Recent News
First court settlement for Truck Accident Relating to Sleep Apnea, $3 million
A $3million settlement was the outcome of the first lawsuit for a highway death related to sleep apnea. A truck driver crashed into the back of John Lindsay’s vehicle in May 2010 and it was revealed afterwards that the truck driver had been diagnosed for sleep apnea but failed to get treatment, such as a sleep apnea mouthpiece.
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Can you afford not to address sleep apnea?
Truck News, James Menzies, November 29, 2011
TORONTO, Ont. -- Consider the life of a sleep apnea-stricken professional truck driver: Four hours of driving followed by a two-hour nap, then another four hours of driving and another nap. Worse, home time that is literally slept away with no sense of restoration before heading back out on the road.
That was the reality for Kenneth Armstrong, a professional driver with Swift Transport, who was a guest at the Ontario Trucking Association's annual convention where the increasingly common sleep disorder was once again discussed. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), as most are by now aware, is a condition in which an individual's airway partially closes while sleeping, preventing sufficient oxygen from reaching the brain and the sufferer from attaining any meaningful, restorative sleep. The effects are compounded over time, potentially leading to other ailments including high blood pressure, heightened risk of heart attack and stroke and a host of other life-endangering afflictions.
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FMCSA group eyes sleep apnea regs
Overdriveonline, Todd Dills, February 6, 2012
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration today, Feb. 6, took a significant step toward potential regulation of the screening and treatment of drivers at risk for obstructive sleep apnea.
A joint committee of the agency's Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and Medical Review Board adopted 10 recommendations that would, among other things, require all drivers with a body mass index (BMI) measurement of 35 or higher to be tested for sleep apnea.
The final recommendations marked the first time the two groups had worked together drafting potential regulatory guidance, said Dave Parker, MCSAC chairman and senior vice president of Great West Casualty, but it wouldn't be the last. “We’ve got discussions ongoing with Larry [Minor, FMCSA associate administrator for policy]. This will not be the last time this group gets together to work on something directly.”
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Shaq attacks sleep apnea
FMCSA Advisory Committee to Make Recommendations on Sleep Apnea
by Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor
Truckinginfo.com, April 28, 2011—The next step in the federal effort to address sleep apnea in truck drivers will come this summer, when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will ask a panel of advisers for recommendations on how it should proceed.
J.B. Hunt turns to SleepSafe Drivers for driver sleep-disorder services
FleetOwner.com, April 12, 2011—SleepSafe Drivers has signed a multi-year agreement with motor carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services to provide sleep apnea and sleep disorder services for J.B. Hunt drivers. SleepSafe will use its On-Site TM Diagnostic Ambulatory testing and Sure Compliance treatment program to deliver its services.
“We have documented significant improvement in the retention of drivers working with SleepSafe Drivers, with 86% still employed and successful with APAP (auto-setting positive airway pressure) treatment at the 12-month phase of the program,” said Greer Woodruff, Senior VP of Safety & Security at J.B. Hunt.
“One of our two-million-mile drivers who was tested and is now being treated for sleep apnea, lost 110 lbs and said, „This program literally saved my life,‟” Woodruff noted. “There is no doubt that drivers that have sleep apnea are safer and healthier following diagnosis and treatment. We are very proud to have the trial enrollment successfully completed, and to be making such a beneficial program available to our drivers nationwide.”
According to SleepSafe, its Sure-IDTM system mitigates test fraud yet allows testing a driver in his or her truck, home or in a hotel vs. using the typical in-patient [sleep lab] testing environment.
If a driver‟s test is positive for sleep apnea, he or she will then be enrolled in the Sure Compliance treatment program which includes an APAP device with wireless monitoring. Each driver also gets a personal sleep apnea/APAP “coach” to help ensure successful long-term therapy, according to SleepSafe.
“Our program allows drivers to be tested and treated within 24 hours, vs. three days to three weeks with traditional sleep [disorder] programs,” said Dana Voien, president of SleepSafe Drivers.
Opinion: Sleep Apnea and the Regulatory Agenda
by John Hill, former Administrator for the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration)
This Opinion piece appears in the April 21 print edition of Transport Topics—The trucking industry long has been resilient to change and transition. The country's recent economic climate certainly illustrates how essential and strong the transportation component is to our way of life, but trucking has needed to navigate regulatory challenges as well.
Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration came into existence in 2000, there have been considerable changes and requirements imposed on trucking, with Congress providing the agency with a long list of regulations to implement. Significantly, one issue—driver fatigue—is being tackled from three different angles:
- In response to congressional mandates, there have been two instances of hours-of-service regulations issued since 2003 and a third regulation is under way, due for release in July.
- The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a series of recommendations to FMCSA for changes to existing rules touching on driver fatigue while calling for new regulations. One example has been to screen truck drivers for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as part of an overall fatigue-management program. So pervasive is the OSA problem that the NTSB has issued similar warnings to the aviation, maritime and rail industries for their employees.
- Most significantly, FMCSA's new Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, or CSA, attempts to expand the scope of regulatory oversight of motor carriers and drivers. The program will add tools to the conscientious safety manager's toolbox and identify trends in driver behavior—including fatigue—before they cause crashes.
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Awake at the wheel: Combating driver fatigue
FleetOwner.com, June 1, 2010—Compounding the problem for over-the-road truck drivers is their lifestyle. Long hours behind the wheel and days away from home leave little time for exercise. Restricted to truckstops and other roadside facilities with parking for their vehicles, drivers also have limited access to healthy food choices. Those elements combined are prime causes for the high incidence of obesity among drivers. Aside from the generally well-known health issues that come from being overweight, truck drivers are two to four times more likely than the general population to suffer from sleep apnea, a sleep disturbance directly tied to obesity that can interrupt sleep as many as 100 times an hour, according to Dana Voien, president of Sleepsafe Drivers, a company specializing in diagnosing and treating sleep apnea.
So on top of the fatigue risks faced by shift workers, a large number of truck drivers also find sleep apnea reducing the quality of their sleep, adding further to fatigue, says Dawson. Although determining shift work's contribution is something of a chicken-or-egg question, the actuarial tables show that fatigue and the constellation of health issues that surround it lead to significantly lower life expectancy for the OTR driver, according to Dr. Gerald P. Krueger, an expert in driver fatigue and wellness who has authored a major study on the subject for the Transportation Research Board. And if the driver suffers from sleep apnea, "the risk of early death is doubled," adds Voien.
Study Shows Benefits of Treating Sleep Apnea in Truck Drivers
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, April 22, 2010—For commercial motor vehicle drivers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), effective treatment lowers healthcare costs and disability rates, reports a study in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Treating OSA in truck drivers has economic as well as health and safety benefits, according to the new study, led by Dr. Benjamin Hoffman, Chief Medical Officer of Waste Management, Inc.
J.B. Hunt trial shows promise for sleep apnea treatment
Fleet Owner, November 25, 2009—SleepSafe Drivers, Inc., a provider of sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment programs for truck fleet operations, has announced positive preliminary results from a clinical trial focused on testing and treating truck drivers suffering with sleep apnea. The clinical trial is a collaborative effort between J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., SleepSafe Drivers, Inc., and Fusion Sleep LLC, a provider of clinical sleep medicine services to patients and employers.
According to SleepSafe Drivers, J.B. Hunt is now accelerating the pace of the trial and expects to continue expanding the program over time. The goal of the trial, which is backed by an independent review board, is to improve the health and safety of drivers. The trial results will also document any cost savings from reduced medical expenses and lower accidents as a consequence of the program.
ATA to host sleep apnea conference
Fleet Owner, December 7, 2009—The American Trucking Assns. (ATA) is co-sponsoring what's billed as the first-ever national conference on sleep apnea and commercial motor vehicle drivers. To be held May 12th of next year, it will feature presentations and panel discussions geared to providing a common understanding of sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, along with clarifying current and proposed regulations. "The trucking industry continues to grapple with the tough questions and issues surrounding screening and treatment for sleep apnea, said Dave Osiecki, ATA vp of safety, security & operations. "This event is a significant step forward and we encourage industry stakeholders to participate.
Million Mile Commercial Truck Driver Says Sleep Apnea Program Saved His Life
Reuters, November 4, 2009—"One of our Million Mile drivers recently told us that he felt the sleep apnea program had literally saved his life. After starting APAP therapy, that driver has lost 115 pounds, knocked out his challenging and chronic daytime fatigue, and was able to begin exercising again for the first time in years. There is absolutely no doubt that he is healthier and safer as a result of the program."
Safety Board Pushes for OSA Screenings
Sleep Review, November 4, 2009—On October 20, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent letters urging the Coast Guard and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to ramp up OSA screening efforts for drivers. The NTSB recommended implementing programs to identify commercial drivers and licensed mariners at high risk for OSA, and requiring those drivers to provide evidence through the medical certification process of having been appropriately evaluated and effectively treated if needed.
National Transportation Safety Board Releases Safety Recommendation
NTSB, October 20, 2009—The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has investigated a number of accidents and incidents in all modes of passenger transportation involving operators with sleep disorders. These accidents include the following highway accidents in which the NTSB identified commercial drivers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
SleepSafe Drivers Launches New Website
September 3, 2009—SleepSafe Drivers launched their new website and branding today. With an emphasis on education and options for treatment, the new site will enable our team to reach out more effectively to those dealing with the effects of sleep disorders and encourage those who think they might have a problem to find a solution.