This lecture addresses the danger of fatigue within the transport sector and by what means it could be measured and managed. I begin by discussing the development of a culture of sleep deprivation within aviation and the impacts this has had on the industry as a whole, before going on to discuss other forms of transport and how they have been affected by both fatigue and Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS). My lecture covers the broader context of fatigue measurement and management, presenting the issue of sleep deprivation as one of the primary factors behind human error that threatens continued safety within a transport environment. The first section (Chapter 2) comprises a brief overview of the traditional tolerance of fatigue in Great Britain’s aviation industry and the medical consequences of sleep deprivation. The second section (Chapter 3) outlines the performance impacts of fatigue, a sleepiness scale and the risks of involuntary sleep. The third section (Chapter 4) outlines the recent attempts at fatigue management within the aviation industry, describing the emerging Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS), discussing the positive and negative outcomes that this approach provides. The fourth section (Chapter 5) goes on to discuss how fatigue and fatigue management have affected other areas of transport ranging from motorists to lorry drivers; maritime to rail. The fifth section (Chapter 6) looks at the ongoing research into fatigue measurement and the technological developments currently underway to achieve unbiased and scientifically recorded results, for pilots in particular both during and after their periods of duty. The final section (Chapter 7) includes questions asked at the end of the lecture. (Author/publisher)
Abstract