Fatigue Survey

Submitted by Ronnie Rhodes on Thu, 02/10/2022 - 23:06

BLET asks members to participate in fatigue research study

FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | FRA, News

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 9 — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), working in collaboration with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, is asking locomotive engineers and conductors to participate in a confidential survey regarding fatigue.

The goal of the research study is to better understand the factors that contribute to fatigue in locomotive engineers and conductors. To participate, you must be a current locomotive engineer or conductor on either a freight or passenger service.

Officials with Virginia Tech stress that the survey is anonymous and will not collect any personally identifying information. According to the survey’s creators: “Your contribution to this research is valuable. Assessing the important factors that contribute to fatigue and the impact these factors have on locomotive engineer and/or conductor safety is necessary to find solutions that benefit rail workers, management and the industry. This information is a critical first step in developing fatigue-mitigation strategies for locomotive engineers and conductors.”

“We believe it is helpful for outside organizations, including academic institutions like Virginia Tech, to get information directly from our members. This survey provides a way for that to happen. BLET will always try to ensure our members have the opportunity to provide vital fatigue data for researchers,” BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce said.

The survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete, but respondents can take as much time as they wish. It is available at:

https://survey.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6PPxWtBGxVzZaCh

 

Project Title: Fatigue and Safety of Locomotive Engineers and Conductors

Investigator: Naomi Dunn, Ph.D., from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)

 

The purpose of this research study is to better understand the factors that contribute to fatigue in locomotive engineers and conductors, including commute times to and from work. This research will assess opinions and perspectives of locomotive engineers and conductors with an online survey. To participate, you must be a current locomotive engineer or conductor on either a freight or passenger service. The survey is anonymous and will not collect any personally identifying information. Please express your honest opinions. While there are no direct benefits to you for participating, you may enjoy sharing your opinions and experiences regarding fatigue and safety in the rail industry.

 

The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete though you can take as much time as you need to complete it. The risks associated with this survey include possible discomfort at sharing your experience and opinions. You may choose not to answer a question if you prefer not to or you can withdraw your responses at any time by simply closing the web browser before submitting your responses.

 

All information collected in this survey will be kept confidential and will be stored on secure access-restricted servers at VTTI.  Completion is voluntary and your participation, or non-participation, will not impact your employment in any way. Study findings will be presented as aggregated and anonymous results (e.g., 78% of survey respondents were male).  A final report will be generated from this work.

 

We appreciate your time and attention spent answering the survey. You will not be compensated financially for this research; however, your contribution to this research is valuable. Assessing the important factors that contribute to fatigue and the impact these factors have on locomotive engineer and/or conductor safety is necessary to find solutions that benefit rail workers, management, and the rail industry. This information is a critical first step in developing effective fatigue-mitigation strategies for locomotive engineers and conductors.

 

If you have any questions prior to starting this survey, you may contact Naomi Dunn ([email protected] or 540-629-3280).

 

This research project has been approved, as required, by the Institutional Review Board for Research Involving Human Subjects at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. If you should have any questions about the protection of human research participants regarding this study, you may contact the Virginia Tech Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects [[email protected] or (540) 231-3732].

 

By clicking “NEXT” to continue to the survey, you confirm that you are a current locomotive engineer or conductor (freight and/or passenger). In addition, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the consent information above.