Fatigue management involves strategies and practices to minimise driver fatigue, ensuring safety in the transport industry. It encompasses regulatory compliance, work-rest schedules, and monitoring systems to prevent accidents caused by tiredness. This blog will provide an overview of the checklist, course of actions, and the driver fatigue management plan template from NHVR that fleet managers and supervisors will find helpful.
Fatigue and Distraction Detection Technology (FDDT) is increasingly adopted in Australia to enhance road safety. Many fleets now use FDDT to monitor drivers in real-time, alerting them and fleet managers to fatigue-related risks. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) recently released a good practice guideline which propounds a lot of details and forms that need to be filled out in order to ensure compliance.
This can amount to mounds of paperwork and long working hours, but with the help of technology, it can be as simple as tapping a few buttons on your phone.
You can access the forms directly here. In order to learn more about the practices and what they entail, read the blog below.
Pre Shift Forms
There are two main forms that need to be filled-up before starting your shift. Those are as follows;
Pre Start Fit-for-duty form
This checklist should be completed and signed off by the driver at the start of each shift. In the event of non-compliance, the driver will be fined under the Work Health and Safety Act (2011).
Details Required:
- Self-assessment of the driver’s physical and mental readiness
- Confirmation of adequate rest and absence of impairing factors (e.g., alcohol, drugs, illness)
- Signature from the driver to verify their fitness for duty
FDDT Installation Checklist
The FDDT installation checklist is a comprehensive 3-pager that ensures that all components of the Fatigue and Distraction Detection Technology are properly set up, calibrated, and tested for accuracy.
Details Required:
- System calibration and functionality check.
- Driver training on FDDT.
- Communication details checklist
- Administration checklist
- Quality Assurance confirmation
What happens when a fatigue event is detected?
Here is a course of action recommended by the NHVR, in case a fatigue event is detected. The process begins when an alert is received, which could be triggered by a distraction event or a fatigue event.
A supervisor could either be present or absent, depending on which, drivers are recommended to act accordingly.
It is also important to note that if at any point the driver feels they are unable to continue driving safely, they must stop driving immediately and take a rest. These measures are just precautionary and more than anything, the driver’s judgement is decisive.
When the supervisor is present
Distraction Event: The event is recorded, and the supervisor calls the driver. Discuss appropriate driving behaviour / implement company distraction procedure
Fatigue Event:
Alert 1:
A risk assessment is performed. The supervisor monitors the footage and calls the driver if needed.
Depending on the assessment, the response can be:
Low Risk: Monitor Driver.
Moderate Risk: Ask the driver to take a 15-minute break and implement low-level actions.
High Risk: Ask the driver to take a 30-minute break, including a nap opportunity, and implement moderate actions.
Extreme Risk: Order driver to stop driving IMMEDIATELY when it is safe to do so.
Subsequent Alerts:
Alert 2:
Another call is made to the driver
If the risk is high, ask driver to take a 30-minute break and implement moderate actions.
If the risk is extreme, order driver to stop driving immediately when safe.
Alert 3:
Call the driver and order driver to stop driving immediately when safe.
When the supervisor is absent
Distraction Event: The event is recorded, and causal factors are identified.
Fatigue Event:
Alert 1:
The driver himself does the risk assessment.
Depending on the assessment, the response can be:
Low Risk: Record that the alert was received.
Moderate Risk: Take a 15-minute break and implement low-level actions.
High Risk: Take a 30-minute break, including a nap opportunity, and implement moderate actions.
Extreme Risk: Stop driving immediately when it is safe to do so.
Subsequent Alerts:
Alert 2:
Another risk assessment is performed.
If the risk is high, take a 30-minute break and implement moderate actions.
If the risk is extreme, stop driving immediately when safe.
Alert 3:
If a third alert is received, the driver is instructed to stop driving immediately when safe to do so.
In addition to this course of action, there are a number of forms that supervisors need to fill out for compliance purposes.
Post-Event Driver Fatigue Management Plan Template
Fatigue Risk Assessment Form
The purpose of this form is to assess fatigue risk following a specific event and document actions taken to mitigate future risks. NHVR has provided three sample Fatigue Risk Assessment forms in the FDDT good practice guideline, each serving its own purpose.
Here are the details that these risk assessment forms require:
- Event description and timing
- Assessment of fatigue risk factors
- Actions taken immediately after the event
- Post-event review to evaluate effectiveness and determine further measures
- Driver’s recent sleep history
- Duration and intensity of the current work period
- Environmental and work-related factors contributing to fatigue
- Immediate actions taken to manage identified risks
- Documentation of breaks, rest periods, and any adjustments to the work schedule
Standard Operating Procedures Form
The purpose of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) forms is to provide a structured and consistent framework for responding to specific events, such as fatigue alerts and distraction alerts, within the organization. This effectively maintains the chain of responsibility as the action and role are clearly defined.
Details Required:
- Step-by-step response actions for different levels of fatigue alerts
- Documentation of the actions taken and decisions made
- Procedures for escalating issues and reporting fatigue incidents
Driver Fatigue and Distraction Discussion Forms
The purpose of this document is to record discussions with drivers about distraction and fatigue related incidents. This form, a questionnaire, just contains a series of questions- asked by the supervisor -that the driver needs to answer for the record.
Fatigue Incident Report Form
The purpose of this checklist form is to report and analyze incidents where fatigue was a contributing factor.
Details Required:
- Detailed account of the incident, including time, location, and nature of the fatigue
- Contributing factors and circumstances leading to the incident
- Immediate and follow-up actions taken to prevent recurrence
Using Technology for Driver Fatigue Management
It’s crucial to recognise that while NHVR’s sample forms provide guidance, they aren’t strict templates but rather frameworks and guidelines to ensure compliance during audits. Completing these forms manually can be overwhelming, and can include a lot of overheads. This makes it unlikely to be adopted by the industry.
On the contrary, our tools streamline the process, reducing the hassle of paperwork and helping you maintain compliance effortlessly. This can also be done at a reduced cost and with less manpower involved. What more? it’s easier to show this information during audits.
With our Transport Management Software, compliance reporting is much easier. All the information is laid out on your device and all you need to do is tap and type. With the help of our software, our clients, who were previously fined for noncompliance, reported up to 99% success rates in their Audits.
To learn more about how you can leverage Manage Vehicle software for compliance reporting with FDDT, contact us at [email protected].
