If my driver is fatigued, does that mean they are impaired?
According to the health and safety legislation in BC, an employee who has a physical or mental impairment is not considered to have the capacity to safely carry out their tasks.
A truck driver’s impairment is not limited to just drugs and alcohol. There are other types of impairments that do not seem obvious. Take, for example, driver fatigue.
Fatigue is a common issue within the trucking industry, and is often overlooked. According to Transport Canada, nearly 60% of Canadian drivers admitted to driving fatigued, and 15% even admitted they fell asleep while driving.
Research has shown that an adult staying awake for 17 hours will behave similar to an adult with 0.05 blood alcohol content. At 21 hours, an adult will act like they have 0.08 blood alcohol content, which is beyond the legal limit in BC.
A driver who is operating a vehicle will experience a slower reaction time and have a limitation to their decision making abilities, which in turn may lead to greater risk of an accident. It is estimated that 20% of fatal collisions in Canada result from driver fatigue.
In order for an employer to tackle fatigue, they must be educated and aware of the signs. Check the resources below for more information.
Causes of fatigue include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy and other situations including caffeine, nicotine or alcohol. Signs that an employer should be aware of include tiredness, sleepiness, irritability, increased susceptibility to illness, and others.
If an employee appears to be fatigued, they should not carry out any tasks that would create undue risk to themselves or anyone else.
Having a fatigue management program is an important first step in preventing fatigue in the workplace. One of the purposes of such a program is to ensure that supervisors and drivers are educated in the signs of fatigue. They should be familiar with steps that can be taken to prevent an accident.
If it becomes known that a driver is fatigued, the driver may be required to perform other tasks that do not endanger anyone else. It could be a good time to go over some refresher training. My favorite would be tips on how to get better sleep.
For more information, check the following resources on fatigue management:
- OSH Answers Fact Sheets
- North American Fatigue Management Program
- Fatigue Management: Presentation by Pat Byrne
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