This showed up on my facebook feed, so I thought it would be worth sharing. This blog was written by Georgetta Gregory (chief of the NTSB Railroad Division):
“Fatigue in transportation is such a significant concern for the NTSB that it has put “Reduce Fatigue-Related Accidents” on its Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements. It is not just an issue in rail, but an issue in all modes of transportation that must be addressed.”
As a now- retired Safety Manager, I am non-plused, but unsurprised by the coments by Ms. Gregory. Twenty plus years ago, I had attended a number of sessions provided by not only Federal regulatory agencies, but some local governmental agencies, and Industry-lead training sessions regarding various periods of sleep deprivation due to ‘tight scheduling’ (and attendant delays enroute). Circadian ryhthm interruptions, and the phenomenom called “Micro Nap-now referred to as Micro Sleep)”.
Truck drivers, driving,alone or pushing to make an ‘on-time’ derlivery, were having rear-end accidents, or running into stopped vehicles on the roadway orrunning off a long straight-way, when faili
On my carrier - If a train is stopped and is made aware that they will be stopped for and ‘amount’ of time the crew members are authorized to take upto a 45 minte nap - Individually, with the other crew member remaining awake and alert and able to answer the appropriate communication devices.
Welcome to our world, fatigue is a major problem industry-wide and the Companies don’t want to address it because acknowledging it would force them to make changes that would impact the bottom line.
Years ago CN had a similar program, it even go to the point where locomotives were being fitted with the baultar “sleepr” seats that lean back almost flat, all the better to take a nap in. But management ended the program over the Union’s objections, and now trainmasters sneak up to trains in the middle of the night while you’re stopped in the siding spying to see if you’re napping, and if you’re caught even for one second with your eyes closed you are issued demerits or suspended.
At 84 years of age, I find I doze off easily. Even when attending a lecture of material which interests me (and often a young student will tap my leg with his to wake me) or even atending a concert with music that I love and awaited with anticipation to hear. Before moving to Jerusalem, I did own car (history, first a Ford Mainline, then two Covrairs in succession), and I found the radio an absolute necessity to keep me awake on long trips, except when conversation witih a friend riding with me (and usually sharing the driving) was an excellent alternative.
In Jerusalem, unlike New York or any other North American transit system, and not like the light rail line, bus drivers usually have a radio on, distributed to passengers through the bus public addrss system, never too loud to prevent normal conversation, and interrupted by the station announcements. The latest news is always the program of highest priority, reflecting our need for security information.
When PTC is implemented, the problem may be even worse, because there may be even less of the crew to do! It may be heretical, but possbily the car radio example is applable to freight locomotives?
Or maybe another solution would be to have the two-man crew continualy converse with each other in a constructive conversation, reviewing rules that are supposed to be commited to memory, having a sort of game of alternating the stations and control points along the line with the winner the one that lways reponse correcdtly and the looser the one who misses a point. If I were an active engineer or conductor I would dream up such a conversation game with my fellow crew-member to keep us both awake.
Locomotives nowadays have alerters, set to go off every couple of minutes at the longest (on our ALCO’s it’s at least partly speed related), but I believe it’s been found that an engineer can do that in his sleep. A radio (satellite?) might help, but if you’re tired enough, a brass band isn’t going to help.
Besides, what if the engineer likes heavy metal and the conductor is a country fan? [swg]
Aside from the other crew member (who, if equally tired may be asleep, too), about the only solution might be introducing a more complex method of clearing the alerter - maybe like that thing they use on the Internet to prove you’re not a robot. A code appears on a display and it would have to be entered exactly on a keypad…
All these ideas are not mutually exclusive, and again, if I were an active engineer or conductor, and my partner in the locomotive cab was willing, I would at least do what I suggest in the last paragraph, have a continiual useful conversation.
All of the above suggestions are very sensible. Additionally, have regularly scheduled shifts for weeks at a time. Shifting sleep schedules would help fight fatigue. I don’t know who objects to this, but certainly the unions fear reducing working hours. This is an interesting battle where railroads attempt to use human subjects in ways that won’t work. PTC will lead to unmanned trains and then watch the unions scream!
I have suggested that in the past… but I’d have the code displayed on the Engineer’s console to be entered on the Conductor’s console and vice-versa (alternately or randomly)… one crew member must read the code and the other must enter it… keep them both busy, and some way to make the code pertinate to the situation; randomly ask for the time, speed, notch number, air pressure, last milepost, or some engine parameter that varies somewhat (oil pressure, current, voltage, temperature, etc.).
Commercial aviation has this problem, too. I remember from quite a few years ago, a crew fell asleep in the cockpit and it wasn’t discovered until air traffic control noticed that the flight did not begin its approach to the airport.
It is a fine line between complicating the alerter reset procedure to prevent unconscious reset; and having the reset procedure become a burden on the crewmember. The technology will lead to an alerter that will know when an alert is needed, and will act only then.
Remember too, that the theories behind this fatigue problem are not just a simple lack of sleep. Instead, they are about a medical problem affecting some people and caused by rotating shifts and/or simple constant nightshift. Having defined the issue that way, the industry and its regulators must screen and test to find which employees have this medial problem, and either successfully treat them or remove them from safety sensitive service.
This screening and testing will have to be ongoing, and it will investigate and advise on all of an employee’s activities and lifestyle both on and off duty, including all types of food, drink, and medications consumed.
Half the problem is comfy chairs. People stay awake while standing up, because the survivor in them says it’s unsafe to fall asleep now, might break a bone or get a concussion.
Why not build a cage at each home terminal and insist they occupy the cage for all off duty hours? Of course, provision would have to be made for out of cage time for funerals, family weddings and such, but they should be accompanied to those functions by a federally licensed activity monitor.
Well, I am certainly not advocating this. I am also not convinced that the diagnosis of the problem is accurate. But the definition of the problem and its remedy amount to an enormous challenge. It is about so much more than getting enough sleep. It is also about diet, exercise, and lifestyle; and also about everything in person’s medical history.
Given what we’ve read in the past about the irregular working hours faced by railroad crews, sleep - particularly the consistency thereof - is probably one of the easiest fixes.
I would submit that it would take old-style boarding houses to improve the on-the-road diet of crews in general. Many locales have a burger/fast food joint. Not many have a place where you can get a good old meat-and-potatoes meal at a reasonable price and in a reasonable amount of time.
Exercise would also benefit from longer rest times. Even assuming the equipment is available (as it is at many motels), it’s hard to fit a decent sleep, a decent meal, and some decent exercise into the time currently allotted.
Many UP or BNSF crew change locations have a Oak Tree Inn. I’ve stayed in a couple, and they are sort of a Motel 8 but with important differences. Extra attention was given to soundproofing, both from street noise and the hallway or adjacent rooms. Many also have an attached Penny’s Diner open 24 hours featuring all day breakfast and sort of a retro-1950’s diner menu.
About four years ago, while on a trip retuning home from Ohio, I was tired as was my wife who was driving and while on I65 North of Lafayette IN, I was dozing and my wife unintentionally dozed (as in the video). I woke up as the car ran over the shoulder rumble strips. We hit the guard rail at about 60 mph and totaled the car. Seat belts and air bags did their job and we walked away unharmed. We were fortunate that traffic was lite for I65 and no other vehicles were close emough to be involved. Others stopped and the State Police came, got a wrecker and within about three hours, we were on our way in a rental car. So close to what could have been so bad.
One may think that they can stay awake but the body will do what it needs to keep functioning as in the video.
I think the companies and the Unions ned to work to resolve how to provide sensible consistant crew schedules that will recognize this problem and still maintain an economical solution. I have heard that this is one good thing about being in passenger service is that you have a defined schedule that you can count on. The FEC’s idea of having scheduled freight trains departing from both ends of the RR and crews swapping when they meet so that they are home at the end of each trip is a great start. The great proponent of scheduled service E. H. Harrison, should try scheduling crews in an intellegent manor. As should other RR executives.
When it comes to asking ‘the Feds’ for ‘quality of life’ rules to be put in place; be careful what you ask for. You may no longer be able to afford a life of quality.
The HOS regulations that were enacted at the instigation of the Brotherhoods a couple of years ago decreased T&E earnings potential by about 26%. Once one factors additional rest required of ‘limbo time’ the earnings potential is decreased even further.