The FMCSA announced that it will seek feedback about sleep apnea in commercial vehicle drivers as a first step towards an official ruling on the condition.
Agency Seeks Public Input On Sleep Apnea
The FMCSA is asking for public input on sleep apnea as a way to gauge how prevalent the condition actually is among truck drivers and to get a better understanding of how the condition impacts safety and economic efficiency within the trucking industry. The FMCSA will hold three public listening sessions in Washington, DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles in order to gather feedback on how they should handle what they call a “national health and transportation safety issue.”
In January 2015, the FMCSA issued a reminder to the healthcare providers in its National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners that any truck driver who is believed to have respiratory dysfunction be evaluated by a specialist. Until the agency makes an official ruling, they are not allowed to offer guidance on sleep apnea beyond the reminder.
Advanced Notice Of Proposed Rule Making Available Below
According to a bulletin from the FMCSA, as many as 22 million Americans suffer from undiagnosed sleep apnea which can make eight hours of sleep less refreshing than four uninterrupted hours of sleep.
You can view the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making in the document below for more information on how to provide feedback on sleep apnea in the trucking industry.
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