Focus on Fatigue

Not long now until Christmas and I can’t help thinking about the round of Christmas parties, the coffee, alcohol, Christmas puddings and no end of tempting nibbles. We all know the impact these have on our waist line but have you ever stopped to consider how food affects our energy, alertness, reaction times and quality of sleep? These are important issues for those of us who wish to manage fatigue, alertness and general performance with the help of what we eat and drink.

You may be aware of recent research showing the link between sleep debt and obesity. It seems that if you don’t get enough sleep your body is likely to produce more of a hormone that is likely to make you hungry and less of one that suppresses your appetite. So make sure that you get plenty of sleep if you want to keep the weight down.

For more reading on this fascinating subject I have posted an item in the Research section called Short Sleep Duration may be an Important Regulator of Body Weight and Metabolism.

If you prefer books, have a look in the Books section for The Doona Diet, Sleep Yourself Slim an easy to read, compact book which offers tried and tested advice with contributions from sleep scientist Dr Adam Fletcher. Dr Fletcher is a director of Integrated Safety Support and scientific advisor to the FaidSafe group. Also have a look at the two Shiftwork Services’ recently published booklets sponsored by ACC, New Zealand on how to use food to increase alertness and performance at work.

There is plenty more to read in this newsletter about food and sleep and I hope it doesn’t put you off your Christmas dinner.

If you would like to discuss how to train your staff in any of these issues please contact any of the FaidSafe Group.

BREAKING NEWS - congratulations to The University of South Australia, InterDynamics Pty Ltd and Integrated Safety Support Pty Ltd, for winning a 2009 B-Hert Award for Outstanding Achievement in Collaboration in Research and Development, Higher Education and Training, Vocational Education and Training and Community Engagement.

Our congratulations to our colleagues for winning this prestigious award. Read the full citation in the Awards section below.

Work safely,

Fiona Johnston
Shiftwork Services

Awards

University of South Australia, InterDynamics Pty Ltd and Integrated Safety Support Pty Ltd

2009 B-HERT Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Collaboration in Research & Development, Higher Education & Training, Vocational Education & Training and Community Engagement.

Title - Managing Fatigue-related Risk

This collaboration has revolutionised the management of fatigue-related risk in Australia and overseas in the last 10 years. It has delivered an entirely new class of risk management products and helped Australia define an entirely new regulatory approach to fatigue management. The highly effective collaboration between UniSA and InterDynamics was initiated as a result of a research program initiated in the late 1990’s to develop scientifically and legally defensible approaches to ensuring work practices are both operationally flexible and demonstrably safe in a de-regulated industrial landscape. The collaboration has produced a suite of software products and consultancy services that have generated a new category of scientific fatigue risk management solutions both in Australia and overseas. The tools developed during the collaboration have emerged as a de facto standard for fatigue management in transport, mining and health care sectors in recent years.

Presentations

Len Pearson, General Manager of InterDynamics recently gave a fatigue risk management workshop which was sponsored by Emirates Airline (6th Oct) and the presentation to the Gulf Flight Safety Council.

Download the full presentation

Books

The Doona Diet - Sleep Yourself Slim – With contributions from Dr Adam Fletcher, who is our scientific adviser. This publication can be purchased online at Amazon.

Booklet 1 - Eat Smart Work Right - for Shiftworkers
Booklet 2 - Eat Smart Work Right - For Commercial Drivers

ACC have sponsored Shiftwork Services to produce both of these booklets to provide information on what to eat to help keep alert. Our thanks to Nikki Hart who some of you will know as 'The Evil Diet Witch' for her technical advice. Download these free information booklets from Shiftwork Services products page.

Research

Short Sleep duration may be an important regulator of body weight and metabolism

Participants with short sleep had reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin. These differences in leptin and ghrelin are likely to increase appetite, possibly explaining the increased BMI observed with short sleep duration. In Western societies, where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity.

Read the full article

Ref: Taheri S, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E, 2004 Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin and Increased Body Mass Index. PLoS Med 1(3): e62.doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062.

Study finds sleep disorder link to diabetes - Press Association/The Guardian/NHS 08/12/08

An international research study has found that mutations of a gene related to maintenance of the body's circadian rhythm are associated with sleep disorders and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Read the full article

In the news

British drinkers unaware of the impact of drinking on sleep – BBC News, August 2009

According to a survey conducted by the Know Your Limits campaign, many drinkers do not realise that alcohol can interfere with sleep. Of 2000 drinkers surveyed, 58 percent did not know that excessive drinking can exact an array of disruptive effects on sleep, although 45 percent of participants reported feeling fatigued the day after excessive drinking.

Read the full article

Alliance Partner news

Integrated Safety Support

Integrated Safety Support can assist you with your Fatigue Management requirements.

For Australian Road Transport operators seeking Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) accreditation, we can help develop your application. In February 2009 we were registered as the first nationally-approved Fatigue Experts via the National Transport Commission.

Our 86-page workbook titled Alive and Alert has been designed to answer the most common questions people ask about personal fatigue. It provides practical information and skills for individuals employed in extended- and 24-hour industries, as well as their families.

Rem’s Sleep is a 25-minute DVD and is an excellent guide to managing fatigue for shiftworkers and their families. It is an ideal addition to any training course, providing a clear overview of fatigue management advice in a simple and entertaining way. Rem is an experienced shiftworker feeling the effects of night work. He decides to find out more about how shiftwork can affect sleep, fatigue, health and domestic life.

Dead Tired is a two-episode DVD that features for the first time the latest science from around the world that proves that lack of sleep is harmful to the mind and body. Two-thirds of us have a problem with sleep and this series reveals why and what can be done about it. The DVD contains both episodes, one hour each and 40 minutes of special features and additional material. Orders can be placed on-line at our web site.

Shiftwork Services

Based in New Zealand, Shiftwork Services provides a specialised advisory/training service to organisations whose employees work shifts or extended hours. Services include specialist workshops, fatigue risk management, wellness programmes, training materials, roster design. Call us to discuss your safety and performance issues.

Working Globally

FaidSafe alliance partners are based in Australia, Europe, New Zealand and North America. Between us we are taking FaidSafe to the global market. We want to make this service available to every organisation that is exposed to fatigue risks. No matter where you are, we would like to hear from you. We want to add value to your business.

About the Custodian of the Brand

InterDynamics have been in the scheduling and risk business since 1992. InterDynamics has been privileged to work with leading operational practitioners, scientists and risk engineers to develop and deliver world class fatigue risk programs and products. FaidSafe is offered as a global benchmark for risk-based integrated fatigue management solutions.

FAID^® and FaidSafe^® are registered brand names of InterDynamics^® Pty Ltd.

For more information on InterDynamics, visit the InterDynamics website.

FAID^® received a WorkCover SA SAfeWork 2001 Award


	Focus on Fatigue For Managers, Supervisors and Employees Involved in Managing Fatigue Risk
Issue 9 - December 2009	The FaidSafe^® Alliance - professionals focused on fatigue risk protection
In This Issue Awards Presentations Books Research In the news Alliance Partner news Working Globally About Us Products and Services Forums Downloads Resources Evaluation Software Download Fatigue Audit Software Special Offer Sleep and shiftwork books Contact Us InterDynamics Pty Ltd +61 2 9975 6925 www.faidsafe.com Alliance Partners Zurich Risk Engineering Shiftwork Services Performance Dimensions Latus Pty Ltd Integrated Safety Support InterDynamics Clockwork Research Centre for Sleep Research Avinet Archives Issue 8 Issue 7 Issue 6 Issue 5 Issue 4 Issue 3 Issue 2 Issue 1	Welcome to Focus on Fatigue, the official FaidSafe^® newsletter Happy Christmas - it's all about food Not long now until Christmas and I can’t help thinking about the round of Christmas parties, the coffee, alcohol, Christmas puddings and no end of tempting nibbles. We all know the impact these have on our waist line but have you ever stopped to consider how food affects our energy, alertness, reaction times and quality of sleep? These are important issues for those of us who wish to manage fatigue, alertness and general performance with the help of what we eat and drink. You may be aware of recent research showing the link between sleep debt and obesity. It seems that if you don’t get enough sleep your body is likely to produce more of a hormone that is likely to make you hungry and less of one that suppresses your appetite. So make sure that you get plenty of sleep if you want to keep the weight down. For more reading on this fascinating subject I have posted an item in the Research section called Short Sleep Duration may be an Important Regulator of Body Weight and Metabolism. If you prefer books, have a look in the Books section for The Doona Diet, Sleep Yourself Slim an easy to read, compact book which offers tried and tested advice with contributions from sleep scientist Dr Adam Fletcher. Dr Fletcher is a director of Integrated Safety Support and scientific advisor to the FaidSafe group. Also have a look at the two Shiftwork Services’ recently published booklets sponsored by ACC, New Zealand on how to use food to increase alertness and performance at work. There is plenty more to read in this newsletter about food and sleep and I hope it doesn’t put you off your Christmas dinner. If you would like to discuss how to train your staff in any of these issues please contact any of the FaidSafe Group. BREAKING NEWS - congratulations to The University of South Australia, InterDynamics Pty Ltd and Integrated Safety Support Pty Ltd, for winning a 2009 B-Hert Award for Outstanding Achievement in Collaboration in Research and Development, Higher Education and Training, Vocational Education and Training and Community Engagement. Our congratulations to our colleagues for winning this prestigious award. Read the full citation in the Awards section below. Work safely, Fiona Johnston Shiftwork Services Awards University of South Australia, InterDynamics Pty Ltd and Integrated Safety Support Pty Ltd 2009 B-HERT Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Collaboration in Research & Development, Higher Education & Training, Vocational Education & Training and Community Engagement. Title - Managing Fatigue-related Risk This collaboration has revolutionised the management of fatigue-related risk in Australia and overseas in the last 10 years. It has delivered an entirely new class of risk management products and helped Australia define an entirely new regulatory approach to fatigue management. The highly effective collaboration between UniSA and InterDynamics was initiated as a result of a research program initiated in the late 1990’s to develop scientifically and legally defensible approaches to ensuring work practices are both operationally flexible and demonstrably safe in a de-regulated industrial landscape. The collaboration has produced a suite of software products and consultancy services that have generated a new category of scientific fatigue risk management solutions both in Australia and overseas. The tools developed during the collaboration have emerged as a de facto standard for fatigue management in transport, mining and health care sectors in recent years. Presentations Len Pearson, General Manager of InterDynamics recently gave a fatigue risk management workshop which was sponsored by Emirates Airline (6th Oct) and the presentation to the Gulf Flight Safety Council. Download the full presentation Books The Doona Diet - Sleep Yourself Slim – With contributions from Dr Adam Fletcher, who is our scientific adviser. This publication can be purchased online at Amazon. Booklet 1 - Eat Smart Work Right - for Shiftworkers Booklet 2 - Eat Smart Work Right - For Commercial Drivers ACC have sponsored Shiftwork Services to produce both of these booklets to provide information on what to eat to help keep alert. Our thanks to Nikki Hart who some of you will know as 'The Evil Diet Witch' for her technical advice. Download these free information booklets from Shiftwork Services products page. Research Short Sleep duration may be an important regulator of body weight and metabolism Participants with short sleep had reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin. These differences in leptin and ghrelin are likely to increase appetite, possibly explaining the increased BMI observed with short sleep duration. In Western societies, where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity. Read the full article Ref: Taheri S, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E, 2004 Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin and Increased Body Mass Index. PLoS Med 1(3): e62.doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062. Study finds sleep disorder link to diabetes - Press Association/The Guardian/NHS 08/12/08 An international research study has found that mutations of a gene related to maintenance of the body's circadian rhythm are associated with sleep disorders and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Read the full article In the news British drinkers unaware of the impact of drinking on sleep – BBC News, August 2009 According to a survey conducted by the Know Your Limits campaign, many drinkers do not realise that alcohol can interfere with sleep. Of 2000 drinkers surveyed, 58 percent did not know that excessive drinking can exact an array of disruptive effects on sleep, although 45 percent of participants reported feeling fatigued the day after excessive drinking. Read the full article Alliance Partner news Integrated Safety Support Integrated Safety Support can assist you with your Fatigue Management requirements. For Australian Road Transport operators seeking Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) accreditation, we can help develop your application. In February 2009 we were registered as the first nationally-approved Fatigue Experts via the National Transport Commission. Our 86-page workbook titled Alive and Alert has been designed to answer the most common questions people ask about personal fatigue. It provides practical information and skills for individuals employed in extended- and 24-hour industries, as well as their families. Rem’s Sleep is a 25-minute DVD and is an excellent guide to managing fatigue for shiftworkers and their families. It is an ideal addition to any training course, providing a clear overview of fatigue management advice in a simple and entertaining way. Rem is an experienced shiftworker feeling the effects of night work. He decides to find out more about how shiftwork can affect sleep, fatigue, health and domestic life. Dead Tired is a two-episode DVD that features for the first time the latest science from around the world that proves that lack of sleep is harmful to the mind and body. Two-thirds of us have a problem with sleep and this series reveals why and what can be done about it. The DVD contains both episodes, one hour each and 40 minutes of special features and additional material. Orders can be placed on-line at our web site. Shiftwork Services Based in New Zealand, Shiftwork Services provides a specialised advisory/training service to organisations whose employees work shifts or extended hours. Services include specialist workshops, fatigue risk management, wellness programmes, training materials, roster design. Call us to discuss your safety and performance issues. Working Globally FaidSafe alliance partners are based in Australia, Europe, New Zealand and North America. Between us we are taking FaidSafe to the global market. We want to make this service available to every organisation that is exposed to fatigue risks. No matter where you are, we would like to hear from you. We want to add value to your business. About the Custodian of the Brand InterDynamics have been in the scheduling and risk business since 1992. InterDynamics has been privileged to work with leading operational practitioners, scientists and risk engineers to develop and deliver world class fatigue risk programs and products. FaidSafe is offered as a global benchmark for risk-based integrated fatigue management solutions. FAID^® and FaidSafe^® are registered brand names of InterDynamics^® Pty Ltd. For more information on InterDynamics, visit the InterDynamics website. FAID^® received a WorkCover SA SAfeWork 2001 Award