Studies show up to half of all heavy-truck drivers suffer from sleep apnoea

An inquest has heard that up to half of all heavy-truck drivers suffer from sleep apnoea, a condition blamed for causing a Victorian truckie to fall asleep at the wheel before a fatal head-on collision.

The 52-year-old truck driver was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnoea after the collision. He pleaded guilty to negligent driving causing death and was given a suspended 10-month jail sentence.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital sleep specialist Anup Desai said that the disorder was prevalent but under-reported, and even though GPs detected symptoms, they didn't necessarily refer truck drivers for further assessment and diagnosis by a sleep specialist.

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Source: The Australian

Study reveals 20% of Australians have fatigue and exhaustion from lack of sleep

Around 20% of Australians have fatigue and exhaustion due to lack of sleep, according to a national survey.

The Sleep Health Foundation's study of adult sleeping habits showed that one in five of respondents said poor sleep affected their mood and ability to perform daily activities.

The Foundation's chairman Professor David Hillman says sleepiness can significantly increase the risk of an accident on the road or in the workplace.

"A lot of the population work under the misapprehension that they can get by with less sleep than they actually need," he said.

"The average adult needs seven-and-a-half to eight hours sleep a night and if they don't get it, they feel it."

"Sleep's in this rather grim competition with the other things we want to do - social life, family life and work life - and for a lot of people it comes off a rather poor fourth in that competition."

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Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-31/tired-australians-risk-accidents-mood-disorders/4447922

Safe Work Australia has proposed a code of practice to fight workplace fatigue

Under proposed national laws to fight workplace fatigue, bosses will have to roster jobs around workers' social lives and check that staff who yawn or daydream aren't too tired to work safely.

Safe Work Australia’s checklist for employers to spot worker fatigue includes headaches, daydreaming, constant yawning, low motivation, moodiness, slow reflexes and responses, increased errors and drifting in and out of traffic lanes while driving.

The draft code proposes that:
• Bosses "eliminate or reduce the need to work extended hours or overtime" so staff don't get too tired.
• "Safety critical" tasks - such as administering drugs, driving a truck or electrical work - should not be performed in the "low body clock period" of 2pm to 4pm.
• Rosters should be drawn up to accommodate workers' social lives.
• Employers should train workers in "balancing work and personal lifestyle demands".

The code of practice - to be finalised next year - will be admissible in court if an employer is charged with breaching workplace health and safety laws.

Safe Work Australia is revising the code. "Changes aim to reflect recent research findings and outcomes of case law," a spokeswoman said.

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Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/safe-work-australia-plan-to-cut-risk-for-tired-workers-puts-employers-offside/story-fndo471r-1226489795262