Over the past several years driver fatigue has been increasingly discussed, primarily because of the discussion surrounding sleep apnea. That discussion is likely to continue because FMCSA has dropped its rulemaking process with regards to apnea.
In general terms we all recognize that fatigue can have potentially dangerous consequences, especially in the transportation industry. It’s important to keep in mind that this is just not an issue for over the road truck drivers. Fatigue can just as easily affect a driver who is involved in a local operation. If a person is not receiving enough quality restorative rest, then fatigue will set in and, at some point, the driver will fall asleep.
Fatigue management should be a topic of discussion at all motor carriers, but not just during driver meetings. This discussion should really begin at the management level. The company needs to identify practices that can lead to fatigue and take steps to mitigate them. This includes identifying work scheduling issues as well as personal habits that can result in a sleep deficit.
There is a resource of information developed by the North American Fatigue Management Program. The development of this material was underwritten by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It’s available for no cost at this web site:
There are a total of ten modules available. They can be taken on line or downloaded for later use. The modules vary in length from ¾ of an hour to 3 hours. The subject matter includes:
— Safety Culture Management Practices
— Sleep Disorder Management
— Driver Scheduling Tools
The Driver Education module is three hours long which far exceeds what can be included in a driver meeting. However, all of these modules can be downloaded as a PowerPoint which enables you to edit the material into manageable components. This web site offers a wealth of material that you can use to support your comany’s fatigue management program.
Medical professionals agree that sleep apnea degrades the restorative qualities of sleep and can result in fatigued driving. The major source of disagreement is the discussion regarding how widespread the problem is and how to determine which drivers should be screened for the disorder. FMCSA had begun the rulemaking process to craft a Final Rule regarding this topic. They recently announced that they will not be moving forward. So, at the moment, that leaves the industry with the following:
January, 2015, Bulletin to Medical Examiners Regarding Obstructive Sleep Apnea
This bulletin reminds medical examiners that the physical qualification standards prohibit individuals from receiving a medical examiner’s certificate to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce if they have an “established medical history or clinical diagnosis of a respiratory dysfunction likely to interfere with his or her ability to control and drive a commercial motor vehicle safely.” (49 CFR 391.41(b)(5)). OSA is considered a respiratory dysfunction when there is a determination that it is likely to interfere with the driver’s ability to operate safely because of the severity of the case.
November, 2016, Medical Review Board Recommendations
This publication sets forth general recommendations regarding screening and treatment. It also sets forth standards for disqualification, conditional certification, and identifies characteristics which identify individuals who should be referred for a diagnostic sleep evaluation. Finally this publication details the types of treatment that can be used after a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
If FMCSA had decided to move forward with their rulemaking, a process would have been defined. However, they clearly view sleep apnea as a respiratory dysfunction when there is a determination that it is likely to interfere with the driver’s ability to operate safely because of the severity of the case. Unfortunately, FMCSA has not defined the process to be used to make that determination.
Apnea can certainly be a serious issue, especially if it remains undiagnosed. You should have a conversation with your medical providers about this subject and how they handle identifying those at risk and what treatment steps are taken.
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