For a long time, the various states have tended to go their own way but the National Transport Commission achieved a breakthrough earlier this year when eight of the nine federal, state and territory transport ministers agreed on a comprehensive new fatigue management system. At the Australian Transport Council, New South Wales voted against the system because of concern over detailed aspects, but strongly supported the policy approach.
While work continues on finalising a national road transport industry fatigue code of practice – the end of year deadline for preparing model legislation will not be met -- the NTC has turned its attention to the less commonly recognised problem of fatigue in the rail industry.
Definite reports of fatigue-related accidents and incidents are relatively rare in the Australian rail industry. However, a recent discussion paper warned that the lack of complete data means the official record may not reflect the actual situation.
“Fatigue is an important issue for the rail industry,” said NTC senior policy analyst Keith Wheatley. “Rail industry drivers have to cope with complex work schedules and rolling shifts.
“Many services require night work that brings with it the need to ensure that adequate restorative sleep is obtained. The intervention of poor weather, breakdowns and line maintenance add to the mix of factors that can influence rail workers’ fatigue levels.”
Wheatley said the level of scientific knowledge about the causes and management of the risks associated with fatigue had grown significantly in the past 15-20 years.
The discussion paper outlined a number of possible management and regulatory structures to manage the risks associated with fatigue, generally reflecting the approaches taken in the road transport industry.
The NTC, formerly the National Road Transport Commission, has focused considerable attention on rail safety since its transport industry reform remit was extended to the rail industry at the start of 2004.
The rapid changes in recent years in the structure, ownership and operational patterns of the rail industry – and an increasing number of rail freight organisations operating across state and territory borders – raised concerns that the current system of state-based regulations, interpretations and procedures may not be capable of producing safe outcomes.
New national health standards for rail workers in all states and territories took effect on July 1. “Many of the health standards for rail safety workers have not been consistent and have not kept pace with modern medical knowledge or practice,” said NTC chief executive Tony Wilson. “Systems used for administering many health assessment programs have been inadequate.
“The new arrangements take into account the findings of rail crash investigations in recent years, including the initial findings of the Waterfall rail accident in January 2003.”
The Waterfall derailment, south of Sydney, which resulted in the death of the driver and six passengers, was attributed primarily to the driver suffering a heart attack. However, one of the contributory causes identified by the special commission of inquiry set up by the NSW Government was the possibility that the train guard was suffering from fatigue, which impaired his ability to accurately assess what was occurring and to act decisively when the train accelerated at maximum power on a low-speed bend.
It is likely that the ultimate fatigue management regime for the rail sector will follow the same pattern as that for the road transport industry. While codes of practice, record keeping and strengthened chain of responsibility provisions are part of it, the key ingredients are providing adequate opportunity for sleep and rest.
“The focus has been on creating the opportunity for sleep, shifting the emphasis for fatigue management to management practices and control over fatigue precursors, and achieving consistency with an occupational health and safety approach to such issues,” said NTC chairman Stuart Hicks.
Design principles developed by experts in fatigue management as the basis of the structure focus on minimum sleep periods, opportunity for sleep, time of day influences and the cumulative nature of fatigue and sleep loss.
Beyond road and rail, OH&S officials are also aware of fatigue as a potential hazard in the operation of machinery.
In Western Australia, after a road transport company was fined $10,000 on six charges of failing to ensure drivers complied with maximum work times, a spokesperson for WorkSafe WA confirmed the regulations applied as well to buses and any vehicles or mobile plant over 4.5 tonnes. Action could be taken under the regulations if it was discovered that fatigue was an issue in an incident involving earthmoving machinery.
Australia’s Mining Monthly
