Disaster Prep Wednesday: "Managing Worker Fatigue During Disaster Operations"

During disaster recovery operations (and possibly during the period leading up to a disaster - the period while watching a hurricane track in, for example) there is a tendency for disaster workers to spend too much time on the job. Caught up the events, too many workers and leaders fail to take care of themselves in terms of rest and sleep.

A "technical assistance document" from the Center for Disease Control addresses this problem: Guidance for Managing Worker Fatigue During Disaster Operations (pdf):

NRT Fatigue for Emergency Workers

If you want the shorter version, here's a Navy video that makes the point - at some point, overly tired workers might as well be drunk:



It is also vital that those victims affected by the storms and other disasters be given quiet places to rest as part of their disaster recovery. The importance of quiet shelters, the availability of food, water, showers and friendly faces cannot be overstated.