Hours-of-service rules are not the solution By Carmen Daecher

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is again considering making changes to the hours-of-service regulations and may consider separate rules for motorcoaches, which is a victory for the industry.

However, any new regulations regarding hours of service won't change the fact that, as owners, operators and managers, we need to do more education in relation to sleep and fatigue.

Aside from the whole issue of regulations controlling hours of service, we are continually reminded that our current means of operations somehow are just not right. On a regular (but thankfully infrequent) basis, a bus crash causes serious injury or fatalities. Many of these accidents have strong indications of fatigue-induced driver behavior. However, there usually are no hours-of-service violations. It seems simply having hours-of-service rules is not enough to insure our drivers are fit to drive safely during their workday.

This raises the question: Are you doing enough to emphasize the importance of being well rested and physically fit for efficient and safe performance by your drivers? Is there an organizational commitment to these principals?

Fatigue is a real issue in managing any fleet. Whether induced by work or at home, fatigue limits a driver's ability to be vigilant, increases inattentiveness and complacency, and slows the ability to react. Any fleet manager should manage fatigue as much as he or she manages vehicle maintenance. But how should you do this? A three-step approach is recommended.

• Educate the workforce in the "science" of fatigue and in managing lifestyles to combat fatigue.
• Provide incentives to change lifestyles and combat fatigue.
• Analyze accidents with sensitivity toward identifying fatigue as a root cause and apply appropriate remedial actions to modify employee behaviors.

While it seems intuitive to know about fatigue, many people are not aware of circadian rhythms (the patterns of activity that occur on a 24-hour cycle) and what happens during sleep. Most people are not aware of how their lifestyles and fitness influence fatigue.

Education is the key to these issues so everyone can be aware of how fatigue occurs, its effects and how to manage it.

Developing incentive programs around physical fitness, weight loss and the identification of sleep problems can help a fatigue management program take root within your company. Whether incentives are monetary or social in nature is not as important as developing a strong message to all employees that fatigue management is important.

Just as important as incentives are appropriate policies and procedures related to eliminating fatigue. Controls must be in place to insure that behavior is consistent with organizational policies and objectives. Any willful violations of procedures should be addressed through retraining or discipline.

The company must also take a firm stand on continued poor behavior that results in injuries or accidents. An expanded focus after investigation of every accident that will include determination of fatigue-specific issues is important. If fatigue is considered a root cause for any accident, appropriate remedial measures, such a retraining and family counseling, must be developed to send a strong message to all employees that fatigue will not be allowed.

From where I am sitting, simply living by hours-of-service rules is not enough. It is far more important to concentrate on having all employees well-rested and physically fit to handle the pressures and demands of everyday responsibilities.

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