Heavy vehicle drivers are the most affected by fatigue related cases. This is because they work long hours and pull prolonged shifts in their line of work. Little sleep and sleep deprivation in general have diverse effects on any person’s body. Fatigue is the body’s way of calling to attention the need for sleep. Many people ignore the signals that their body is sending in relation to the need to rest. Fatigue management is an important aspect of ensuring that our bodies function at optimal rates. It is important for people, especially heavy vehicle drivers to undergo fatigue management training to acquire proper fatigue management skills.
Fatigue management training is offered in three levels; Standard, basic fatigue management and advanced fatigue management. Basic fatigue management deals with allowing drivers to pull shifts of up to fourteen hours a day in compliance with fatigue management requirements. Drivers and employers who plan on using this method to curb fatigue are required to attain accreditation by the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme, abbreviated as NHVS. The NVHS accreditation requires those who undertake it to observe set schedules, which reduce the instances of fatigue. Rosters are required to be used in this fatigue management method.
The driver is required to observe levels of fitness in line with properly undertaking their duties, possess knowledge of fatigue in relation to accessing whether they are suffering from it and managing it. Drivers and employers are also required to keep records of the shifts assigned and instances when rest was taken in the course of duty.
Basic fatigue management training should be undertaken both by drivers and their employers if it is their chosen method of managing fatigue. The training equips both the drivers and employers with the knowledge of how fatigue arises and how to tackle instances of fatigue. Online fatigue management courses are a convenient way to get accreditation.
