The NTSB report on the rear end collision in Iowa about a year ago says this:
“Had the requirements described in Safety Recommendations R-02-24, -25, and -26 been in place, this crew would likely have been identified as at high risk for sleep disorders, which may have led to appropriate medical intervention.”
Why does BNSF not have Safety Recommendation R-02-24, -25, and –26 in place?
If a crewmember is subjected to testing that indicates that he or she is at high risk from sleep disorders, what does “appropriate medical intervention” consist of?
The report says that a person identified as being at high risk for sleep disorders might receive appropriate medical intervention. What happens if an employee is found to be at high risk from sleep disorders, but there is no medical intervention that can correct the problem?
Frequently sleep disorders are treated by 1) a sleep study in a hospital; and 2) if necessary a prescription for a CPAP machine. I have one and I am sleeping much better. The machine does have a recorder to measure compliance so if you have a OTR truck license, it will be suspended if you are out of compliance. I do not know about air, sea or rail, but I assume the same can be done.
THAT SAID... Positive Train Control makes more sense. Is if foolproof? No, NYCT proved that, but properly implemented the train is automatically stopped if a signal is improperly passed. Every little bit helps.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I knew a guy in the drug testing business. He told me that most industry managers, including railroad insdustry, could not afford to have testing done on active crews because they would lose them for 24 hours to serveral weeks and months. So, avoid, avoid, avoid. Lay a train up someplace out in the wilderness so the crew won't get tested; call the drug tester in then don't have any trian crews because the train got in sooner than the tester arrived or got hung up someplace out there somehwere; or not call the known offenders in to work when the tester was going to be there. Also, don't use testers who follow rules and instructions and procedures.
So carry this thinking to sleep, turnaround time, "the law", the rules, the need to have that train out at something o'clock come Hell or Highwater, no other crews avaialbe on full rest or whatever. ANd there is the guy who needs to work, needs the time, has to get out there, has to get back soon. There are so many facits to rules, time off, rest, rest vs sleep, sleep vs time off. I remember one time an engineer friend came to a meeting 40 miles from his home because he was last out on the board, no trains in sight the caller said. He came in the door to the meeting and he got a two hour notice call because two ahead on the board knocked off and an extra was called. If he had been a drinking man or doing drugs,, he would have had a hard decsion to make as would his supervisors. There are many,, many sides to this issue of sleep and rest and fatigue, and no one answer.
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
I'm with Henry6, way too many variables, one size does not fit all.
Since this thread is based on Safety Recommendation R-02-24, -25, and –26; what are they?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Federal law requires random drug testing of T&E employees, and the testing company has to have a Federal License to perform such test.
The results are reported to the FRA and the carrier, in that order, any employee found to have a drug or alcohol problem is removed from service.
Carriers have no choice in that matter, is a the law,
Depending on whether this is a first time offender or not, they will be offered counseling and rehabilitation , part of the National Labor Contract, but you only get one shot at it, then you are truly fired, if you are an engineer, your Federal Engineers License is revoked, if you're a conductor or brakeman, your conductors certificate is revoked.
The FRA monitors how many and how often a carrier, be it a Class 1, 2 or 3 perform random testing, and will fine carriers who do not follow the law,
Any FRA reportable accident/incident requires a drug and alcohol test.
In 15 years, I have had over 20 random tests.
This is one of those things carriers are not going to shirk...
As for a disorder like sleep apnea, your physician is required to report it to the FRA, similar to doctors having to report gunshot wounds.
Most carriers will not test a T&E employee for a sleep disorder unless there is sufficient concern, in that the employee has been disciplined several times for sleeping on the job.
If, and only if a doctor reports to the carrier and the FRA that an employee is being successfully treated for such a disorder, will that employee be allowed to continue in T&E service.
If the disorder was something you had before you became employed, you will be terminated, (it is one of the standard questions on all railroads employment application forms) because you were untruthful on the application.
This limits the carrier's liability/risk.
If your doctor reports the condition developed during your employment and con not be successfully treated, then the contract has provisions for the employee to be retrained in a clerical or office help/ non T&E position.
This is to keep the employee from suing the railroad for firing them because they became ill while employed by the carrier.
In every instance where I have been tested, the tester was professional, well trained, and ensured the chain of evidence protocol was properly followed.
While I cannot speak for other carriers, I can state that my carrier has never tried to duck this requirement, never tried to "hide" an employee they felt was impaired, nor did they bushwhack the tester, once the tester's company is called, the carrier pays for the test, whether it is completed or not.
Once a carrier removes an employee from T&E service for any suspected medical issue, drug or alcohol issue, the carrier has 10 calendar days to either bring charges against the employee or reinstate them with back pay.
Because of this, a carrier may approach an employee they suspect may have a sleep disorder, and request they voluntarily undergo testing....which the employee will most likely refuse to do, most of us like our jobs.(see the above about when the problem began)
This leaves the carrier little choice, either ignore the suspected problem, or have the employee followed by officers to see if they can document the problem.
If the problem is documented sufficiently to cause the carrier to believe there truly is a medical disorder, they will arrange testing ahead of time, then charge the employee, remove them from service, and require them to be tested.
Rarely is there a documented case of a true medical disorder, in almost all instances, the employee is simply fatigued from trying to live a normal lifestyle while holding a job with hours that are anything but normal.
This brings about the issue of whether carriers should be able to remove from service employees they feel are "at risk" for medical issues, lifestyle choices or possible drug issues.
The problem with that is it requires the carrier to be given access to private medical records, which, given most carriers management style, would almost certainly be used to apply pressure to employees.
A few years back BNSF attempted to force T&E employees to furnish genetic material samples, which the carrier was going to use to determine if an employee was at risk from a potential medical issue, an attempt to predetermine if someone was going to become diabetic, have a stroke, heart attack, so forth and so on.
The issue was resolved in the court system, with a judge ruling the potential for the carrier to use such information to weed out employees they felt may, at a future date, develop medical problems, by terminating them for other, non-medical related issue, and the carriers insurance company abusing the same information by either denying coverage or raising individuals rates based on such information was so great and that such a request was a clear violation of an employee's right to privacy.
How would any employer determine an employee was "at risk" unless they tested the individual for whatever the suspected issue was, be it drugs or alcohol abuse, or a supposed medical issue?
Based on my personal behavior and lifestyle, I should be suspect of being a candidate for a heart attack or stroke; I smoke, drink lots of coffee and eat fried food all the time.
Even though I have never exhibited any symptoms of heart problems or stroke, shouldn't I be considered a "at risk" employee?
And we all know of someone who exhibited zero symptoms of cardiovascular problems, who exercises regularly, eats all the right food, and never has been sick a day in their life, those people who one day simply drop dead from a massive heart attack or stroke.
What about the kid, (everyone knows one of these) who looks like the biggest dope head in the world, you know, the one with all the tattoos, piercings in their ears, nose and such, weird hair cut dyed bright orange or some other odd color.
You know, the one that looks like they should be on "Cops"?...but it turns out they are real good employees, show up every day, do a great job, turn out to be really trustworthy and such, but just look "out there"?
What would be the criteria you would use to determine I needed to be tested, or this kid?
Your personal belief system?
Or should you be required by law, as it currently is, to have recent and precise documentation that supports the suspicions of an issue?
23 17 46 11
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/sa200404.pdf
Most railroads have it in their safety rules that any employee who develops a medical issue as defined must report it to the carrier.
BaltACD Since this thread is based on Safety Recommendation R-02-24, -25, and –26; what are they?
Right now the Big one in OTR is BMI if it is to high bang Automatic Sleep Study required to keep your CDL per the Regulations. However they are finding out that BMI is NOT the Catch all that they thought it was. Fully 40% of the people with CDL's with issues are thinner than rails. They have found out that Sleep Apnea is caused by a reaxation of muscues in the throat and when that happens your in trouble.
Ed, thanks once again for a thoughtful essay, and that link.
Rhetorical question, for consideration, deliberation, and discussion: What does the correlation, cause-and-effect linkage, or 'confidence level' between a condition (sleep disorder, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, etc.) on the one hand, and the likelihood or pre-disposition for a performance failure (falling asleep while on duty, heart attack or stroke, etc.) on the other hand, have to be for a particular individual employee to be deemed to be "at risk", or for the symptom to be deemed a "sufficiently reliable" indicator/ predictor of the performance failure for many employees, such that the correlation justifies removing the employee from service (and income) and subjecting him/ her to the testing, etc. ? 10 % of the time ? 30 % ? 50 % ? 80 % 95 % ? 100 % ? And what other variables can - and do - affect a particular instance of performance within that range ? (e.g., coffee ?)
I don't have any pat or simple answers. MY gut tells me that 10 % is too little, but by 30 to 50 % it's enough of a problem or risk to justify taking some action, and for sure by the 80 % range.
- Paul North.
Paul,
That's part of the problem, there is no objective legally defined amount...its totally a subjective call on the carriers part, and often left up to the TM, who may base his remove from service decision on personal issues, likes and dislikes, so forth and so on.
The NTSB report mentions that locomotive alerters should not be used as a substitute for a fatigue mitigation program. Was there a locomotive alerter in operation during this Iowa collision? Isn’t the point of an alerter to prevent crewmembers from falling asleep? How could the crew have fallen asleep if there was an operating alerter?
Bucyrus The NTSB report mentions that locomotive alerters should not be used as a substitute for a fatigue mitigation program. Was there a locomotive alerter in operation during this Iowa collision? Isn’t the point of an alerter to prevent crewmembers from falling asleep? How could the crew have fallen asleep if there was an operating alerter?
Most likely the locomotive was equipped with an alerter. Let me tell you, I dont care what kind of alert system you have and how loud it it, when you are dead tired nothing seems to work. It only takes a second for things to happen, now you throw in fatigue and this is what can happen.
This seems like as good a thread as any to throw this out to. Some entrpenureal genius I hope will take this idea up and study it to see where it might lead. Instead of the railroads maintiaing rosters, employing crews, there be labor pool company instead. This company would employ engineers and conductors and then contract with the railroads to provice their services. This company would not be tied to just one railroad but to many or all. They would provide properly rested and qualified engineers and conductors (airline pilots, plumbers, truck drivers, what have you) to the proper place at the proper time. This company would be the employer of the job catagory(ies) and pay and benefit them; the company would be paid by the railroads (airlines, pipelines, plumbers, trucking, bus companies). The hours of service, proper rest, drug testing, everything, would rest on the shoulders of this new company. In theory they would compensate the employees in a manner so that there would be on problems missing a day or call and would be able to provide the proper employee at the proper place at the proper time....it may mean employees would be slaried, the union would probably approve, Labor Department would have to agree (why not?). If the company would have large enough crew bases in major areas with the idea of servicing more than one railroad...thus a crew could be out on ARR one day, BRR the next, all assignement could be covered on all railroads with enough crews so that fatigue, sleep, away from home time, etc, would not be the major problem that it is today. AIrlines and their pilots could gain some of the same benefits with a similar service. Railroads, airlines, etc. could still employ people for set job assignements and use the Pool Company for fill in or rely totally on the Pool Company. There is a lot of things to think about, iron out, work out. It is not a simple "no" because anythng is possible when it is needed. A simple "yes" because there are complications and contradictions, and cross purposes, etc. to be dealt with. But I bet it could be done for the success and benefit of fatigue plagued insdustries.and services.
What could the pool company do to prevent sleep disorders that the railroads could not do for their own employees?
This was a GE Dash 9 locomotive, and it comes standard with an alerter, part of the engine management computer program.
They go off every 90 seconds if I remember correctly, unless a control surface, like the throttle or the brake handle is moved, which resets the alerter.
Sounding the horn or ringing the bell will also rest the alerter.
The alerter is loud shrill sharp chirping sound, and once it starts, if it is not canceled it becomes progressively louder, after 30 seconds it is so loud as to become painful, at that point the locomotive computer programming will begin to reduce the throttle, and perform a brake pipe reduction, progressively slowing the train and bringing it to a stop.
It is possible to bypass the alerter, but if you are caught running a locomotive with a by passed alerter, it results in immediate termination.
That's a federal law, not open to debate on the employees or the carriers side.
When I was working our extra board, I made several runs with an engineer who could sleep while running, and who kept his hand right over the alerter button, the instant it began, he would press it, canceling the alert, somewhat like a person who presses the snooze button on their alarm clock repeatedly.
My guess, and this is only a guess based on my personal experience, is that this crew was running the same way, the conductor may have fallen asleep, possible into a deep sleep, and the engineer was catching a nap also, just above the point where REM sleep or deep sleep happens, canceling the alerter every time it came on.
The event recorder keeps track of when the alerter goes off, how soon it is canceled and what was done to cancel it, be it the cancel button was pushed or a control surface was moved, all signs the engineer was awake and functioning.
If the recorder shows the alerter immediately being canceled the moment it comes on, and this is constant over an extended period of time, this would raise suspicions, as the response time should be varied by a few seconds if the engineer was awake and busy.
While not conclusive proof that anyone was asleep, having the event recorder showing the same exact pattern for canceling the alerter, coupled with a constant speed on the train would indicate the crew had fallen into a pattern that would promote sleep.
Bucyrus What could the pool company do to prevent sleep disorders that the railroads could not do for their own employees?
At least the different scenery might keep some awake--at least for a while.
According to the NTSB report, working irregular schedules causes sleep disorders including the inability to stay awake at times. It this settled science? Or is it agenda-driven junk science?
If it is settled science, it poses a very large problem for the railroad industry. Many railroaders work irregular schedules. How can it be acceptable that they are working at tasks where a loss of attention can prove fatal, and yet, they are subject to involuntarily falling asleep at any time?
If what the NTSB says about irregular schedules causing sleep disorders is true, then one of two things must be done:
1) Eliminate irregular work schedules.
2) Test all employees working irregular schedules for sleep disorders, and remove from service any employees found to be afflicted.
edblysard When I was working our extra board, I made several runs with an engineer who could sleep while running, and who kept his hand right over the alerter button, the instant it began, he would press it, canceling the alert, somewhat like a person who presses the snooze button on their alarm clock repeatedly.
Of course, doing any of the above is extremely dangerous. But sometimes one has to make do with the best option available. And sometimes the price is paid. In full.
Bucyrus According to the NTSB report, working irregular schedules causes sleep disorders including the inability to stay awake at times. It this settled science? Or is it agenda-driven junk science?
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Sleep_Disorders/hic_Shift_Work_Sleep_Disorder.aspx
If you read this short link from the Cleveland Clinic, a highly-rated medical center, I think you will discover that Shift Work Sleep Disorder is an accepted diagnosis. It relates to disruptions in the normal Circadian rhythm. Your all-or-nothing reasoning to a conclusion about what should be done in consequence is a nice example of a fallacious form of the argument known as reductio ad absurdum. Read the clinic's guidelines for decreasing the effects of SWSD.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
When I was working nights, I stayed on nights even on my nights off. But then I was not running a locomotive. It was far more difficult to work moving shifts, but that is what most railroaders do.
Do we simply stop the trains at night? Some transit systems do just that.
Me thinks more people need to be hired, and then assigned to a shift, and cannot be called for a train that starts outside of that shift.
henry6 This seems like as good a thread as any to throw this out to. Some entrpenureal genius I hope will take this idea up and study it to see where it might lead. Instead of the railroads maintiaing rosters, employing crews, there be labor pool company instead. This company would employ engineers and conductors and then contract with the railroads to provice their services. This company would not be tied to just one railroad but to many or all. They would provide properly rested and qualified engineers and conductors (airline pilots, plumbers, truck drivers, what have you) to the proper place at the proper time. This company would be the employer of the job catagory(ies) and pay and benefit them; the company would be paid by the railroads (airlines, pipelines, plumbers, trucking, bus companies). The hours of service, proper rest, drug testing, everything, would rest on the shoulders of this new company. In theory they would compensate the employees in a manner so that there would be on problems missing a day or call and would be able to provide the proper employee at the proper place at the proper time....it may mean employees would be slaried, the union would probably approve, Labor Department would have to agree (why not?). If the company would have large enough crew bases in major areas with the idea of servicing more than one railroad...thus a crew could be out on ARR one day, BRR the next, all assignement could be covered on all railroads with enough crews so that fatigue, sleep, away from home time, etc, would not be the major problem that it is today. AIrlines and their pilots could gain some of the same benefits with a similar service. Railroads, airlines, etc. could still employ people for set job assignements and use the Pool Company for fill in or rely totally on the Pool Company. There is a lot of things to think about, iron out, work out. It is not a simple "no" because anythng is possible when it is needed. A simple "yes" because there are complications and contradictions, and cross purposes, etc. to be dealt with. But I bet it could be done for the success and benefit of fatigue plagued insdustries.and services.
Doesn't sound like it would solve anything to begin with. Second, where does the labor come from? Does this 3rd party company have it's own people? If so, that wouldn't go over well with those of us who have established our seniority. Sounds like an extraboard to me.
Bucyrus According to the NTSB report, working irregular schedules causes sleep disorders including the inability to stay awake at times. It this settled science? Or is it agenda-driven junk science? If it is settled science, it poses a very large problem for the railroad industry. Many railroaders work irregular schedules. How can it be acceptable that they are working at tasks where a loss of attention can prove fatal, and yet, they are subject to involuntarily falling asleep at any time? If what the NTSB says about irregular schedules causing sleep disorders is true, then one of two things must be done: 1) Eliminate irregular work schedules. 2) Test all employees working irregular schedules for sleep disorders, and remove from service any employees found to be afflicted.
Anyone that works an irregular schedule can attest that it is not "junk science". Just curious if you ever had the pleasure, Bucyrus? With the railroads you get the double-whammy. You get irregular schedules, and UNPREDICTABLE schedules if you are a flea on the extra list. So you don't know whether you are going to go to work in 10 hours or 30. Try getting proper rest under those circumstances.
As for your suggestions: (1.) will probably never be 100% achievable due to the nature of the beast. There are ways to make the job more scheduled, but it would probably require new contract rules regarding territory covered and whatnot.
And (2.): I know if my railroad suspects someone has a medical sleep issue, they are pulled out of service immediately and won't be allowed to re-enter service without their doctor's and the company medical dep't's permission.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
schlimm Bucyrus: According to the NTSB report, working irregular schedules causes sleep disorders including the inability to stay awake at times. It this settled science? Or is it agenda-driven junk science? http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Sleep_Disorders/hic_Shift_Work_Sleep_Disorder.aspx If you read this short link from the Cleveland Clinic, a highly-rated medical center, I think you will discover that Shift Work Sleep Disorder is an accepted diagnosis. It relates to disruptions in the normal Circadian rhythm. Your all-or-nothing reasoning to a conclusion about what should be done in consequence is a nice example of a fallacious form of the argument known as reductio ad absurdum. Read the clinic's guidelines for decreasing the effects of SWSD.
Bucyrus: According to the NTSB report, working irregular schedules causes sleep disorders including the inability to stay awake at times. It this settled science? Or is it agenda-driven junk science?
The reductio absurdum is only to highlight the profound significance of sleep disorder theories on irregular shift work. I realize that there are shades of gray where some different people will react differently, but the shades of gray can obscure the one earth-shattering conclusion. That is, when you clear away all of the shades of gray, you have the following possibility affecting everyone unless proven otherwise:
People working irregular shifts, even when fully rested each day, are subject to unanticipated sudden fatigue sufficient to force the abrupt onset of sleep even while performing tasks so dangerous that falling asleep would be life threatening to themselves or others.
The NTSB does not seem to have much problem with shades of gray when they come right out and declare that the Iowa crash was caused by the crew working irregular shifts.
But then they do temper their advice on diagnosing sleep disorders with this cautionary note:
“Because biomathematical models of fatigue are relatively new to the railroad industry, the use of this technology should be evaluated for its effectiveness within the context of railroads' fatigue management plans through independent scientific peer review.”
Georgia Railroader henry6: This seems like as good a thread as any to throw this out to. Some entrpenureal genius I hope will take this idea up and study it to see where it might lead. Instead of the railroads maintiaing rosters, employing crews, there be labor pool company instead. This company would employ engineers and conductors and then contract with the railroads to provice their services. This company would not be tied to just one railroad but to many or all. They would provide properly rested and qualified engineers and conductors (airline pilots, plumbers, truck drivers, what have you) to the proper place at the proper time. This company would be the employer of the job catagory(ies) and pay and benefit them; the company would be paid by the railroads (airlines, pipelines, plumbers, trucking, bus companies). The hours of service, proper rest, drug testing, everything, would rest on the shoulders of this new company. In theory they would compensate the employees in a manner so that there would be on problems missing a day or call and would be able to provide the proper employee at the proper place at the proper time....it may mean employees would be slaried, the union would probably approve, Labor Department would have to agree (why not?). If the company would have large enough crew bases in major areas with the idea of servicing more than one railroad...thus a crew could be out on ARR one day, BRR the next, all assignement could be covered on all railroads with enough crews so that fatigue, sleep, away from home time, etc, would not be the major problem that it is today. AIrlines and their pilots could gain some of the same benefits with a similar service. Railroads, airlines, etc. could still employ people for set job assignements and use the Pool Company for fill in or rely totally on the Pool Company. There is a lot of things to think about, iron out, work out. It is not a simple "no" because anythng is possible when it is needed. A simple "yes" because there are complications and contradictions, and cross purposes, etc. to be dealt with. But I bet it could be done for the success and benefit of fatigue plagued insdustries.and services. Doesn't sound like it would solve anything to begin with. Second, where does the labor come from? Does this 3rd party company have it's own people? If so, that wouldn't go over well with those of us who have established our seniority. Sounds like an extraboard to me.
henry6: This seems like as good a thread as any to throw this out to. Some entrpenureal genius I hope will take this idea up and study it to see where it might lead. Instead of the railroads maintiaing rosters, employing crews, there be labor pool company instead. This company would employ engineers and conductors and then contract with the railroads to provice their services. This company would not be tied to just one railroad but to many or all. They would provide properly rested and qualified engineers and conductors (airline pilots, plumbers, truck drivers, what have you) to the proper place at the proper time. This company would be the employer of the job catagory(ies) and pay and benefit them; the company would be paid by the railroads (airlines, pipelines, plumbers, trucking, bus companies). The hours of service, proper rest, drug testing, everything, would rest on the shoulders of this new company. In theory they would compensate the employees in a manner so that there would be on problems missing a day or call and would be able to provide the proper employee at the proper place at the proper time....it may mean employees would be slaried, the union would probably approve, Labor Department would have to agree (why not?). If the company would have large enough crew bases in major areas with the idea of servicing more than one railroad...thus a crew could be out on ARR one day, BRR the next, all assignement could be covered on all railroads with enough crews so that fatigue, sleep, away from home time, etc, would not be the major problem that it is today. AIrlines and their pilots could gain some of the same benefits with a similar service. Railroads, airlines, etc. could still employ people for set job assignements and use the Pool Company for fill in or rely totally on the Pool Company. There is a lot of things to think about, iron out, work out. It is not a simple "no" because anythng is possible when it is needed. A simple "yes" because there are complications and contradictions, and cross purposes, etc. to be dealt with. But I bet it could be done for the success and benefit of fatigue plagued insdustries.and services.
Why did I know there would be no postive feedback on this. All who have repsonded have done so in the negative! Not surprised. It is outside the box of employer-employee.
So lets look at it this way. A RR has 600 engineers on its payroll, B RR has maybe 200, C RR perhaps 20 or less. None of the railroads need all their engineers all the time....indeterminate traffic schedules, work rules rest and away from home layovers; there are all kinds of problems. So out of the 820 we have counted maybe only 400 are on the road at any one time. What if the PoolCRew Company had as few as 700 engineers, licensed and qualified. With proper coordination and planning the Company could provide fully and properly rested crews at any starting terminal at any time of the day or night, seven days a week. The Pool company is the caller for each client railroad, manages the rest and work periods, qualifying, insurances, and pays the crews. Union rules, wages, operating rules, qualifying, etc. are minor points that can be worked out so that this can be viable. I am simplistic here, but if it is really viable all problems can be addressed and the concept made workable.
edblysard wrote the following post on Thursday, May 03, 2012
[snip]"...When I was working our extra board, I made several runs with an engineer who could sleep while running, and who kept his hand right over the alerter button, the instant it began, he would press it, canceling the alert, somewhat like a person who presses the snooze button on their alarm clock repeatedly.
The event recorder keeps track of when the alerter goes off, how soon it is canceled and what was done to cancel it, be it the cancel button was pushed or a control surface was moved, all signs the engineer was awake and functioning..."[snip]
While not conclusive proof that anyone was asleep, having the event recorder showing the same exact pattern for canceling the alerter, coupled with a constant speed on the train would indicate the crew had fallen into a pattern that would promote sleep..."
Just a suggestion, I don't think that I would get too hung up on the "Alerter" function. After all it is a piece of equipment and has potential to be subverted when present and functioning. As Ed suggested, the immediate disarming of it on a more than one or two occasions would tend to point to its being neutralized by the person in operational control.
I mentioned in an earlier post about the potential for fatigue induced Micro Naps to be present in the personnel of a locomotive crew as well as in the cab of a truck. Fatigued individuals can at some point be not completely in control of their own bodies. Autonomic responses can be controlled by the survival mechanism present in each human's brain. The Micro Nap being a function of the brain's efforts to protect itself when extreme of sleep deprivation are present. lack of sleep in anyone exacerbated by the need to make a living, extends to pushing oneself to the edge of fatigue and beyond is a fact of life.
Just consider: Had that train crew been fully alert and on their '"game" would have ever considered running into the back of the other train, short of an act of suicide? Surely NOT. They would have done everything to avoid that crash. Fatigued and napping, he had no idea of the eminent danger and potentially deadly crash. Micro Nap? Just speculation. Does the trucker who runs into another vehicle do it on purpose...Same rationale. Not likely if awake and focused, but fatigued to the point that his bran shuts down his senses in a Micro Nap..Good possibility.
The individuals health is another area of concern. Sleep Apnea, is undiagnosed in many individuals. here is a link that explains Sleep Apnea :
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/
Being overweight is a potential marker for the condition. But of course it is also a marker in any number of health concerns as well.
My own gut feeling is that there are also a number of fatigue inducing conditions in the Transportation field. Irregular Dispatching of Drivers ( leading to tight or impossible expectations of performance of the job duties). The individual who may try to squeeze out ever possible moment for personal time before leaving to do the job. Not to mention digng in ones grip for something and have attention diverted from what is going on around them. You cannot believe the number of accidents that happen due to diverted attention. Reaching for Smokes, is a biggie. Cell Phones are another, a conversation between individuals riding with the Engineer create a distraction (ie: missed signal,).
Sleep apnea is only one sleep disorder. Many folks in work where shifts change or schedules are unpredictable suffer from Shift Work Sleep Disorder. See link I posted earlier.
Here's what the PoolCrew Company can offer: to the employee, a guaranteed week and guaranteed week's pay with or without overtime, guranteed proper rest without losing turn, guaranteed being home everynight if wanted. Railroad gets relieved of having to have too many or not enough ready crews, PoolCrew is there. Overall it should relieve if not eliminate the fatigue problem thus more productive work time for the employee for his paycheck and the railroad's bottom line. Union contract could be with the PoolCrew Company instead of the railroad. The whole concept has a lot going for it if someone who is into it, understands it, wants to go after it. It could also work for truck drivers, airline pilots, virtually any 24/7 business
henry6 Here's what the PoolCrew Company can offer: to the employee, a guaranteed week and guaranteed week's pay with or without overtime, guranteed proper rest without losing turn, guaranteed being home everynight if wanted. Railroad gets relieved of having to have too many or not enough ready crews, PoolCrew is there. Overall it should relieve if not eliminate the fatigue problem thus more productive work time for the employee for his paycheck and the railroad's bottom line. Union contract could be with the PoolCrew Company instead of the railroad. The whole concept has a lot going for it if someone who is into it, understands it, wants to go after it. It could also work for truck drivers, airline pilots, virtually any 24/7 business
Henry6, It's not that we all want to rain on your parade, it's just that those of us that have dealt with these hours for so many years might possibly have a better understanding of "crew management" works.
There would have to be groups of centralized crew lists. Not all crews would be qualified on all railroads everywhere just those withing a reasonalbe commuting distance, say one or two hours, in any given direction. This is all just thinking outloud on the keyboard...there's lots to think about and work out. But nobody else anywhere else that I know of has come up with anything except inside the box employee/employer scenerio.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.