Examining the fatigue-quality relationship in manufacturing

A recent systematic review identified 73 empirical studies that linked human factors (HF) with manufacturing quality. Human fatigue was noted as a frequent (n = 26) issue in the HF-quality relationship – a finding that warrants closer examination. We extend this review by investigating the relationship between fatigue and manufacturing quality by identifying how fatigue has been conceptualized and measured, and we attempted to quantify their relationship. From the original database, 12 of 26 relevant studies (46%) indicated that physical fatigue was the primary contributor to observed quality deficits. There was a positive relationship between fatigue and quality deficits, with fatigue accounting up to 42% of the variance. More studies are needed to improve the resolution, specificity, and power of these analyses. This study sheds light on the role of HF and human fatigue effects on manufacturing quality with macroergonomic implications for embedding HF aspects into design and quality assurance processes. •Fatigue is an intermediary factor between HF and manufacturing quality.•Fatigue accounts up to 42% of the variance in quality deficits.•More studies should be undertaken to better understand this potential relationship.•HF and fatigue should be considered in design and quality assurance processes.