If you’ve got insight or ideas on the screening, evaluation and treatment of rail workers and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the US Department of Transportation wants to hear from you. The agency, along with the Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, recently announced they’re seeking input on the issue that affects scores of Americans and potentially places anyone sharing the railways and roadways at risk.
Statistics show that upward of 22 million adults nationwide suffer from undiagnosed OSA, a respiratory disorder that leads to a momentary but repeated reduction or cessation of breathing during sleep. Without adequate treatment, OSA can significantly diminish concentration, attention, memory, situational awareness and the capacity to respond to hazards when performing safety-sensitive service. Behind the wheel of a multi-ton commercial truck, a bus filled with school children or tourists, or a speeding passenger or freight train, OSA can prove a potentially deadly issue.
“It is imperative for everyone’s safety that commercial motor vehicle drivers and train operators be fully focused and immediately responsive at all times,” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told reporters. “DOT strongly encourages comment from the public on how to best respond to this national health and transportation safety issue.”
The agencies will host three public listening sessions to gather input on OSA in Washington, DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It’s the first step toward deciding whether and how to propose requirements on screening, evaluating and treating railway and CMV employees for OSA.
“The sooner patients with OSA are diagnosed and treated, the sooner our rail network will be safer,” FRA Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg said.
The FRA also is developing mandates for certain railroads to establish fatigue management plans. In 2012, the FRA partnered with Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine, WFBH Education Foundation and the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to sponsor the Railroaders’ Guide to Healthy Sleep website. The site provides educational information to railroaders and their families about sleep disorders and sleep quality improvement.
We here at Jacksonville’s Rail Justice support initiatives to improve safety on America’s railways. If you or someone you love suffers an injury or loss caused by someone else’s negligence while traveling by rail or working a railway job, call 888-519-RAIL to speak with a railroad injury or wrongful death attorney.
