03/10/2017
Who hasn’t seen a truck weaving its way down the motorway, with the driver at the wheel, fighting to stay awake?
I read today about business risk avoidance, through sleep apnoea testing of employees. In the UK, if an employee answered YES to the question:
"Are you tired [read sleepy] during the day?"
their GP must inform the DVLA, if the employee intends to continue driving. The GMC has directed them to do so – even if consent is withheld.
If we accept the NHS cannot respond promptly to help with sleep diagnosis and treatment (waiting times being what they are), I ask you:
“Who is going to answer honestly?” about their sleepiness symptoms!
The assumption the employee will do so, I suggest, is fundamentally flawed.
Which means sleepy drivers have no access to NHS sleep testing and treatment. This is a huge risk to the Public let alone business.
And its not just drivers, its train & tram drivers, pilots and anyone who holds a licence to perform a vigilance critical or safety sensitive role where they need to be alert.
The business insurance article also quoted the number of apnoea episodes per night as between 5-30, when this could well be PER HOUR and perhaps worse, resulting in irresistible sleepiness in unsuitable circumstances.
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20171002/NEWS08/912316177/Getting-to-the-bottom-of-fatigue-issues-with-sleep-apnea-tests
It starts with a simple question: Are you tired during the day?
