Fatigue and Fatigue impairment within the Transport Industry in Australia, has been responsible for countess injuries, deaths and has cost organisations, government and Australian tax payers millions of dollars.

 

Australia has the highest proportion of single heavy vehicle fatal crashes with five other OECD nations. These crashes are likely to be associated with fatigue.

 

Fatigue in heavy vehicles are more prevalent on rural highways than urban or rural roads. Heavy Vehicle drivers travel 6 times more kilometres than the average vehicle and are subject to the onset of drowsiness due to monotony and inactivity on these long highways.

Statistics show that fatigue-related crashes involving articulated trucks or heavy vehicle account for over 30% of all fatigue-related crashes. However, truck drivers have been found to be at fault in only 16.8% of these incidents. However, whilst driving in fatigued conditions, truck drivers responses – and abilities to avoid – these crashes are greatly diminished. This may result in increased crashes and increased severity of crashes. 

The new Heave Vehicle Driver Fatigue reform requires all parties in the supply chain to manage the causes of heavy vehicle driver fatigue. Everyone in the supply chain will have responsibilities to prevent driver fatigue and ensure drivers are able to comply with the legal work/rest hours. If your actions, inactions or demands cause or contribute to road safety breaches then you can be held legally accountable.

Parties in the Chain of responsibility include: 

Under the new laws, everyone in the supply chain must take “reasonable steps” to prevent driver fatigue and ensure a driver does not drive a heavy vehicle while impaired by fatigue.

The Fatigue Calculator demonstrates “reasonable steps” in preventing driver fatigue when it is incorporated into a risk management approach. Ensuring your business is taking reasonable steps to prevent breaches requires you to be able to regularly identify and assess the risks involved and to manage them by either eliminating or reducing their effect or likelihood to arise. The Fatigue Calculator applies a scientifically proven method of assessing each individual drivers fatigue risk levels.

Refer to Fatigue Management Plan on how to incorporate the Fatigue Calculator into an effective risk management approach.

For further information refer to www.ntc.gov.au