Recommendation Date
Recipient Name
Tranz Rail
Text
research information available on factors contributing to biological sleepiness in LEs, with particular regard to the possible adverse effect of continuous night shifts, and take steps to:
• minimise the probability of biological sleepiness leading to microsleeps
provide an effective defence against any microsleep which may occur leading to an unacceptable risk exposure.
• minimise the probability of biological sleepiness leading to microsleeps
provide an effective defence against any microsleep which may occur leading to an unacceptable risk exposure.
Reply Text
Tranz Rail completed a review of recent literature relating to factors contributing to biological sleepiness in Locomotive Engineers during April 2001.
This review identified consistent opinion regarding sequences of night shifts. More specifically, there is now a view that the number of night shifts in rotating rosters should be confined to three, and in the case of permanent night shift, six. Tranz Rail Locomotive Engineers work to rotating rosters.
The literature also recognised the importance of a recovery period following a sequence of night shifts to restore sleep debt accumulated during these shifts.
The information was first reviewed by the Locomotive Engineers’ Council (a joint Tranz Rail/Rail Maritime and Transport Workers Union forum) at their 10/11 May meeting. It has subsequently been decided to prepare rosters with sequences of night shifts confined to three followed by mandatory time off. These rosters will be piloted in four depots.
Toward the end of the pilot period (likely to be several months) Locomotive Engineers working these rosters will be surveyed to identify if they have found the revised rostering principles more beneficial.
It is expected the pilot period will commence during August 2001 and the review will take place in late October/early November 2001.
A final decision regarding a permanent change to these rostering principles will be made following an analysis of the results of the pilot and further discussion within the Locomotive Engineer’s Council.
This review identified consistent opinion regarding sequences of night shifts. More specifically, there is now a view that the number of night shifts in rotating rosters should be confined to three, and in the case of permanent night shift, six. Tranz Rail Locomotive Engineers work to rotating rosters.
The literature also recognised the importance of a recovery period following a sequence of night shifts to restore sleep debt accumulated during these shifts.
The information was first reviewed by the Locomotive Engineers’ Council (a joint Tranz Rail/Rail Maritime and Transport Workers Union forum) at their 10/11 May meeting. It has subsequently been decided to prepare rosters with sequences of night shifts confined to three followed by mandatory time off. These rosters will be piloted in four depots.
Toward the end of the pilot period (likely to be several months) Locomotive Engineers working these rosters will be surveyed to identify if they have found the revised rostering principles more beneficial.
It is expected the pilot period will commence during August 2001 and the review will take place in late October/early November 2001.
A final decision regarding a permanent change to these rostering principles will be made following an analysis of the results of the pilot and further discussion within the Locomotive Engineer’s Council.
Related Investigation(s)