Although we grew up learning fatigue risk management, we likely didn’t realize this was what we were being taught by our teachers and parents. Our earliest teachers taught us that after lunch, we took a nap so that we would be alert afterward. Our parents used the same nap-time theory on us at home, and told us napping was so we would be ready to go outside to play. (In reality, our parents needed a break and were managing their fatigue.)
Looking back on my days as a young adult on a farm in Kentucky, I realize that, as a community, we recognized fatigue risk management and circadian rhythms in our daily lives. We got up before sunrise, worked hard until lunch and then, after lunch, took a short nap. We were as productive and alert after our short break as if we had slept for eight hours, which was important because we were operating heavy farm machinery that did not have many of the safety features that can be found on the equipment we operate today. If I were to go back and speak …
