Human Factors
Which statement about fatigue as a maintenance human factors hazard is correct?
Answer
A fatigued technician is frequently a poor judge of his or her own level of impairment
A key danger of fatigue is that impaired individuals tend to underestimate how impaired they are, so self-assessment is unreliable and external safeguards are needed. Fatigue degrades both physical and mental/cognitive performance (A is wrong). Caffeine only masks symptoms temporarily and does not restore lost sleep (B). Circadian rhythm strongly influences alertness, with lows during the early-morning hours common on night shifts (C).
Source: FAA-H-8083-30B, Chapter 14, Human Factors — Dirty Dozen (Fatigue).
Not the answer
- Caffeine fully reverses the performance loss caused by inadequate sleep
- Fatigue reduces physical strength only and has no effect on judgment or decision-making
- A worker's circadian rhythm has no measurable effect on alertness during night shifts
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