The United Workers Union recently attended the latest meeting of the Ambulance Victoria (AV) Fatigue Working Group as a key participant. This group is undertaking some promising work aimed at improving fatigue management and supporting the wellbeing of operational staff.
Here’s a snapshot of the work in progress:
Fatigue Dashboard
A real-time fatigue dashboard is in development to provide a clearer picture of an individual’s on-shift activity—such as utilisation, distance travelled, and rest breaks. This tool is designed to help identify fatigue risks and support better decision-making. While still in the testing phase, the dashboard is showing great promise in improving fatigue awareness and response.
Fatigue Self-Assessment Tool (FSAT)
A Fatigue Self-Assessment Tool (FSAT) is being developed like those used in NSW Ambulance and QAS. This user-friendly tool allows members to assess and report their fatigue levels. When a member reports a medium to extreme fatigue score, the underlying procedures supporting the FSAT, such as rest and recovery protocols, are just as vital as the tool, and are still being developed.
Integration with Fleet Telemetrics
AV is working with Fleet to integrate existing fatigue monitoring technology from the Mercedes platform with the fatigue dashboard. This would allow real-time driver fatigue monitoring, further improving safety for members and the community.
On-Call and Fatigue Improvements
The group is exploring more robust fatigue controls for on-call work. Some of the ideas under discussion include:
- Dispatch warnings for fatigued staff,
- Avoiding Code 3 responses between 0200 and 0500 where possible,
- Factoring in travel distances before dispatching on-call crews.
Policy Review in Progress
AV’s fatigue policy and procedures are being revised to reflect the latest research and best practice. UWU is reviewing the draft and providing feedback to ensure that the final version is practical, protective, and aligned with members’ real-world experience.
If you would like to discuss outcomes from the Fatigue Working Group, contact Darren Law – 0434 628 877
