Prevalence of Fatigue and Its Determinants among Chemical Transportation Drivers in Chonburi

Phatrabuddha, Sujee; Wonginta, Thitima; Phatrabuddha, Nantaporn · 2017 · Crossref

DOI: 10.35762/aer.2017.39.1.3

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Summary

This cross-sectional study investigates the prevalence of driver fatigue and its determinants among chemical transportation drivers in Chonburi, Thailand. Motivated by the significant safety and environmental risks associated with hazardous chemical transport, the research aims to identify factors contributing to fatigue in this high-risk occupational group. The study focuses on day-shift drivers from three types of chemical industries: painting, industrial gas manufacturing, and flammable gas production. The study included 99 male drivers with at least four months of driving experience. Fatigue was assessed using two methods: a subjective questionnaire based on the Piper fatigue scale and an objective measurement using a critical flicker fusion (CFF) analyzer. The CFF analyzer measured the threshold frequency at which flickering light is perceived as continuous, with a decrease in this threshold indicating fatigue. Measurements were taken before and after work shifts. Data on socio-demographics, work history, health status, and lifestyle habits were collected via questionnaire. Statistical analyses included Pearson’s correlation, Chi-square tests, and multiple regression to identify predictors of objective fatigue. The results indicated a prevalence of fatigue of 32.32% based on the CFF analyzer, 16.16% based on subjective reports, and 43.43% when either instrument indicated fatigue. The mean CFF value decreased from 39.12 Hz before work to 37.76 Hz after work. Multiple regression analysis identified three significant predictors of objective fatigue: alcohol drinking, musculoskeletal disorders, and road accident history. Alcohol consumption and musculoskeletal disorders were associated with increased fatigue, while a history of no accidents in the past year was associated with decreased fatigue. These three factors explained 40.3% of the variability in CFF values. Other factors, such as age, BMI, sleep duration, and work hours, did not show statistically significant associations with objective fatigue in this sample. The study concludes that alcohol use and musculoskeletal disorders are key determinants of fatigue among chemical transportation drivers. The findings suggest that screening for alcohol dependence and musculoskeletal conditions should be integrated into routine safety checks and policy settings for this workforce. The discrepancy between subjective and objective fatigue measures highlights the limitations of self-reporting. The authors recommend further research into rest break scheduling and the specific impacts of night-shift work to improve driver performance and road safety in the hazardous chemical transport sector.

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• truck driver fatigue
• drowsiness detection algorithms

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data