10 minute read
Steering towards better sleep
healthy sleep cultures save time, money and lives in the transport industry
By Integrated Safety Support CEO Dr Adam Fletcher
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freight continues to grow, it’s time for the transport and logistics industry to focus on building more positive sleeping cultures to keep workers safe.
Truck drivers all know the familiar feeling of being halfway through a 12hour night shift, trying to keep their semi between the white lines as the feeling of drowsiness starts to creep in.
While Australians are inundated with confronting warnings and horror stories about the dangers of speeding and drink driving, (which account for 34 per cent and 30 per cent of road deaths respectively), fatigue is a major contributing factor to 30 per cent of road fatalities and it often slips under the radar.
In fact, the National Road Safety Action Plan says, “fatigue is four times more likely to contribute to impairment than drugs or alcohol”.
For those in the Australian transport industry, feeling safe and supported on the road fundamentally relies on healthy sleeping habits. Drivers are at particularly high risk of fatigue during lengthy and irregular shifts – a common reality for many who work on the roads.
As our roads return to pre-covid congestion levels, and the reliance on road
Fatigue hits hardest in the transport industry
Fatigue can severely impact employees across all workplaces and industries, but attention-critical workers are at particularly high risk.
Although desk-bound workers often face burnout, mental health problems and deteriorating physical health due to poor sleep habits – but there’s no denying the dangers for workers in transport are more likely to come with tragic consequences.
Long hours, insufficient downtime between shifts and unpredictable work schedules impact a driver’s ability to get good quality, managed and routine rest. Research suggests long-distance drivers sometimes enter a semi-conscious state while behind the wheel for long periods, while others face circadian rhythm interruptions that can lead to sudden onset drowsiness.
Devastating stories of road deaths and injuries have been told time and time again, leaving an irreparable mark on survivors, colleagues and families.
So, if white-collar businesses are raising the bar when it comes to improving employee wellbeing and creating a healthy sleep culture, isn’t it time that transport leaders to do the same?
With lives genuinely at risk, combatting fatigue and building productive sleep cultures using evidence-based training and the latest technology should be a top priority for all transport executives.
Trucking sleep culture at the fore
In a move that sparked outrage, the Australian Federal Government briefly closed truck rest stops during COVID-19 lockdowns last year. Anybody in the industry would know that essential amenities like showers, lounges and rest spaces are vital to the proper and safe functioning of drivers. While closures during the pandemic were quickly remedied, what hasn’t been addressed is the ongoing issue that there simply isn’t enough rest stations in Australia to combat sleep deprivation.
This is particularly true in remote parts of the country, where dedicated rest zones are few and far between. Drivers are often forced to sleep in high-density parking bays that are exposed to road noise and lack sufficient amenities. This environment is not conducive to quality sleep.
Emergency services are seeking support
Emergency service workers are deeply committed to their communities and are often faced with high-risk driving tasks during extraordinary shift work. Workrelated injuries and ongoing mental health issues from such traumatic experiences can lead to serious issues with fatigue for these essential frontline workers.
But a recent partnership between Integrated Safety Support and St John Ambulance Service (NT) shows the industry is working towards a higher standard.
The Northern Territory organisation signed up to our Eclipse Subscription Service, which offers courses on healthy sleep training that deepens people’s understanding of sleep, creates healthy boundaries between work and home and enables personal fatigue management. Drivers are also armed with two free smartphone apps so they can stay on top of their personal alertness and manage their fatigue while on the road.
St John Ambulance NT Director Ambulance Services, Andrew Thomas, said the investment came after the impacts of fatigue on performance and productivity were highlighted during 2020.
“The safety of our staff is our highest priority,” Thomas said. “Ensuring that our frontline emergency workers have the very best access to the latest thinking and understanding of fatigue management and occupational alertness is extremely important to us.”
“The past 12 months have highlighted the impact of fatigue on performance and productivity in all staff, as well as our volunteer workforce. The Eclipse Subscription Service from Integrated Safety Support now delivers training and resources suitable for implementation across the whole team.”
It’s not all about heavy vehicles
While we often talk about heavy vehicles, sleep issues are an inherent and growing risk within the rideshare and taxi service industry today too. Laws exist that limit shift lengths and mandate rest breaks, but ridesharing businesses are often unable to track and enforce these essential laws due to the nature of the gig economy. Drivers who are struggling to make ends meet can easily switch between rideshare apps or pick up a shift in a completely different industry while they are supposed to be resting between jobs. Companies are still overcoming the loopholes in the system, adding new and complicated risks to our roads.
Cost analysis for businesses
While many workers across all industries think they can maximise profits by getting the job done as quickly as possible, fatigue has been proven to cost businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars. The latest Sleep Foundation report found the total cost of inadequate sleep in Australia is $9000 per worker annually. That adds up to a whopping total of $66.3 billion, comprising of $26.2 billion in financial costs and $40.1 billion in the loss of wellbeing.
This dramatic financial burden is mostly avoidable if workers are given dedicated support, tools and training that empowers a healthy work culture and rewards individual decision-making around their sleep health and habits.
Support is out there
Growing demand for fatigue management tools is an encouraging sign that sleep health is starting to be taken seriously.
In the wake of COVID-19, industry leaders have woken up to the reality that managing fatigue can improve the bottom line, increase productivity and staff retention, but most importantly keep workers safe and healthy.
It’s time for transport and logistics businesses to continue leading the way. Transport leaders need to ask themselves, are their drivers armed with the adequate training and tools to recognise and manage fatigue to keep themselves and others safe?
Dr Adam Fletcher is an ex-US military sleep researcher with more than 15 years’ experience training high-performance teams, soldiers, airline pilots, CEOs and safetycritical workers how to optimise productivity through engaging online training programs and patented apps.
THE TELL-TALE SIGNS OF POOR SLEEP AND FATIGUE
Signs of poor-quality sleep
• Taking longer than 20 minutes to get to sleep • Not getting a regular minimum of 7 hours • Waking up without feeling refreshed • Noticeable behaviour changes (restlessness, snoring, breathing stopping) • Not getting continuous sleep and waking during the night
Signs of fatigue
• Physical ♦ Yawning ♦ Microsleeps ♦ Head nodding ♦ Difficulty keeping eyes open • Mental ♦ Forgetfulness ♦ Slowed response times and reaction times ♦ Carelessness and risktaking ♦ Bad mood and inability to control emotions
integratedsafety.com.au/eclipse/ integratedsafety.com.au/eclipse/ smartphone-apps/ www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/ news/special-reports/asleep-onthe-job-costs-of-inadequate-sleepin-australia.html
WA
TRANSPORT
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VOLUME 27 | NUMBER 5
Angry Chicken Publishing Pty Ltd
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Karen-Maree’ Kaye T: 0430 153 273 Email: karen@angrychicken.com.au
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West Australian Transport Magazine (WATM) is published by Angry Chicken Publishing Pty Ltd ABN: 35 486 530 095 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, adapted or transmitted in any form by any process (graphic, electronic, mechanical or storage and retrieval system) or sold, resold or otherwise exploited for any purpose without consent of the Publisher. The publisher, contributors, editors and consultants disclaim any and all liability and responsibility to any person or party, be they a purchaser, reader, advertiser or consumer of this publication in regards to consequences and outcomes of anything done or omitted, or being in reliance whether partly or solely on the contents of this publication. No person, organization or party should rely on or on any way act upon any part of the contents of this magazine without first obtaining the advice of a fully qualified person. The Publisher shall have no responsibility for any action or omission by contributor, consultant, editor or related party for content within WATM. The opinions and content within WATM does not necessarily reflect those of the Publisher, editor or their agents. No responsibility is accepted for damage or loss of material supplied to the publisher.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Being the old dinosaur I am I have watched Social Media play out from the beginning. It seems to me that on just about every subject, the loudest voices come from those with the least experience, knowledge or they have an agenda. This agenda is usually political but there are some who just seem to like the attention.
Recently on Facebook, I was dismayed to see an attack on our industry from within accusing drivers of being racist towards overseas drivers. Knowing quite a few of the old school drivers in our industry I knew their answer to this ‘beforehand’ which is it is nothing to do with ‘race’ and everything to do with lack of training, experience and common sense. In this edition both Western Roads Federation and LRTAWA question this subject.
Also in this edition we are not shying away from the emotive subjects. Page 10 – Do truck drivers take drugs? Driver distraction or suicide on Page 13, and our resident Bird’s Eye view columnist Carol Messenger questions the state of the Great Northern Highway, especially in between Newman and Port Hedland on Page 18.
Hope you enjoy the read, and please feel free to email me at karen@angrychicken. com.au if you have any comments.
Best,
Karen
CONTENTS
2..............................................Steering towards better sleep 6..............................................WA State Government initiative to get more truckies on the road 8..............................................New Accredited Mass Management Scheme operating conditions 9..............................................Federal budget infrastructure boost to help build WA economy 12 ...........................................What does the federal budget mean for the transport industry?
13 ...........................................Driver distraction or suicide? 14...........................................Mew Fremantle Ports Chief Executive Officer appointed 15 ...........................................Western Roads Federation -Should international truck drivers receive training? 16...........................................LRTAWA – Our licensing system needs repair 17............................................Transformation of Mitchell Freeway 18...........................................Christine Holgate to lead Toll Global Express
20.........................................Converter Dolly trial 21 ...........................................Transport Hall of Fame – Ken Mead 22.........................................$30 million of transport upgrades through mid-west
Every Month
7...............................................Questions to the WA State Government 10...........................................Fair Go for Owner Drivers 18...........................................Bird’s Eye View 23.........................................HCVC 24.........................................WA Transport History Endorsed by
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WA TRANSPORT magazineTHE TRANSPORT AND MACHINERY MAGAZINE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 100007516 Jan-Feb 2021 | price $6.95ISSN 2202-6193 A humble man with many achievements. Brian ‘Bracky’ Bracknell is always referred to with great reverence. The words humble, polite, gentlemanly, quiet with a great sense of humour are frequent descriptions of his demeanor and attitude. He was also a trailblazer and pioneer in the transport industry driving over 8 million kilometres VALE BRACKY Page 2
