Road Construction HiViz & Sleepy/Distracted Truckers

OSHA: Road construction workers must wear hi-vis in all work zones
All highway and road construction workers are required to wear high-visibility garments, according to a new letter of interpretation from OSHA.

A 2004 letter of interpretation stating that workers in highway and work zones are required to wear hi-vis apparel was limited by a 2006 Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ruling that stated the garments need to be worn only where the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices mandates. The current MUTCD requires vests only on federally funded roadways.

OSHA withdrew its previous answer in the original letter of interpretation and in the most recent letter provided "a more comprehensive answer" in requiring hi-vis apparel on all highway and road construction workers, regardless of whether the MUTCD requires them.

NTSB requests FMCSA track sleep apnea
In an effort to prevent commercial motor vehicle crashes among operators who have obstructive sleep apnea, the National Transportation Safety Board on Oct. 20 issued two safety recommendations to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

According to the recommendation letter (.pdf file), NTSB investigated a number of incidents across all modes of passenger transportation involving operators who have OSA. The board said these incidents highlight "the critical importance of screening for and effectively treating OSA among transportation operators." NTSB recommended FMCSA:

Implement a program to identify CMV drivers who are at high risk for OSA and require those drivers to provide evidence of having been properly evaluated and, if treatment is needed, effectively treated before being granted unrestricted medical certification.

Develop and disseminate guidance for CMV drivers, employers and physicians regarding identification and treatment of individuals at high risk for OSA, emphasizing that drivers who have effectively treated OSA are routinely approved for continued medical certification.

FMCSA releases report on driver distraction
Findings (.pdf file) from a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration study show driver distraction was a potential contributing factor in about 82 percent of commercial motor vehicle crashes between 2003 and 2005.

Researchers at the Blacksburg, VA-based Virginia Tech Transportation Institute's Center for Truck and Bus Safety combined and analyzed data from two large-scale CMV naturalistic truck driving studies. The data represented 203 CMV drivers, seven trucking fleets and 16 fleet locations.

Findings from the study show CMV drivers were engaged in non-driving-related tasks in 71 percent of crashes, 46 percent of near crashes and 60 percent of all safety-critical events. Analysis of the data showed 4,452 safety-critical events, 21 crashes, 197 near crashes, 3,019 crash-relevant conflicts and 1,215 unintentional lane deviations. A risk assessment showed drivers who text message while driving were 23.2 times more likely to be involved in a safety-critical event, compared with drivers who did not TWD.

Source: National Safety Council