Endurance in extreme work environments

Abstract

Extreme work environments are inherently stressful and involve challenging working and living conditions. In contexts ranging from space exploration to disaster response, people must sustain performance under pressure, and function with limited resources. In this paper we develop the concept of endurance for extreme work environments, which we define as the capacity to sustain performance at high levels for safe and effective operations over extended durations (e.g., a mission, operation, deployment, or expedition). We integrate diverse streams of literature (e.g., work stress, recovery, and sleep) to describe endurance in terms of short- and long-term energy management processes as individuals interact with their work-life system (i.e. work, non-work, and sleep environment). We conclude with theoretical and practical implications for a better understanding of endurance, such as considering multiple time perspectives, and the role that researchers, practitioners, and organizations can play in optimizing endurance in the field.

The Next Generation of Fatigue Prediction Models: Evaluating Current Trends in Biomathematical Modelling for Safety Optimization

“…Indeed, many operational contexts involve challenges that make the assumptions of default BMM parameterizations inappropriate. For instance, in the submarine context, the lack of exposure to natural light sources in conjunction with artificial sleep-wake patterns (demanded by rostering constraints) is thought to disrupt circadian processes and rhythmicity, potentially altering the predictive contribution of the circadian and ultradian processes in BMMs (Cham et al, 2021;Guo et al, 2020;Sandal et al, 2006).…”

The next generation of fatigue prediction models: evaluating current trends in biomathematical modelling

“…Indeed, many operational contexts involve challenges that make the assumptions of default BMM parameterizations inappropriate. For instance, in the submarine context, the lack of exposure to natural light sources in conjunction with artificial sleep-wake patterns (demanded by rostering constraints) is thought to disrupt circadian processes and rhythmicity, potentially altering the predictive contribution of the circadian and ultradian processes in BMMs (Cham et al, 2021;Guo et al, 2020;Sandal et al, 2006).…”

“…From a practical perspective, in many safety-critical workplaces it is often of most interest to obtain fatigue projections for specific employees over a period of hours to a few days (fitness to work), rather than whether on average they stay below fatigue safety thresholds given a particular roster. In complex, inter-dependent work systems, such as those often required in extreme work environments, unsafe levels of fatigue in even one team NEXT-GENERATION BMMs member could have serious consequences (Cham et al, 2021). The real-time fatigue forecasts made possible by individualization promise improved tactical decision making (e.g., deciding on ideal times to execute mission scenarios) and crew rotation decisions (e.g., which staff may be at heightened performance risk).…”

A Self-Powered Multifunctional Bracelet for Pulse Monitoring and Personal Rescue

“…Outdoor workers or explorers usually remain in extreme environments for a long time and may face emergencies such as being trapped, lost, or in danger [1]. Some wearable electronic devices integrated with health monitoring and emergency functions, such as smart watches, may protect their lives [2][3][4].…”