‘RETURNING HOME SAFELY’ HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVER FATIGUE

THE HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVER FATIGUE REFORM

Tips on Managing

Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue

PRESENTATION DESIGNED FOR

HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVERS

Contents

Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue– Reform overview

– Chain of Responsibility

– General duty

– Reasonable steps

– Work and rest options

– Work diary and record keeping

– Training and accreditation

– Further information

74% of drivers think

fatigue is a serious problem in the

road freight industry

Introduction

Who do the new laws apply to?– Rigid trucks over 12 tonnes GVM

– Combinations over 12 tonnes GVM

– Buses with over 12 seats (inc. driver)

The laws do not apply to:– Plant equipment

– Motor homes

What’s changing?

Standard Hours – Basic work and rest limits

Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) – More flexible work hours linked to accreditation

Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM)– Create your own fatigue management system

and work hours linked to accreditation

What’s changing?

Chain of Responsibility provisions– A general duty on all parties in the supply chain

to manage fatigue (consistent with OH&S laws)

– Risk categorisation of offences, revised sanctions and enforcement powers

Strengthened record keeping requirements– A new driver work diary to replace the current

log book

Work Vs. Rest

Work time is the time a driver spends driving a truck (on or off the road) and any other time a driver spends doing tasks related to the operation of the vehicle e.g.– Fueling and cleaning

– Inspecting and servicing

– Attending to the load

– Loading and unloading

– Waiting in a Queue* etc

Rest time is time that is not work time

* Can be rest if you don’t have any work tasks

THIS IS WORK TIME

Work and rest options

Stationary rest is the time a driver spends out of the truck or in an approved sleeper berth of a truck not moving.

Night rest is 7 continuous hours stationary rest time between 10pm-8am or a 24 continuous hours stationary rest break.

Standard Hours – Solo Drivers

SOLO DRIVERS

Time Work Rest

In any period of… A driver must not work for more than a MAXIMUM of…

And must have the rest of that period off work with at least a MINIMUM rest break of…

5 ½ hours 5 ¼ hours work time 15 continuous minutes rest time

8 hours 7 ½ hours work time 30 minutes rest time in blocks of 15 continuous minutes

11 hours 10 hours work time 60 minutes rest time in blocks of 15 continuous minutes

24 hours 12 hours work time 7 continuous hours stationary rest time

7 days 72 hours work time 24 continuous hours stationary rest time

14 days 144 hours work time 2 x night rest breaks and 2 x night rest breaks taken on consecutive days

Basic Fatigue Management

More flexible hours

Ability to work 14 hour shifts

Greater say in work and rest hours

NHVAS BFM accreditation

Basic Fatigue Management – Solo Drivers

Time Work Rest

In any period of… A driver must not work for more than a MAXIMUM of…

And must have the rest of that period off work with at least a MINIMUM rest break of…

6 ¼ hours 6 hours work time 15 continuous rest time

9 hours 8 ½ hours work time 30 minutes rest time in blocks of 15 continuous minutes

12 hours 11 hours work time 60 minutes rest time in blocks of 15 continuous minutes

24 hours 14 hours work time 7 continuous hours stationary rest time

7 days 36 hours long/night work time

14 days 144 hours work time 24 continuous hours stationary rest time taken after no more than 84 hours work time and 24 continuous hours stationary rest time and 2 x night rest breaks and 2 x night rest breaks taken on consecutive days

Long and Night hours

A driver must not exceed 36 ‘night’ and ‘long’ hours

Long hour– is any hour worked above 12 hours in a 24 hour

period and is counted in 15 minute periods.

Night hour– is any hour worked between midnight and 6am

and is counted in 15 minute periods.

Day Hoursworkedin oneshift

Hours worked in oneshift (showing night

and long hours)

Accumulated night and

long hoursworked in

any 24 hours

Totalaccumulated

night andlong hours

worked in a 7 day period

NightHours

LongHours

1 13 5 1 6 6

2 14 6 2 8 14

3 13 5 1 6 20

4 13 5 1 6 26

5 13 5 1 6 32

6 13 3 1 4 36

7 Day/Night Off 36

The table summarises a 7 day work period for a driver– Night and long hours

worked on various days count toward the 36 hour limit in any 7 days

– For simplicity, it is assumed the driver has not worked in the 7 days before

Night hours and long hours worked each day are accumulated (highlighted)– On day 1 the driver

worked a total of 13 hours (including 5 night hours and 1 long hour)

– The 5 night hours and 1 long hour are added together to total the long/night hours

Day Hoursworkedin oneshift

Hours worked in oneshift (showing night

and long hours)

Accumulated night and

long hoursworked in

any 24 hours

Totalaccumulated

night andlong hours

worked in a 7 day period

NightHours

LongHours

1 13 5 1 6 6

2 14 6 2 8 14

3 13 5 1 6 20

4 13 5 1 6 26

5 13 5 1 6 32

6 13 3 1 4 36

7 Day/Night Off 36

Day Hoursworkedin oneshift

Hours worked in oneshift (showing night

and long hours)

Accumulated night and

long hoursworked in

any 24 hours

Totalaccumulated

night and long hours

worked in a 7 day period

NightHours

LongHours

1 13 5 1 6 6

2 14 6 2 + 8 14

3 13 5 1 + 6 20

4 13 5 1 + 6 26

5 13 5 1 + 6 32

6 13 3 1 + 4 36

7 Day/Night Off + 0 = 36

how a driver can reach 36 hours very quickly when working nights and long days over a 7 day period (days 1 to 7)

The driver reaches 36 hours in only 6 days so the total is still 36 hours in 7 days

Day Hoursworkedin oneshift

Hours worked in oneshift (showing

night and long hours)

Accumulated night and

long hoursworked in

any 24 hours

Totalaccumulated

night and long hours

worked in a 7 day period

NightHours

Long Hours

8 Day/Night Off 0 30

9 13 5 1 + 6 28

10 14 6 2 + 8 30

11 14 6 2 + 8 32

12 13 5 1 + 6 32

13 Day/Night Off + 0 28

14 Day/Night Off + 0 = 28

The following 7 day period (days 8 to 14) show that even though the driver has taken 3 x 24 hour rest breaks the total accumulated hours is still 28– In this example, the driver

could have worked another 8 night and/or long hours as long as fatigue was managed

What is a General Duty?

EVERYONE in the supply chain has a ‘general duty’ to manage driver fatigue– Drivers must not work while fatigued

– Everyone else in the supply chain must make sure drivers do not work while fatigued

Chain of Responsibility

Drivers are currently ‘carrying the can’ for the failures and unreasonable pressures of others

The reform helps drivers get home safely by requiring all parties in the supply chain to manage the causes driver fatigue

Chain of Responsibility

The Chain of Responsibility means that all parties in the supply chain share the responsibility to manage driver fatigue

You need to cooperate and consult with each other to address fatigue risks

Everyone achieves this by taking ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent fatigue

YOU are responsible.It doesn’t matter what

your job title is!

Drivers,operators, receivers,

consigners, consignees,distribution centres,

schedulers, rosterers,loaders, unloadersmanagement etc.

What are Reasonable Steps?

Regularly identify and assess the risks associated with your activities; and manage those risks

Eliminate the risk or minimise the likelihood of the risk occurring

What can you do?

Take a break when you are tired

Review your schedule

Report any problems/delays

Maintain health and fitness

Breaches

STOP! It is illegal for any person to make a reckless or negligent demand that they know will breach the law

Drivers will continue to be held liable even if another party in the supply chain is found guilty – you can’t pass the buck!

A new work diary

New work diary to record your work: – similar format to

your current driver log book

– some new features

Changes from the log book

Work and rest hours

Odometer reading

Pre-trip check

Driving scheme

Accreditation number

Time zone

Training and Accreditation

BFM and AFM competency unit for driversTLIF1007C Apply fatigue management strategies (for drivers)

TLIF6307A Administer the implementation of fatigue management strategies (for schedulers)

Training methods– TAFE College

– Private Registered Training Organisation (RTO)

– In-house trainers

Statement of Attainment

Competence

Competence can be gained in different ways, including:– Fatigue management training course;

– Studying background information

– On-the-job training; and

– Work experience.

It does not really matter how you become competent. What matters is whether you can demonstrate competence.

Online resources

The NTC has developed an online resource– Information bulletins

– Fatigue guidelines

– Napping guidelines

– Driver dashboard cards

– Self-assessment checklists

– Daily and weekly work/rest planning

– Training and awareness presentations

– Promotional material

www.ntc.gov.au

Supporting material also available:– Guidelines for Using Napping to Prevent Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue

– Guidelines for Managing Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue

– BFM and AFM Accreditation Guidelines

– Rest area guidelines available from your local road agency

– Education programs provided by TAFE colleges and RTOs

Further information

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Thank you