Trucking Company Liability Related to Sleep Apnea
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The Risk That Should Not Be Overlooked - Fatigue
Fatigue has been well documented in numerous studies that it has been a major contributor in many accident that are caused by driver error. Now it seems that it almost always goes unreported or even underreported that fatigue is believed to be the cause for accidents and commercial drivers, in most cases, rarely report fatigue during their DOT physical.
It's at those critical moments when drivers fall asleep that cause most fatigue related accidents.
The silent underlying contributor that causes fatigue in up to 28% of commercial drivers has yet to be diagnosed as a sleep disorder.
Sleep Apnea is a Major Factor in Fatigue
Commercial drivers and Fleet companies have policies and procedures in place to enhance a drivers schedule to limit if not eliminate fatigue. However, the silent underlying contributor, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), has not been addressed in causing fatigue in a significant portion of commercial drivers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that $12.5 billion is lost annually due to OSA
Remove the Risk of Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can be identified and it is treatable with the right sleep therapy treatment. AllTrans Fleet Services can help your organization implement an OSA Program that will aid in identifying and treating the drivers impacted by a sleep apnea. After it is all said and done they will be thankful that the company wanted each driver to have a safer and healthier work environment. In the long run, they will become a more loyal employee after they reap the benefits directly related to resolving their sleep apnea.
AllTrans Fleet Services Program
AllTrans Fleet Services provides a Turnkey Obstructive Sleep Apnea OSA Program that is safety-driven. The team consists of medical and transportation professionals that will help your drivers throughout the whole process. AllTrans Fleet Services delivers diagnosis and successful treatment for drivers with sleep apnea.
AllTrans Fleet Services Program Includes:
1. OSA Evaluation and Patient Information. This will help us obtain a better understanding of your drivers sleeping and waking behavior. All questions must be answered honestly to assist us with your evaluation.
2. Home Sleep Test. After you complete the patient information and OSA Risk Evaluation, we will contact you to make arrangements to deliver the Home Sleep Test. You will use the home sleep test for one night and then ship it back to us. Unlike in-lab sleep studies, our home sleep testing devices function in the comfort of the driver's home and at a fraction of the cost. Our home sleep testing devices provide results that are accepted throughout the medical field.
3. Diagnosis. Our physician will evaluate the results. If your driver does NOT have OSA, we will send a letter from our physician with the test results. If your test shows that your driver DOES have OSA, they will continue to step 4. Occasionally the home sleep test may identify problems other than OSA or not be conclusive. On those rare occasions, a laboratory study might be required.
4. Treatment. If your driver is diagnosed with OSA, our physician will write a prescription for a sleep therapy device such as a CPAP, APAP, or BiPAP. The device aids in proper breathing while your driver sleeps. We will calibrate the driver's new device to the specifications prescribed and deliver it to the driver. We follow up with the driver to make sure your treatment is working well for them, and that they are remaining compliant with our physician's instructions.
5. Compliance. Once we have delivered the driver's new sleep device, we can provide compliance monitoring to insure a successful treatment and produce DOT recognized documentation for the DOT medical examiner for their commercial driver's license (CDL).
Why Choose AllTrans?
- No Down Time - Drivers remain on the road
- Completely Managed - Testing, Treatment, Monitoring, and Reporting
- Easy-To-Use Online Driver Orientation System
- Compliance Monitoring and Reporting Insures Success
