Appendix D to Part 228 - Guidance on Fatigue Management Plans
49:4.1.1.1.22.8.15.1.50 : Appendix D
Appendix D to Part 228 - Guidance on Fatigue Management Plans
(a) Railroads subject to subpart F of this part, Substantive
Hours of Service Requirements for Train Employees Engaged in
Commuter or Intercity Rail Passenger Transportation, may wish to
consider adopting a written fatigue management plan that is
designed to reduce the fatigue experienced by their train employees
subject to that subpart and to reduce the likelihood of accidents,
incidents, injuries, and fatalities caused by the fatigue of these
employees. If a railroad is required to have a fatigue mitigation
plan under § 228.407 (containing the fatigue mitigation tools that
the railroad has determined will mitigate the risk posed by a
particular work schedule for a level of fatigue at or above the
fatigue threshold), then the railroad's fatigue management plan
could include the railroad's written fatigue mitigation plan,
designated as such to distinguish it from the part of the plan that
is optional, or could be a separate document. As provided in §
228.407(a)(2) and (e), compliance with the fatigue mitigation plan
itself is mandatory.
(b) A good fatigue management plan contains targeted fatigue
countermeasures for the particular railroad. In other words, the
plan takes into account varying circumstances of operations by the
railroad on different parts of its system, and should prescribe
appropriate fatigue countermeasures to address those varying
circumstances. In addition, the plan addresses each of the
following items, as applicable:
(1) Employee education and training on the physiological and
human factors that affect fatigue, as well as strategies to reduce
or mitigate the effects of fatigue, based on the most current
scientific and medical research and literature;
(2) Opportunities for identification, diagnosis, and treatment
of any medical condition that may affect alertness or fatigue,
including sleep disorders;
(3) Effects on employee fatigue of an employee's short-term or
sustained response to emergency situations, such as derailments and
natural disasters, or engagement in other intensive working
conditions;
(4) Scheduling practices for employees, including innovative
scheduling practices, on-duty call practices, work and rest cycles,
increased consecutive days off for employees, changes in shift
patterns, appropriate scheduling practices for varying types of
work, and other aspects of employee scheduling that would reduce
employee fatigue and cumulative sleep loss;
(5) Methods to minimize accidents and incidents that occur as a
result of working at times when scientific and medical research has
shown that increased fatigue disrupts employees' circadian
rhythm;
(6) Alertness strategies, such as policies on napping, to
address acute drowsiness and fatigue while an employee is on
duty;
(7) Opportunities to obtain restful sleep at lodging facilities,
including employee sleeping quarters provided by the railroad;
(8) The increase of the number of consecutive hours of off-duty
rest, during which an employee receives no communication from the
employing railroad or its managers, supervisors, officers, or
agents; and
(9) Avoidance of abrupt changes in rest cycles for
employees.
(c) Finally, if a railroad chooses to adopt a fatigue management
plan, FRA suggests that the railroad review the plan and update it
periodically as the railroad sees fit if changes are warranted.
[76 FR 50400, Aug. 12, 2011]