Passenger Trains > Mandatory engineer sleep apnea testing proposed by US senators

The bill would reinstate the rule making process for mandatory testing of railway engineers, bus drivers, truckers, and certain pipeline operators. The process was ended by direction of President Trump.

>>Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has introduced legislation Booker said would protect commuters, rail operators and commercial truck drivers from the “dangers” of sleep apnea.

The legislation, which is cosponsored by Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and introduced in the House by Reps. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., and Albio Sires, D-N.J., would require the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement the proposed rule mandating sleep apnea testing and treatment for rail operators and commercial truck drivers that was reversed by the Trump Administration last month.

The proposed rulemaking on sleep apnea would have set standards for sleep apnea testing for both commercial truck drivers and railroad engineers.<<

more -

http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Story/NewJerseySenCoryBookerintroducessleepapneabill

Are they going to pay for it? I think I can make more money working flipping hamburgers than driving a truck. I'am sick of politicians making rules they know nothing about. I think I'll add to the driver shortage problem. Been driving over 45 years a they keep passing laws that force you to drive when your tired and rest when your not tired. Time to railfan and go to the beach.

I wouldn't get too excited. Congress can't pass anything, and Trump won't sign it unless it is buried in a bill about something else.

IIRC, the original bill did not mandate sleap apnea testing, but sleep apnea screening, which makes a lot more sense.

Sleep apnea testing is a time consuming process requiring either 2 office visits and an overnight at home study or an overnight at a clinic or hospital.

And the whole thing has become overblown.  Sleep apnea does exist in some people, but to test everyone????  Just stupid.  Hugely intrusive upon the working man, who often has to foot the bill, which isn't cheap.

While we're at it, let's set up cameras and microphones in every Senator's office and record what they say when lobbyists come to visit...it's a rule proposal I think is VERY important, and it will make Congress a better, safer place.  Right?

coach Wrote:
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> While we're at it, let's set up cameras and
> microphones in every Senator's office and record
> what they say when lobbyists come to visit...it's
> a rule proposal I think is VERY important, and it
> will make Congress a better, safer place.  Right?

The nation would collapse under the weight of the exposed hypocrisy!

Ray

Sorry, but I as a passenger want all engineers to get sleep apnea tested so I don't get killed. Stuff your Republican ideology.

Rich guys that have never worked a real day in their lives and that take hundreds of thousands
of dollars from special interest groups. Hoping to get a vote or two by hassling real working
people who must work irregular hours.

Any legislation proposed to test blood oxygen levels of dotard railroad CEOs whose daily decisions
directly affect the lives of thousands of people ????



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/17 08:06 by Englewood.

Who will be paying for the tests and where will they be done? 10 to 1 these two Senators are connected in some way to a testing company of some sort.

DavidJustinLynch Wrote:
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> Sorry, but I as a passenger want all engineers to
> get sleep apnea tested so I don't get killed.
> Stuff your Republican ideology.

Under that same idea, then every time any one has to renew their drivers license, they must be tested for all drugs including MJ and alcohol. Also must be tested for sleep apnea as well since I don't want you slamming into me in your car because you fell asleep at the wheel.

Screening yes. Test everyone no.

Can someone please explain the difference between screening and testing for this? Thank you.

symph1 Wrote:
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> Can someone please explain the difference between
> screening and testing for this? Thank you.


An article in a trucker publication says that "screening" looks for a combination of criteria (presumably weight, neck size, age, BMI, etc which have been mentioned in the past) which would recommend the person for "testing". That is defined as the overnight lab work.

It's unclear whether that distinction is clearly presented in some of the media, or whether the railroads intend to "test" everyone.

http://www.overdriveonline.com/dot-withdraws-rule-to-set-sleep-apnea-screening-criteria-for-truckers/

symph1 Wrote:
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> Can someone please explain the difference between
> screening and testing for this? Thank you.

My understanding is that the screening would become a part of the required annual/bi-annual physical and if found to be at risk then testing would be required.

Screening would be done by your normal doctor, which includes questions such as sleep habits, eating habits, physical characteristics such was weight, BMI, etc, medical history and subject questions such as do you feel tired, need to drink coffee all the time, etc. That is to determine if you are at risk of having sleep apnea.

Testing is to determine if you actual have sleep apnea by way of an overnight study, either at home or in a hospital or clinc. Testing involves being hooked up to a machine which tracks your oxygen saturation levels, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, time between breaths and such.

Screening is a 10-15 minute converstation with your doctor and his/her review of your records.

Testing takes money, (most if not all insurace cover this,) time (8-12 hours total,) special equipment and a specalist to read and anylyze the data to make a determination.

Your neck size is the common denominator. If it is over a certain diameter you are guilty. If you lift weights and that puts you over the limit along with your BMI you guilty. Bottom line is bodybuilding may put you over your BMI, it's just a number to the government guide line, no commen sense in government.

Muscle weights more than fat, so the BMI metric can't really distinguish between a body builder and Ralph Kramden.

You nailed it. I've been driving for almost 50 years and started going to the gym when they came out with power steering about 30 years ago, it used to be a work out to drive back then. I like PS but I like to keep my upper body strength but now they tell me I'am too heavy at 195 at 5'9"with a waist of 36" and 67 years old. I just like to drive but I like railfaning and going to the beach too so that's looking better every day.

I can understand why these 4 senators are doing this however: the LIRR wreck at Atlantic Terminal, and the NJT wreck at Hoboken Terminal. The latter was worse since the impact speed was 21 MPH, rather than 14 MPH, and the ancient DL&W bumper blocks acted as a launch pad sending the cab car catapulting into the canopy.

Will PTC do anything to help with this problem?

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can understand why these 4 senators are doing
> this however: the LIRR wreck at Atlantic Terminal,
> and the NJT wreck at Hoboken Terminal. The latter
> was worse since the impact speed was 21 MPH,
> rather than 14 MPH, and the ancient DL&W bumper
> blocks acted as a launch pad sending the cab car
> catapulting into the canopy.

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
My Flickr Shots

In a word - No.
Terminal areas are exempt, and even then, there are not speed codes for their statutory speed limits of 5 and 10 MPH. Traditional ASC/ATC would kick in at 15 or 20 MPH, at which point it was too late and too fast to prevent wrecks like these.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/17 14:19 by joemvcnj.