Fatigue Management Transportation Operations International Conference - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Support Team:
- Victoria Chapman, Hi-Tech Systems
- Sunny Owens, Wright Solutions, Inc.
- Dina Iwanycky, Transport Canada
- Anne Delson, Kanaal Design Communication Inc
Contractor – Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
- Shelley Feese
- Paul Smith
- Roan Bennett
- Iris Fujito

Conference Profile

Keynote speakers
- Annette Sandberg, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Derek Sweet, Director General for Road Safety, Transport Canada
- Dr. David Dinges, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
- Dr. Gregory Belenky, Washington State University
90 papers included for oral and poster presentations, and panel sessions
All modes of transportation
200 participants; 13 countries
- Industry, government, academia

Conference Goals

Identify
- New knowledge (research)
- New approaches, techniques and technologies
Move knowledge and developments toward industry applications

Why Fatigue

Several photos and a couple of graphics depicting fatigue.

Importance of Sleep

Fatigue can lead to personal loss . .

Photo of a car stopped at a red light.

. . . Fatigue can be catastrophic.

Four photos grouped together depicting catastrophic train, truck, ship, and plane accidents.

Session Topics

Expert Panel Discussion Topics

Prescribed and Over-the-Counter Medication Risks: Appropriate usage in transportation
Fatigue Self-assessment: How well does it relate to performance, and how can it be realistically used in fatigue management?
Sleep Disorders: What are cost-effective means for implementing sleep disorder screening and treatment on an industry-wide basis?
Fatigue Risk Management Programs: How can they improve operational safety and performance?

Approaches to Managing Fatigue Risk

Hours of Service Regulations
- Regulator-based
- One size fits all
- Verified by regulator
- Modifiable by fatigue risk management within HOS
Fatigue Risk Management – Internal
- Company-based
- Embedded in safety management systems
- Flexible; setting dependent
- Verified by regulator
Fatigue Risk Management – External
- Insurance-based
- Rates vary with insurance company assessment of risk
- No verification

Some Outstanding Issues

Time-on-task effects
- Does ration of working (flying, driving, etc.) to on-duty time affect fatigue?
- Does change = rest?
- Are the effects of fatigue reversed with simple rest?
Sleep restriction over time
- How much sleep is required for recovery?
- Are naps additive to recuperative sleep?
Recovery time (hours needed to restart)
- Recovery appears rapid in some studies; delayed in others
- When is recovery complete enough to allow safe driving?
- Individual differences
Operational definitions
- Fatigue
- State instability
- Sleep debt
Individual differences
- Screening
- Intervention
Medical evaluation
- Sleep apnea
- Other sleep disorders
- Other medical conditions

Next Steps – FMCSA Programs

North American Fatigue Management Program with Canadian partners
- Program evaluation
- Implementation guide
- Roll out
Recovery initiatives with Canadian partners
- Empirical studies beginning 2006
- Strategic napping study
Monitoring device research
- Available to most drivers
- 24-hour operation
- Performance and physiological monitoring

Ensuring CMV Driver Alertness

Photo showing a side mirror with an image of a truck.

Additional Information