Railsafety (5-2) Key Risk Factor #2
Railsafety (5-2) Key Risk Factor #2 : Continuous hours of wakefulness beyond 19h. The existing rule specifies that a work period should not exceed 12 hours. However, a situation may occasionally arise in which employees, for whatever reason, work longer hours. The situation in which a person is continuously awake beyond 19 hours can occur if there is an extended duty period. In some cases, employees may work as long as 18 hours in one day when they, for example, work nine hours, gets three off and then work another nine hours for a total of 18 hours on duty. Educational programs should be fairly direct in reviewing the data associated with the effects of these types of situations. (5-2A) Time for Sleep: Should employees be exposed to these types of conditions, effort should be undertaken fairly quickly to ensure that they have sufficient recovery time to obtain needed rest. As noted above, simply providing employees time off may not be sufficient to recover if those time-off hours are in daylight. For the most part, individuals who have been acclimated to night-time sleep will find it difficult to fall asleep during the day. Consequently, there should be sufficient time for the person to actually obtain the needed rest, taking into account the fact that even though a person is off, they may not be able sleep. (5-2B) Diet: The judicious use of over-the-counter food stimulants is also recommended. For example, caffeine is useful in improving alertness. Caffeine is found in any number of common foods and beverages, and employees in high-risk situations should be encouraged to utilize caffeinated foods and chewing gum. Of course, to maximize the positive effects of these foods it is necessary to utilize them in an effective manner and to consume them so as to achieve the greatest possible benefit. Again, education should be provided to enable persons to use these products wisely. (5-2C) Body Clock: If the extended work period is going to take place during 0000-0600, the body clock will make it highly likely that excessive drowsiness may occur. Consequently, if a person is going to be working into a period when the circadian clock would likely increase the likelihood of being asleep, then additional counter measures such as added monitoring, need for additional crews, supervision and contact with other people may be needed. There may also be a need for opportunity napping. (5-2D) Activities: Several studies have shown that there is some benefit in trying to remain physically active as a means of warding off sleep. The technique of walking around, talking, or performing various interesting and stimulating duties as a means of counteracting the effects of drowsiness have been shown to be useful. Essentially, short breaks that increase activity are needed to help offset the immediate propensity for sleep
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