Fatigue Stuart Webster-Spriggs VolkerRail HSQE Director 2011 RIAG Chairman

1. Fatigue Stuart Webster-Spriggs VolkerRail HSQE Director 2011 RIAG Chairman

2. Introduction RIAG, over the past year, has been working on the issue of fatigue with an aim to give information, guidance and practical solutions to the industry. The intent was to promote and simplify, into a suitable media, the substantial work undertaken by the RSSB (T699), ORR (Managing Fatigue in Safety Critical Work Guidance) and Network Rail The work has identified possible solution areas to the issues starting with an awareness briefing for line managers and those that plan the works…………...

3. Fatigue • Is a contributory factor in many railway industry accidents / incidents. • Is a common subject for companies examining the hazards facing their operations. • Can extend to both home and the workplace. • Has a impact similar to alcohol impairment

4. Why Manage? • There is a legal and moral obligation to manage workplace fatigue. • The benefits can be substantial including: • Avoiding the costs of incidents • Reducing worker absence • Increased productivity • Managing fatigue demonstrates a company’s due diligence in meeting fatigue-related legal requirements.

5. Causes There are a number of causes of fatigue and also a number of possible consequences. Causes Consequences Recovery Time Overload Memory Underload Decision Making Shift Length Start Time Vigilance Workload Human Performance Shift System Errors Rotation Job Factors Rest Period Reaction Time Breaks FATIGUE Accidents Operational Performance Absenteeism Diet Age Health Costs Individual Factors Personality Fitness Body Clock

6. Major Cause The major cause of fatigue is a lack of sleep – just once or over time. It may be due to a late night and feeling tired the next day having too little sleep and developing a sleep debt. Physical and mental activities tax the body. It’s no surprise that you get tired from work – whether working on track or behind a computer.

7. What is Sleep Debt? Most people need 8 hours of sleep a day – some more, some less. Lack of sleep creates a sleep debt. Cancelling that debt often can’t be done in one night. For example, sleeping 6 hours instead of your usual 8 cannot usually be recovered by sleeping an extra 2 hours the following night. The more sleep debt you have, the more good sleep it may take to pay it back.

8. How Can it Affect Health & Safety? • Slower reaction time • Poor decision making • Increased likelihood of mistakes • Decreased performance • Dangerous lapses from microsleeps and automatic behaviour.

9. The Warning Signs • Physical Symptoms: • Drowsiness • Yawning • Eyes closing or getting sore • Vision going out of focus or blurring • Slower physical reaction time • Microsleeps • Automatic behavior

10. The Warning Signs • Emotional Symptoms: • Bored • Restless • Depressed • Giddy • Grouchy • Impatient

11. Planning • When setting up work schedules make allowances for • these situations: • Long hours of physical or mental activity • Extended or compressed work weeks and day-off patterns • Inadequate breaks • Not enough rest between work days • Shift work (permanent or rotating) • Being on call • Traveling time • Traveling in multiple time zones

12. Mitigation Measures These may include: • Provision of lodging • Provision of additional rest breaks in-shift • Rescheduling of scope/scale of work • Alteration to scheduled shift length • Utilisation of local gangs where possible

13. Tool Box Talk A Tool Box Talk was then provided to ensure all personnel are briefed in the effects and prevention of fatigue in the workplace from a personal as well as company perspective. Both the Presentation and Tool Box Talk are available on Safety Central (www.safety.networkrail.co.uk)

14. With input from the ORR, RIAG have launched the trialling of a bespoke site attendance record. The trials will run until December 2011 (started August 2011) on RIAG member company’s worksites. The output is intended to capture accurate work and travel time, achieve ‘duty of care’ legal compliance and provide ‘trigger points’ for active intervention. Continuation of Work

15. RIAG members recently met with Network Rail to discuss perceived ambiguities of the various standards related to the management of working hours and fatigue, in particular NR/L2/ERG/003. The two areas open to misinterpretation were ‘Traveling Time’ and ‘Calculation of Hours of Work’. Suggested amendments to the standard were discussed and agreed and a clarification notice recommended in the intervening period of standard review and approval. Finally