Oil and Gas Workers: How to Prevent Fatigued Driving at Work

Oil and gas workers drive long distances from their homes, lodging sites, and equipment yards to reach well sites that are often in remote areas. The combination of long trips with long shifts can result in fatigue. Fatigued (drowsy) driving is a major cause of crashes in this industry. Crashes are the leading cause of death for oil and gas extraction workers. This fact sheet gives drivers information about fatigue and tips to stay safe behind the wheel.

Fatigued driving is linked to several factors. Time of day Monotonous tasks Your natural body clock (circadian rhythm) gives strong signals that it’s time to sleep at night and early morning hours. You may also experience a dip in alertness in the afternoon. Driving for extended periods of time with few changes in routine can increase risk of fatigued or inattentive driving. a Length of time awake Medications and The more hours awake, the more likely you are health conditions to be fatigued. Fatigue can impair your driving Illnesses, diseases, and some and other tasks, similar to alcohol impairment. medications may interfere with If you don’t get enough sleep for many days in your alertness, increasing the a row, you can also sufer impairment. risk of fatigued driving.

The Reality of Fatigued Driving Warning Signs At the end of an estimated 20-hour 4 Frequent yawning work shift, three oil and gas workers 4 Heavy eyelids drove from a remote work site to the 4 Drifting from your lane employer’s bunkhouse and found it was full. Around midnight, they began a 10-hour trip 4 Forgetting last few miles driven home. After only 25 miles, the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle veered of the road at a curve and rolled several times. None of the workers were wearing a seat belt and were all ejected. Two workers died.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

What can workers do to prevent fatigued driving?

•® Oil and gas workers: Take the following actions to stay safe behind the wheel. Resources & Tools for oil and gas workers: NIOSH Motor Vehicle Safety at Work www.cdc.gov/niosh/motorvehicle q Get enough sleep. Explore work-related motor vehicle q Stay well-rested and alert by getting 7-9 hours of sleep each day in a dark, quiet, and comfortable space. safety resources. q Tell friends and family you need to get enough sleep before you CDC Drowsy Driving start a work shift. www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep q For long commutes, travel the day before or after your hitch drowsy_driving.html begins or ends. Learn the risks of drowsy driving. q When extended wait times on well sites occur, get sleep on site by using rest locations if available, or create a restful environment CMV Driving Tips — Driver Fatigue by using ear plugs, eye masks, etc. www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/driver-safety/ cmv-driving-tips-driver-fatigue q Make sure you understand and follow your company’s Access tips that will help commercial policies about fatigue management, planning travel, motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. and hours-of-service requirements. Sleep.org q Plan your trip to include safe places to take rest breaks and get www.sleep.org nutritious food. Learn how sleep impacts your health. q Let others know where you will be and when. Check in regularly. Your Guide to Healthy Sleep www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/ q Maintain good health. sleep/healthy_sleep.pdf q If your job is not active, engage in physical activity two and half hours per week. Get information about sleep disorders and ways to improve sleep and alertness. q Avoid sugar-rich and low-fiber carbohydrate foods (such as cookies, sweetened drinks, white bread, pasta). National Highway Traffic Safety q Be aware of the signs of sleep disorders, and seek screening. Administration www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drowsy- q Use stop work authority at any time you feel it is unsafe driving to continue driving. Intervene if you believe a coworker Understand the scope of the problem may be fatigued. of drowsy driving. DrowsyDriving.org q In an emergency situation where you feel tired but must drive a little longer: pull over, drink a cup of coffee, and www.drowsydriving.org take a nap for 15-30 minutes before continuing. Find warning signs and facts.

Mention of any company or product does not Myths: Truth: constitute endorsement by the National Institute

• • for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for I can use cafeine regularly There is no to make up for lack of sleep. X substitute 4 Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, citations to websites external to NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH for sleep. endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their I can stay awake by rolling down programs or products. Furthermore, NIOSH is not responsible for the content of these websites. All web addresses my window and turning up the radio. referenced in this document were accessible as of the publication date. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2018–126 https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2018126 March 2018