United States Department of Transportation
i
Work Schedules and Sleep Patterns of Railroad Train and Engine Service Workers [Research Results]
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2009-12-01
[PDF-84.07 KB]
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Abstract:The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development sponsored a project to study the work schedules and sleep patterns of U.S. railroad train and engine (T&E) service workers and to examine the relationship between these schedules and the level of alertness of the individuals working the schedules. The methodology for this study was a survey of a random sample of currently employed U.S. T&E workers who completed a background survey and kept a daily log for 2 weeks. T&E workers operate trains both between terminals and in railroad yards. There are eight types of positions in T&E service, all subject to the limitations of the Hours of Service Law if the position’s duties relate to the movement of a train. Two-thirds of T&E workers hold positions with a variable start time. The median length of a work period was nearly the same for those working jobs with variable start times and those with fixed start times. Although the work time is similar for both groups, the median work start time variability is .5 hours for fixed start people and 7.1 hours for those with a variable start time. As a group, T&E employees obtain longer average daily sleep than U.S. adults but variable start time T&E workers engage in supplementary sleep on work days to manage fatigue. Differences in alertness ratings indicate that those with a fixed start time are likely to be more alert during their work periods. Effectiveness measures based on the Sleep, Activity, Fatigue and Task Effectiveness (SAFTE) model indicate that those with a variable start time were more likely to be working at a lower effectiveness level than those with a fixed start; however, the percent of time working at an unacceptable level was less than 8 percent for each group.
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