Tag: transportation

WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board this week determined that two commuter railroad terminal accidents in the New York area were caused by engineer fatigue resulting from undiagnosed severe obstructive sleep apnea. The NTSB found the two accidents had “almost identical” probable causes and safety issues. The board also determined that these safety issues were not unique to these two properties, but exist throughout the country at many intercity passenger and commuter...

YARMOUTH, Maine - A regulation requiring sleep apnea testing for transportation workers recently fell victim to the Trump administration's vow to slash federal regulations, but industry stakeholders say it's not over yet.The Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said earlier this month that they would scrap a regulation to require testing for commercial drivers and rail workers.“The idea of a rule is maybe out for now, but it's not over,”...

WASHINGTON - A group of senators on Monday sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation asking why the agency has scrapped a proposal to require sleep apnea testing of transportation workers, according to The Hill. The senators, who include Cory Booker, D-N.J., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., also ask the agency for copies of “all data and information” that was used to make the decision, The Hill reports. The senators urged the agency...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Aeroflow Healthcare says the federal government's decision to scrap a regulation to require sleep apnea screening for commercial drivers and rail workers is ill advised. “This is a clear and present danger on our roads, rails and highways,” said Michael Trufant an industrial manager at Aeroflow, in a statement. “Our traveling public should not be exposed to danger on their commutes.” Trufant says the arguments against the regulation have everything to do...

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump, who has pledged to drastically slash federal regulations, has sounded the death knell for a regulation to require sleep apnea screening for commercial drivers and rail workers, according to news reports. The Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said late last week that they are scraping the regulation, arguing that it should be up to trucking and railroad companies to decide whether or not to screen their employees....

PARAMUS, N.J. - The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York has awarded Respira-HomeSleep a contract to provide medical services to screen, treat, manage and monitor select MTA employees for obstructive sleep apnea. “We look forward to collaborating with HomeSleep and local DME companies in creating this groundbreaking model of care for the transportation industry,” said Yolanda Mara Martinez, founder and CEO of Respira. Respira is a respiratory therapy, sleep medicine,...

WASHINGTON - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration will hold three public listening sessions in May to gather information on the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea among those working in highway and rail transportation, according to a notice in Thursday's Federal Register. The agencies also seek information on the potential costs and benefits from possible regulatory actions that address the safety risks associated with transportation workers who...

Did the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board read my blog yesterday, where I questioned why Manila had Wheelmobiles, a public utility vehicle specific for wheelchair users, but many cities in the United States don't? They didn't, of course, but it was kind of timely this morning, when I saw this article in the Washington Post about the board's plan to have 20 wheelchair-accessible cabs out on the road in Washington, D.C., starting in December. Currently, none of the...