ABSTRACT
Rail transport is a complex system, in which safety critical work takes place around the clock, in challenging and varied environments and against demanding work schedules. Fatigue is therefore an operational concern that needs to be effectively managed, just like any other risk. In this chapter we present some insights into the rail industry’s fatigue risk management journey to date, drawing upon proactive survey and research studies, and incident investigation and analysis. This work has shown that many rail staff members experience fatigue, and that 21% of investigation reports into high-risk rail incidents highlight fatigue as a factor. From some of the more detailed investigations, we have learnt valuable lessons in areas such as roster design, fitness for duty, fatigue reporting, education, training, and culture. We discuss some of the challenges that the industry faces in these areas, as it seeks to mature its approach to managing this risk, and we highlight the need for collaboration within the industry, and opportunities to collaborate with other industries and with the scientific community, to address these challenges.
