Abstract
Train drivers work long hours on 24 h schedules and many factors impact their fatigue risk at work, creating a clear imperative for good rostering practice. Adopting a systems approach, this study investigated the relationship between multiple interrelated factors (train drivers’ schedule, sleep, wellbeing, and fatigue) and the perceived influence of these factors on train driving performance and safety using an online survey distributed in Australia and New Zealand. In addition to demographics and work schedule, passenger and freight train drivers (n = 751) answered questions about: (1) Sleep duration; (2) wellbeing, including physical and mental health, the extent to which shiftwork causes sleep, social, domestic, and work problems, and (3) the extent to which ten fatigue, health and wellbeing factors in the work and home environment negatively impact their driving performance. The key factor that emerged from analyses, with the largest and most consistent negative effects (and controlling for other factors) was schedule irregularity. Approved rosters were ranked as having the most important impact on day-to-day driving performance, followed by physical and mental health, and outside work factors. Results also suggested that schedule irregularity may amplify the negative impacts of the roster, impaired physical and mental health, and outside work factors on driving performance. As shift variability and schedule irregularity are often poorly represented in existing industry guidance, these results provide evidence for increased reflection on current fatigue management guidelines for train drivers and suggest a need for greater focus on schedule irregularity through the lens of a systems approach.
Highlights
The work of a train driver is demanding, requiring the prolonged exertion of mental effort and concentration in often monotonous, yet highly time pressured, environments[1–5]
Controlling for age, gender, rail mode, shift length, and days worked per week, there was a significant effect of regularity on workday sleep duration ( p < 0.001 ), such that on average, those on very regular schedules reported significantly higher amounts of sleep than those on irregular, or very irregular schedules ( p < 0.05 )
Those on very irregular schedules reported significantly higher ratings than those on regular schedules ( p < 0.05 ) for the impact of mental health and outside work factors on driving performance. Those with more irregular schedules gave higher ratings for the impact of approved roster on driving performance, with significant differences between all levels of schedule regularity. Results from this large survey of train drivers from Australia and New Zealand reinforce previous research indicating that fatigue is a workplace hazard in rail[39], as in other industries[40,41]
Summary
The work of a train driver is demanding, requiring the prolonged exertion of mental effort and concentration in often monotonous, yet highly time pressured, environments[1–5] This combination of sustained vigilance, task demands and pressure represents a high risk for fatigue[2,6] as drivers work long hours on 24 h schedules. Shift schedules in rail are frequently irregular and unpredictable, including early morning and night shifts with relatively short between-shift intervals These factors are reported to further exacerbate sleep and circadian rhythm issues in drivers[11,12]. In addition to fatigue and scheduling, evidence from the transport literature shows a number of other factors that can impact negatively on driver performance and safety. These include physical health and mental health factors including substance use[19–21]. While a large body of research has been directed towards impacts on driving performance in passenger transport generally, there has been less research effort directed at rail[28,29], representing a significant gap in the literature
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