In 2026, cognitive fatigue is no longer just a well-being issue, it is a full-fledged occupational risk, directly linked to accidents and human error. Neuroscience shows that when the brain is mentally exhausted, it no longer reasons in the same way: vigilance decreases, automatic shortcuts take over, and risk perception becomes distorted. For a website dedicated to workplace safety, explaining the link between cognitive fatigue and safety-related decision-making makes it possible to address managers, occupational health and safety professionals, and employees alike, from both a scientific and practical perspective.
Cognitive Fatigue: What Neuroscience Says
Cognitive fatigue occurs when the prefrontal cortex, the area involved in planning, decision-making, and impulse regulation, is overloaded or insufficiently rested. Recent studies show that this overload leads to an accumulation of molecules such as glutamate in certain brain regions, which disrupts reasoning and the ability to properly assess effort and risk.
Concretely, a mentally fatigued person:
- has more difficulty maintaining attention to safety instructions,
- makes more judgment errors, for example underestimating a risk or skipping a safety check,
- experiences slower reaction times, increasing the risk of accidents in critical situations.
In high-risk environments, such as construction, industry, logistics, and similar sectors, these micro-failures can escalate into serious events.
How Does Cognitive Fatigue Increase Human Error and Workplace Accidents?
In practice, cognitive fatigue manifests itself through:
- repeated omissions of safety actions, such as wearing PPE, checking equipment, or following lockout procedures,
- the automation of incorrect actions, shortcuts and procedural non-compliance, because the brain seeks to conserve energy,
- paradoxical hypervigilance toward certain risks while neglecting others, as overall analytical capacity is reduced.
In 2026, numerous workplace mental health surveys confirm that fatigue and stress are widely reported by employees. This reinforces the idea that safety can no longer be limited to equipment and procedures; it must also integrate the actual cognitive capacity of teams.
Five Neuroscience-Based Levers to Reduce the Risk Linked to Cognitive Fatigue
1. Schedule cognitively demanding tasks at the beginning of the day
The prefrontal cortex functions best when the brain is rested. It is therefore relevant to schedule complex tasks, such as risk analysis, work permits, or operating sensitive machinery, in the morning, and to reserve the afternoon for more routine or monitoring activities. This limits overload at the end of the day, when cognitive fatigue is highest.
2. Structure restorative micro-breaks
Short but structured breaks, five to ten minutes every one and a half to two hours, allow glutamate levels to decrease and executive functions to partially recover. These breaks may include a short walk, deep breathing, or screen-free time, rather than simply standing for a quick coffee, which does not truly relieve mental load.
3. Reduce informational overload
Information fatigue, linked to notifications, emails, meetings, and shifting priorities, increases cognitive overload and weakens decision-making. In the field, this translates into overly dense instructions, excessively long procedures, or contradictory directives. A neuro-inspired approach consists of:
- simplifying safety instructions into short, visual messages,
- limiting the number of simultaneous priorities,
- clarifying roles and responsibilities to avoid decision paralysis.
4. Design simple and visual feedback
A fatigued brain struggles to process complex or abstract information. In safety management, this means prioritizing:
- visual indicators, such as traffic lights, pictograms, and color coding, rather than dense data tables,
- rapid and concrete feedback on safe behaviors, such as immediate recognition and clear incident reporting,
- simple training scenarios with few variables to manage at the same time.
5. Integrate cognitive fatigue into incident analysis
In 2026, leading safety approaches are beginning to include cognitive fatigue in accident and incident investigations. Asking questions such as “Was the operator at the end of their shift?”, “How many complex decisions had they already made?”, or “How many notifications or emails had they received before the event?” helps identify hidden cognitive factors behind human error.
Conclusion
Cognitive fatigue is not merely a “feeling of tiredness”; it is a direct modulator of safety-related decision-making. By integrating these neuroscience-inspired levers, task planning, micro-breaks, reduction of informational overload, simple feedback systems, and cognitive analysis of incidents, organizations can transform an invisible risk into a concrete prevention lever.
See :
The Neuroscience and Risk workshop;
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Key Takeaways
- Cognitive fatigue is not just a feeling of tiredness, it directly alters decision making.
- It increases the risk of human error, even among experienced professionals.
- Information overload and multitasking are major risk amplifiers.
- High-risk environments are particularly vulnerable to cognitive micro-failures.
- Prevention can no longer rely solely on equipment and procedures, it must integrate the real cognitive capacity of teams.
- Simple neuroscience-inspired actions such as task planning, micro-breaks and simplified instructions can transform an invisible risk into a concrete prevention strategy.
FAQ
What is cognitive fatigue at work?
Cognitive fatigue is a state of mental exhaustion linked to overload of the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain involved in planning, decision making and impulse regulation. It reduces vigilance, slows reaction time and alters risk perception.
Why is cognitive fatigue considered an occupational risk?
In 2026, it is recognized as a full-fledged risk factor because it directly influences human errors and workplace accidents. A mentally fatigued person is more likely to forget a safety instruction, skip a verification step or underestimate a hazard.
What is the difference between physical fatigue and cognitive fatigue?
Physical fatigue concerns bodily exhaustion, while cognitive fatigue affects mental functions. A person can be physically capable but cognitively impaired, making decision making less reliable, especially in high-risk environments.
Which sectors are most affected?
High-risk environments such as construction, industry, logistics and maintenance are particularly exposed. In these contexts, micro-errors related to cognitive fatigue can lead to serious consequences.
What are the concrete signs of cognitive fatigue?
The main signs include:
- Difficulty maintaining attention on safety instructions
- Judgment errors or repeated oversights
- Slower reaction time
- A tendency toward shortcuts and incorrect automation
Why does information overload make the situation worse?
Notifications, emails, meetings and shifting priorities increase mental load. This overload weakens overall analytical capacity and can lead to incomplete or incorrect decisions.
How can the risk related to cognitive fatigue be reduced?
Several neuroscience-based levers can be activated:
- Schedule complex tasks at the beginning of the day
- Implement structured micro-breaks
- Simplify instructions and limit simultaneous priorities
- Use clear visual indicators
Integrate cognitive factors into incident analyses
Should cognitive fatigue be included in accident investigations?
Yes. The most effective safety approaches now include questions about decision load, time of day, shift duration or the amount of information received before the event. This helps identify hidden cognitive factors behind human error.
Sources :
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BrainLight France. (2025, 27 juillet). Fatigue mentale et surcharge cognitive. https://www.brainlight-france.fr/qvt/bien-etre-au-travail/bien-etre-mental-au-travel/fatigue-mentale-et-surcharge-cognitive/
C2D Prévention. (2025, 12 octobre). Information overload at work: A hidden risk to health and performance. https://www.c2dprevention.com/en/blog-en/information-overload-at-work-a-hidden-risk-to-health-and-performance/
Inserm. (2016, 30 juin). Comment la fatigue influence notre prise de décision. Salle de presse de l’Inserm. https://presse.inserm.fr/cest-dans-lair/comment-la-fatigue-influence-notre-prise-de-decision/
QHSE Lib. (2025, 18 mars). Comment la fatigue influence la sécurité au travail et les performances. https://www.qhselib.com/article?slug=comment-fatigue-influence-s-curit-travail-les
ReachLink. (2026, 22 janvier). Épuisement professionnel : reconnaissance, impact et stratégies de rétablissement. https://reachlink.com/fr/conseils/carrieres/epuisement-professionnel-reconnaissance-impact-et-strategies-de-retablissement/
La Grande Conversation. (2026, 4 février). Santé mentale au travail : en quoi l’expérience suédoise éclaire le débat français. https://www.lagrandeconversation.com/societe/sante-mentale-au-travail-en-quoi-lexperience-suedoise-eclaire-le-debat-francais/
Takumi Finch. (2025, 10 avril). Hypervigilance and mental fatigue: The effects of constant alerts. https://www.takumifinch.com/hypervigilance-et-fatigue-mentale-les-effets-des-alertes-constantes/