Exceeding how many hours of work will lead to degraded performance and fatigue?

• A. 8 hours
• B. 10 hours
• C. 12 hours
• D. 14 hours

Answer: (C)

Exceeding twelve hours of work leads to degraded performance and fatigue. After about twelve hours of continuous effort, cognitive and motor function typically start to decline—reaction times slow, attention wavers, and decision-making becomes less reliable. Sleep pressure builds as wakefulness extends, increasing the risk of errors, lapses, and micro-missteps, especially during safety-critical tasks. That’s why fatigue management emphasizes keeping continuous work periods to around a half day and prioritizing breaks, rotation, and adequate rest to restore alertness and maintain performance.