Truck Parking for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Listening Session
There is interest from over the road drivers in attending the FMCSA listening sessions on Obstructive Sleep Apnea scheduled May 12, 17 and 26, 2016.
Unfortunately all three of the locations are downtown and none has truck parking in the area. HOWEVER
Truckers for a Cause, a support group for drivers with Sleep Apnea, has researched available truck parking and access via public transportation to the listening sessions. Information for all three sites is available at Truckersforacause.com. There is a Share a Ride sign up option on the site.
It is NOT approved or provided by FMCSA.
(just a truck driver with sleep apnea)
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FMCSA
This Proposed Rule document was issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
Summary
FMCSA and FRA announce three public listening sessions on May 12, 17, and 25, 2016, to solicit information on the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safety sensitive positions in highway and rail transportation, and of its potential consequences for the safety of rail and highway transportation. FMCSA and FRA (collectively “the Agencies”) also request information on potential costs and benefits from possible regulatory actions that address the safety risks associated with motor carrier and rail transportation workers in safety sensitive positions who have OSA. The listening sessions will provide interested parties an opportunity to share their views and any data or analysis on this topic with representatives of both Agencies. The Agencies will transcribe all comments and place the transcripts in the dockets referenced above for the Agencies’ consideration. The Agencies will webcast the entire proceedings of all three meetings.
Dates
The listening sessions will be held on:
- Thursday, May 12, 2016, in Washington, DC;
- Tuesday, May 17, in, Chicago, IL; and
- Wednesday, May 25, in Los Angeles, CA.
All sessions will run from 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., local time. If all interested parties have the opportunity to comment, the sessions may conclude early.
For more info and to comment (Comment period ends June 8th)
The 20 questions in FMCSA’s sleep apnea ANPRM ( as a guideline only)
1. What is the prevalence of moderate-to-severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) among the general adult U.S. population? How does this prevalence vary by age?
2. What is prevalence of moderate-to-severe OSA among individuals occupying safety sensitive transportation positions? If it differs from that among the general population, why does it appear to do so? If no existing estimates exist, what methods and information sources can the Agencies use to reliably estimate this prevalence?
3. Is there information (studies, data, etc.) available for estimating the future consequences resulting from individuals with OSA occupying safety sensitive transportation positions in the absence of new restrictions? For example, does any organization track the number of historical motor carrier or train accidents caused by OSA? With respect to rail, how would any OSA regulations and the current positive train control system requirements interrelate?
4. Which categories of transportation workers with safety sensitive duties should be required to undergo screening for OSA? On what basis did you identify those workers?
5. What alternative forms and degrees of restriction could FMCSA and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) place on the performance of safety-sensitive duties by transportation workers with moderate-to-severe OSA, and how effective would these restrictions be in improving transportation safety? Should any regulations differentiate requirements for patients with moderate, as opposed to severe, OSA?
6. What are the potential costs of alternative FMCSA/FRA regulatory actions that would restrict the safety sensitive activities of transportation workers diagnosed with moderate-to-severe OSA? Who would incur those costs? What are the benefits of such actions and who would realize them?
7. What are the potential improved health outcomes for individuals occupying safety sensitive transportation positions who would receive OSA treatment due to regulations?
8. What models or empirical evidence is available to use to estimate potential costs and benefits of alternative restrictions?
9. What costs would be imposed on transportation workers with safety sensitive duties by requiring screening, evaluation, and treatment of OSA?
10. Are there any private or governmental sources of financial assistance? Would health insurance cover costs for screening and/or treatment of OSA?
11. What medical guidelines, other than those the American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidance the Federal Aviation Administration currently uses, are suitable for screening transportation workers with safety sensitive duties that are regulated by FMCSA/FRA for OSA? What level of effectiveness are you seeing with these guidelines?
12. What were the safety performance histories of transportation workers with safety sensitive duties who were diagnosed with moderate-to-severe OSA, who are now successfully compliant with treatment before and after their diagnosis?
13. When and how frequently should transportation workers with safety sensitive duties be screened for OSA? What methods (laboratory, at-home, split, etc.) of diagnosing OSA are appropriate and why?
14. What, if any, restrictions or prohibitions should there be on transportation workers’ safety sensitive duties while they are being evaluated for moderate-to-severe OSA?
15. What methods are currently employed for providing training or other informational materials about OSA to transportation workers with safety sensitive duties? How effective are these methods at identifying workers with OSA?
16. What qualifications or credentials are necessary for a medical practitioner who performs OSA screening? What qualifications or credentials are necessary for a medical practitioner who performs the diagnosis and treatment of OSA?
17. With respect to FRA, should it use Railroad MEs to perform OSA screening, diagnosis, and treatment?
18. Should MEs or Agencies’ other designated medical practitioners impose restrictions on a transportation worker with safety sensitive duties who self-reports experiencing excessive sleepiness while performing safety sensitive duties?
19. What should be the acceptable criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of prescribed treatments for moderate-to-severe OSA?
20. What measures should be used to evaluate whether transportation employees with safety sensitive duties are receiving effective OSA treatment?
If you need Sleep Apnea testing or equipment, Truth About Trucking fully endorses CPAPAmerica .
Their quality, compliance, and affordability is second to none.
© 2016, Allen Smith. All rights reserved.
