Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/443069
12 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JANUARY 2015 JOURNAL NEWS M edical examiners in the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners soon will receive a bulletin from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to clarify current fed- eral rules – or lack thereof – regarding screening and testing drivers for sleep apnea, according to a letter from Scott Darling, acting FMCSA administrator. According to Darling's letter, the bulletin will remind examiners there is no agency guidance regarding apnea testing – hammered home by a 2013 law – and will encourage examiners to explain to drivers that referring them to sleep apnea specialists is being done based on their judgment as medical professionals and not from FMCSA regulations. The letter was sent to U.S. Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-La.) and Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) in response to a letter from the two congressmen to Darling in October. Bucshon and Lipinski sent their letter after they heard that FMCSA- approved medical examiners were not adhering to the 2013 law prohibiting the agency from issuing guidance – in lieu of a formal rule – regarding sleep apnea screening and testing for truck drivers. They blamed some organizations responsible for training the medical examiners to perform driver physicals for the apparent sidestep of the con- gressional order. Darling, however, said in his response letter that while FMCSA has a list of topics that must be cov- ered in training courses, it does not bar organizations from presenting more information to the examiners. Moreover, FMCSA "neither reviews nor approves training materials or programs," he wrote. The current FMCSA guidelines that medical examiners use were issued in October 2000, Darling said, and it directs examiners to refer drivers to sleep apnea specialists if they detect respiratory dysfunction such as sleep apnea that could impact a driver's safety. Darling also said FMCSA soon planned to publish a notice that will request information from industry stakeholders to help the agency deter- mine the costs and safety benefits of a rule to address sleep apnea screening. – James Jaillet >05;,9á- CRITICAL LOAD -YVTá-[V á-PUNWO 66% reduction in PM emissions 29% reduction in CO Fuel savings of .84 gph on every start* Full equipment readiness in the coldest climates D5 Espar Heaters: They Just Make Sense www.espar.com (800) 387- 4800 * PRE-HEAT 0+3,-9,, ;96<)3,-9,, áF áF -PLSK;LZ[+H[H-HPYIHURZ(SHZRH-LIY\HY`/`KYVUPJ+/LH[LY9\UUPUN;PTL7YL/LH[TPU\[LZ TPU\[LZ;LZ[ZJVUK\J[LKI`(1,UNPULLYPUN*VYW,UNPUL!;YV`403J\PU )HZLKVUHNHSSVU FMCSA to clarify driver sleep apnea screening, testing