A Direct Guide to Decision Making & Fatigue

The "Drunk" Teacher

I recently read a book on plane crashes that highlighted a terrifying truth: experienced pilots, when fatigued, forgot their basic training and made mistake after mistake until disaster struck. This is directly applicable to outdoor education.

The Science of "Stupid" Decisions

When we are fatigued, we aren't just "tired"; we are cognitively impaired.

Reaction times are slow.

Complex problem-solving is inhibited.

We can only focus on single, simple tasks..

Crucially, research shows that multiple shifts without sleep have the same effect on the brain as being drunk.

You Cannot "Push Through"

In the outdoor industry, there is often a macho culture of "pushing through." This is dangerous. The only solution for fatigue is sleep.

Good risk management relies on a leader seeing something that "doesn't feel right" and adapting. But when you are fatigued, that broad scanning ability stops working. You miss the warning signs.

The Checklist for Leaders

If you are leading a school trip, you must ask these questions to protect yourself and your students:

Shift Length: How long have I been awake?

Task Load: What am I doing? Am I driving?.

Backup: Do I have a plan if I feel unsafe to continue?.



Don't put this off for a "later" discussion. Fatigue is a critical hazard. Make sure you have a system in place to ensure every teacher has a clear head and great decision-making skills. With Xcursion Planner you can assess hazards and challenging weather; because protecting your staff is just as important as protecting your students on every school excursion.