Pilot Feasibility and Preliminary Reliability of a Multi-Domain Fatigue-Risk Assessment Protocol for Shift Workers in a Malaysian Palm Oil Mill
Abstract
Occupational fatigue is a work-system risk that may compromise worker safety, health, and operational performance. Before implementing a fatigue-risk intervention, the practicality and preliminary measurement performance of the proposed assessment protocol should be established. This pilot study assessed the feasibility and preliminary internal consistency reliability of a multi-domain fatigue-risk assessment protocol among shift workers in a Malaysian palm oil mill. A quantitative cross-sectional pilot study was conducted among 26 randomly selected shift workers. Participants completed a paper-based, six-section assessment protocol covering sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, burnout, psychological distress, perceived mental effort, personal wellbeing, and individual work performance. Feasibility outcomes included completion among enrolled participants, missing analytic item responses, completion time, and administration practicality. Descriptive statistics and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated for applicable multi-item scales and domains. All enrolled participants completed the assessment, and no missing analytic item responses were observed. The average completion time was approximately 27 minutes. Participants had a mean age of 33.4 years (SD = 9.7), while the mean reported daily working duration was 10.2 hours (SD = 2.3). The personal burnout and work-related burnout domains of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory showed Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.802 and 0.760, respectively. The Personal Wellbeing Index demonstrated acceptable preliminary internal consistency (α = 0.751), while the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire domains ranged from 0.722 to 0.894. A reverse-scored burnout item and selected wellbeing items required further review. The findings support the feasibility of the paper-based protocol and identify measurement and procedural refinements required before the main intervention study. This pilot was not designed to estimate fatigue prevalence, establish construct validity, or evaluate intervention effectiveness.