Can fatigue contribute to attentional blindness in plant operators and drivers?
In this video, I review a 2019 study from Li et al. (Automation in Construction) who used wearable eye-tracking tech to measure how prolonged excavator operation / time-on-task fatigue impacts hazard detection and visual attention.
Namely, whether the operators notice workers walking behind the excavator over a shift.
Key findings:
a. Hazard miss rates increased over 40% after 60 mins. Overall detection rates dropped to 70% at 36 minutes and down to 60% by the 60-minute mark.
b. Operators took significantly longer to recognize peripheral hazards as fatigue increased.
c. Visual attention on the excavator side mirrors and rearview mirrors decreased over the task. Operators stopped scanning peripheral blind spots and focused almost exclusively on the central display directly in front of them.
In other words – over time operators gradually looked at their side mirrors and peripherals less and less, with vision drifting towards the centre of their profile. So things at the side were more likely to be missed.
Check it out and let me know your thoughts. Please help share the video 🙏
#workplacesafety #fatigue #safetyscience #constructionsafety #sif
