Managing Fatigue Risk Under Australia’s New Model Code of Practice
Safe Work Australia’s new Model Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Fatigue at Work has placed fatigue front and centre in WHS risk management. Fatigue is no longer treated as a roster or personal lifestyle issue; it is a workplace hazard that impairs judgment, slows reaction times, increases error likelihood, and magnifies the effect of every other hazard in the system.
The new Code raises expectations for PCBUs across the Hunter’s defence, manufacturing, supply chain, logistics and heavy industries. It requires a structured approach to managing fatigue: identifying hazards, assessing who is at risk and why, implementing and verifying controls, and reviewing their effectiveness. Importantly, the Code explicitly links fatigue to other areas of WHS regulation, including:
- The Model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work, which recognises fatigue as both a hazard and an outcome of factors such as high job demands, low job control, poor support, excessive workloads and shift work.
- The Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice, which highlights how fatigue increases the likelihood of musculoskeletal injury by reducing strength, coordination and movement control—while hazardous manual tasks also contribute to fatigue through high physical demands.
In this Hunternet Forum session, Dr Trent Watson, CEO of Ethos Health and one of Australia’s leading fatigue subject matter experts, will explain how these Codes intersect and what they mean for employers. Drawing on his experience supporting mining, manufacturing, utilities, health and defence-adjacent industries, Dr Watson will translate the new requirements into practical strategies you can implement immediately.
He will also demonstrate how digitally enabled fatigue risk management, such as real‑time self‑assessments and capacity checks delivered through tools like FatigueTech, can be embedded into day‑to‑day operations without adding administrative burden. The focus is on ensuring technology enhances supervision, supports decision‑making and provides the documentation trail that regulators will increasingly expect.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain how the new Fatigue Model Code reframes fatigue as a WHS hazard
- Describe the duties for PCBUs under the new Code and how it intersects with other Codes of Practice (Psychosocial Hazards, Hazardous Manual Tasks)
- Design and integrate fatigue controls that address the “four Cs” of safety
- How digital tools can support the monitoring, verification and effectiveness of fatigue controls in real time
SPEAKER – Dr Trent Watson
Dr Trent Watson is the CEO and Principal Health & Safety Consultant at Ethos Health, a multidisciplinary consultancy based in Newcastle and the Hunter region. With a PhD in Nutrition and Dietetics, a Diploma in Work Health & Safety, and more than 25 years of experience, Trent is recognised nationally for his expertise in workplace health and fatigue risk management across high‑risk 24/7 industries.
Throughout his career, Trent has led major organisational programs including Fatigue Management System reviews, policy and procedure development, roster analysis and design, and the delivery of large‑scale education and research initiatives. His work has spanned mining, utilities, transport, manufacturing and other sectors where fatigue presents complex and compounding risks.
Trent’s research and consulting have focused on translating evidence‑based health and safety principles into practical systems that improve frontline decision‑making and operational performance. He has been instrumental in developing digital fatigue‑risk solutions, including FatigueTech, which integrates real‑time worker capacity checks into everyday workflows.
A highly experienced presenter and facilitator, Trent is known for his ability to simplify complex WHS challenges and help organisations embed sustainable, system‑wide approaches to health, safety and performance. He brings deep subject‑matter expertise and extensive on‑the‑ground experience to support leaders, businesses and frontline workers as they navigate the evolving expectations of modern fatigue risk management.
Reserve your place here https://crowdcatcher.com/e/business-practice-forum–managing-fatigue-risk-under-australias-new-model-code-of-practice-tickets-i5MmTICv4l
