is the highest-impact fatigue pathway |
| SOP 8.8 Lone Working | Buddy check-in for long / early shifts |
| SOP 8.10 HAVS | HAVS-fatigue interaction; trigger-time caps |
| SOP 8.13 Driving for Work | Drivers' hours, telematics, journey planning |
| APP_07 Hazard Register HO-18 | Hazard-register entry with initial / residual scores and owners |
What's deliberately NOT in this policy¶
Scaled to AMWS's actual risk:
- No fatigue-monitoring wearables or biometric tracking — disproportionate for a 20-person SME and not required by ISO 45001 at this scale.
- No formal Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) — the aviation / heavy-haulage FRMS model is not proportionate for AMWS's operational mix. We operate the listed controls consistently and review them annually.
If AMWS's risk profile changes (a contract requiring shift-pattern work, growth past ~50 operatives, or a series of fatigue-related incidents), this policy is reviewed and the controls scaled up to match.
Review¶
This policy is reviewed annually or sooner if:
- A fatigue-related incident occurs at AMWS or in the supply chain
- Working Time Regulations or driver-hour rules change materially
- AMWS's operational pattern changes (new on-call rotation, shift work, etc.)
- The annual RA_HO_18 review identifies a new fatigue pathway
This document forms part of A M Water Services Limited's Integrated Management System. Paper copies are uncontrolled when printed.
Local controlled copy
Word version of this controlled document (for offline / paper records):
The page above is the master source — the Word doc is a snapshot for offline use.
Audit trail¶
| Date | Action | By | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/06/2026 | Issue 1 drafted | Sean Ashton, HSQE Consultant | New standalone Fatigue Management Policy. Builds on RA_HO_18 Fatigue Management (04/05/2026) and consolidates the fatigue controls previously held across SOP 8.13, SOP 8.10 and SOP 8.8 under a single policy statement. Drafted in the run-up to the 3-4 June 2026 Achilles UVDB B2 surveillance audit to close the audit-visible gap of having fatigue addressed at RA + SOP level but not at policy level. |
How this document is approved¶
This document is maintained under AMWS's continuous-compliance model. Substantive revisions are reviewed and signed off by the Directors at the standing weekly Director / HSQE compliance call (Sean Ashton, Onyx + Leanne Mason). Currency, cross-references and minor edits are checked at the monthly Onyx site visit. The annual Management Review (September) provides the strategic-level confirmation. Compliance is therefore continuous, not gated on a single annual meeting.