For rail transportation workers, fatigue is a key issue to consider, says the Transportation Board of Canada.
In the annual watch list on safety issues in the sector, fatigue has been emphasized as a most significant risk. The Board’s Chairperson has even said that they will be lobbying for concrete action to be taken in this respect so that the safety first principle can be followed effectively.
The issue that has been highlighted is that a number of train crews are not getting adequate rest in between work schedules. This is especially true on freight lines that are operating in the country. The Safety Board believes that fatigue science needs to be applied when the workers schedules are being made up to ensure that exhausted crew members are not working when their ability to work efficiently and react quickly is severely compromised.
It is clear that workplace injuries and fatalities are more likely to occur when the workers are already tired and unable to concentrate on their jobs. In the case of rail transportation industry, worker fatigue can lead to some really drastic consequences considering the number of lives that the crew members are responsible for transporting in safety. Given this, there is a definite need to prioritize health and safety procedures in this industry and to ensure that the worker fatigue issue is looked into in detail.
SafetyON Environmental Inc.
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