BLET agrees with TSB's stance on rail-worker fatigue

 The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLET) President Dennis Pierce yesterday endorsed the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's (TSB) decision to include rail worker fatigue on the board's Safety Watchlist for 2016.

Similar to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board's annual "Most Wanted List," the TSB's list identifies critical issues that affect transportation safety.

In an article published in the October issue of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen News, Pierce agreed with his counterpart at the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference that "fighting fatigue should be based on sound science, not operational efficiency."

TSB Chair Kathy Fox recently said rail worker fatigue has been a factor in numerous investigations, most notably in freight-rail operations.

"Too many train crews aren't getting the rest they need, whether it's shifts that are too long or irregular scheduling that interferes with normal sleep times," Fox said. "It's time for the railway industry to start applying fatigue science to crew scheduling, instead of calling for more studies," Fox said in a press release.