Rail Employee Fatigue Survey: Volunteers needed!

[doonaray]

A request to all rail employees to volunteer to take part in a fatigue survey as part of a University research study. The purpose of the survey is to examine relationships between fatigue levels and workload, sleep quality and life events. The aim of the research is to add to the body of knowledge and understanding around fatigue within the rail industry, which is lacking compared to other industries such as aviation.

You are invited to take part in a short online questionnaire survey, which forms part of a Masters of Science in Ergonomics research project with the University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL), United Kingdom. All responses will be completely confidential and anonymous.
The survey is user friendly and easy to navigate through. It should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and submit it.

Please note that for ethical reasons as part of a Masters level research project, you must be aged 18 or over.

Thank you for your kind participation.

To begin the survey, simply click on the direct link below:

https://derby.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6SeGHbagKuHOuON

Miss Lorna Brock, MSc student at University of Derby Online (UDOL)
Email: l.brock2@unimail.derby.ac.uk

Supervisor:
Andrew Baird
Psychology
University of Derby
Kedleston Road
Derby
DE22 1GB
Email: a.baird@derby.ac.uk
Office Tel: 00 44 (0)1332 593042

 

[ComUtoR]

Thanks for the Survey, I have participated.

A couple of minor points.

The 'Unique Identification code' is self generated and therefore not unique. The way in which you asked the participant to generate it also means there is a potential for it not to be unique. I 'randomly' generated my code because the request you made could be considered 'social engineering' I am generally quite security conscious; which is why I generated my code the way I did.

You state that the participant has the right to refuse to answer any question. However, on the initial pages I could not progress until all questions were answered and there was a big red prompt at the top of the page to fill in my blank answer. I understand the reason why and it was more or less resolved on the following pages where you could skip answers after receiving the prompt you could continue. However, I did not appreciate where it stated 'please answer all questions' each time. I think that when you state that you could refuse any answer then that should ave been supported throughout the survey. I liked the 'exit at any time' box.

I noticed you posted this on another 'train driver' website. Have you considered speaking to TOCs/NR/FOCs etc and asked them to send it internally. I doubt many would have any objection and your sample size would both increase quite dramatically and also be much more representative.

 

[doonaray]

Thanks for the Survey, I have participated.

A couple of minor points.

The 'Unique Identification code' is self generated and therefore not unique. The way in which you asked the participant to generate it also means there is a potential for it not to be unique. I 'randomly' generated my code because the request you made could be considered 'social engineering' I am generally quite security conscious; which is why I generated my code the way I did.

You state that the participant has the right to refuse to answer any question. However, on the initial pages I could not progress until all questions were answered and there was a big red prompt at the top of the page to fill in my blank answer. I understand the reason why and it was more or less resolved on the following pages where you could skip answers after receiving the prompt you could continue. However, I did not appreciate where it stated 'please answer all questions' each time. I think that when you state that you could refuse any answer then that should ave been supported throughout the survey. I liked the 'exit at any time' box.

I noticed you posted this on another 'train driver' website. Have you considered speaking to TOCs/NR/FOCs etc and asked them to send it internally. I doubt many would have any objection and your sample size would both increase quite dramatically and also be much more representative.

Hi,
Thank you so much for completing my survey. I really appreciate the comments you have made above. I understand what you mean about the participation code.....but in terms of security (which was the main reason for it), the code and the way the survey has been set up means that no data in terms of your IP address and identification is stored, so as to maintain anonymity of your response.
I understand your feelings also about receiving the prompt to complete questions and having to do so on the initial questions such as the consent form.....the problem here is that without the consent being completed, we cannot use the survey. The 'please answer all questions' was put in really as a prompt because again if a survey is not completed fully, it cannot be used as part of the research. But obviously, in terms of ethics, no person should feel forced to complete it. I will feed these comments back to the technician who advised me whilst constructing the survey.
I have considered TOCs etc and have contacted a few, but as yet no reply. I also went direct to RSSB to see if they could help with contacts within the rail companies. As they are also actively researching fatigue at the moment it was difficult for them to promote my survey at the same time as theirs. Their advice was to seek volunteers on the rail forums.
Thanks again for your comments and support. If you happened to have a direct contact at a TOC / NR / FOC company, that I could contact directly, that would be much appreciated.
Kind regards,
Lorna Brock

 

[Emmsie]

I think this is a really worthwhile project. Rosters are appalling, basically putting Drivers and Conductors into jetlag, particularly on the 7 day stretch when there are 4 earlies followed by 3 lates with no day off inbetween. I frequently had 4 extreme early starts of 4-5am and just as my body got into a routine I would have 3 lates finish at between 1am and 1.30am, consequently I would get to bed at 2 am and wake up again at 3 am. Unfortunately the 12 hours rule is a pretty blunt tool to manage fatigue which is a far more complex issue. i would happily have foregone the 12 hour rule if the roster was more balanced so that start times were graduated during the week.

 

[ComUtoR]

The consent I totally understand.

I didn't answer two of the questions because it wasn't possible. I had no possible answer that would apply. Is there any reason why a single missed question would void the entire questionnaire ?

At my TOC we have a communications department. I would recommend calling their head office and then requesting to speak with someone in 'Public Relations' or just tell them about the survey then they are generally pretty good at connecting you to the right department.

There is also a website dedicated to rail research.

https://www.sparkrail.org/Pages/SparkWelcome.aspx

SPARK is a free, interactive web tool for the rail industry to share and find key information and help drive innovation. SPARK users create a community of professionals working together to reduce duplication, speed up innovation and maximise value.

At the heart of SPARK is a library where users have the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and find something new. This helps the rail industry and its research community in particular, to understand what we know and who knows it, and creates opportunities for networking and cooperation

 

[doonaray]

I think this is a really worthwhile project. Rosters are appalling, basically putting Drivers and Conductors into jetlag, particularly on the 7 day stretch when there are 4 earlies followed by 3 lates with no day off inbetween. I frequently had 4 extreme early starts of 4-5am and just as my body got into a routine I would have 3 lates finish at between 1am and 1.30am, consequently I would get to bed at 2 am and wake up again at 3 am. Unfortunately the 12 hours rule is a pretty blunt tool to manage fatigue which is a far more complex issue. i would happily have foregone the 12 hour rule if the roster was more balanced so that start times were graduated during the week.

Hi there,
Thank you so much for your comments regarding the project and the difficulties you face. Some research has been carried out already by RSSB and other organisations on shift work patterns in rail, but it is evident that the issue is utterly immense. It was the result of my reading into what research was out there already that prompted me to undertake this study. I sincerely hope it can contribute to the knowledge base. Thank you once again.

 

[doonaray]

The consent I totally understand.

I didn't answer two of the questions because it wasn't possible. I had no possible answer that would apply. Is there any reason why a single missed question would void the entire questionnaire ?

At my TOC we have a communications department. I would recommend calling their head office and then requesting to speak with someone in 'Public Relations' or just tell them about the survey then they are generally pretty good at connecting you to the right department.

There is also a website dedicated to rail research.

https://www.sparkrail.org/Pages/SparkWelcome.aspx

Hi again,
Apologies for being unclear in previous post....no a missed question would not void the questionnaire, more if a question section was left unanswered i.e. all the fatigue questions, then it would probably cause difficulties with the statistical analysis and comparisons.
Thanks ever so much for the TOC contact info. I will do that. I have looked at SPARK originally when I was deciding on my research focus, but will check that out again now in case of help in getting the survey out there.
I really appreciate you time in this, thank you.
All the best.

 

[Atishyou]

Survey completed

 

[doonaray]

Survey completed

Hi there,
Much appreciated, thank you for your time.

 

[Emmsie]

You might also consider the menopause in your research particularly within a business that requires shifts

 

[GadgetMan]

Filled it in. A couple of questions that from shift work point of view are a bit silly; usual time you go to bed, wake up?

It varies on a daily basis, there is no usual for us.

 

[ComUtoR]

Filled it in. A couple of questions that from shift work point of view are a bit silly; usual time you go to bed, wake up?

It varies on a daily basis, there is no usual for us.

That's the exact question I left blank. I'm late shift this week so I'm post midnight every day when working. Last night I was 0220 'bed time' after getting in late and being wide awake. Hopefully earlier tonight as I'm 00XX finish but got up this morning at 08XX so I'm gonna be shattered. Tomorrow I'm 01XX finish So best hope is going to be around 0300 for bed. Next week I'm early so I doubt I'll see past 2200 and with an 03XX and 04XX set of starts I'm looking 2100 ish. Chuck in RD sleep pattern disruption and school run, kids etc. and my body clock is up the creek.

Fatigue, for me, is more from the dramatic swapping of shifts and inconsistent sleeping pattern. A consistent and regular body clock serves to reduce fatigue. I can understand the need for the question as getting up regularly in the early hours could also induce fatigue. But from my perspective I couldn't answer the question genuinely.

 

[ItchyRsole]

All done and good luck.

Would be interested to see the results if possible.

 

[doonaray]

You might also consider the menopause in your research particularly within a business that requires shifts

Hi there,
Thanks for the comment. A really valid point. For the purposes of my research project I was constrained to use already tried and tested measures for the factors of fatigue, life events, workload and sleep quality. Within the life events section it does incorporate 'change in health'....in some way the menopause could be considered within that category. So, although not specifically looking at the menopause the results of the study may find that an individual who scores highly on experienced life events may also experience a higher level of fatigue. I am very much looking forward to analysing the results and seeing what discussions it brings up for further research. Thanks again for your time and considerations.

 

[doonaray]

Hi,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has completed my fatigue survey so far, or is considering doing so. With the number of responses I have received to date I am very optimistic that by the closing date, I will be able to obtain significant, worthwhile findings from this study which I will be able to share. Thank you.

 

[doonaray]

Filled it in. A couple of questions that from shift work point of view are a bit silly; usual time you go to bed, wake up?

It varies on a daily basis, there is no usual for us.

Hi there,
Yes that was something I was concerned about when devising the survey but I had to use an already tried and tested method for calculating sleep quality which had been used by other researchers previously. Those two questions you talk about are included to obtain a result for number of hours slept which is then fed into the sleep quality assessment. Obviously, as you say a tricky one for shiftworkers........I can only think the best thing to do, would be to type in times for both which represent an weekly / monthly average of how much time you lie in bed for - a best fit. Frustrating I know as it is not truly representative, but this is something that I will certainly pick up on when discussing the limitations of the study and potential future study. Thank you for picking up on this and commenting. Much appreciated.

 

[doonaray]

All done and good luck.

Would be interested to see the results if possible.

Hi there,
Thank you. Absolutely, I will be finishing the written report by the 8th August and submitting it to Derby University. Will be able to share the full results and discussion after that point.
Cheers.

 

[doonaray]

That's the exact question I left blank. I'm late shift this week so I'm post midnight every day when working. Last night I was 0220 'bed time' after getting in late and being wide awake. Hopefully earlier tonight as I'm 00XX finish but got up this morning at 08XX so I'm gonna be shattered. Tomorrow I'm 01XX finish So best hope is going to be around 0300 for bed. Next week I'm early so I doubt I'll see past 2200 and with an 03XX and 04XX set of starts I'm looking 2100 ish. Chuck in RD sleep pattern disruption and school run, kids etc. and my body clock is up the creek.

Fatigue, for me, is more from the dramatic swapping of shifts and inconsistent sleeping pattern. A consistent and regular body clock serves to reduce fatigue. I can understand the need for the question as getting up regularly in the early hours could also induce fatigue. But from my perspective I couldn't answer the question genuinely.

Hi there,
Thank you for your detailed comment regarding the questions in the survey on time to bed and wake up. I have posted a reply to a previous member's post regarding this same issue they found. I totally understand the difficulty in answering it when your shiftwork pattern varies so much. As I said to the previous member, the only thing I can hope for with participants is that they make a best fit judgement on an average basis i.e. typing in two times where the difference between them represents an average amount of time they spend in bed each night / day (depending on the shift). A limitation of the survey is that this isn't explained clearly enough, or that the test allows for such variation in shiftwork. Unfortunately I was constrained with the choice of 'sleep quality test' to use....these weren't just random questions that I had thought up myself, but rather had to be an actual test that other researchers had used and validated in the past with other studies which had been published. These validated questions will allow me to create a sleep quality score for each participant which can then be compared with fatigue level experienced. I know in the past there has been quite a lot of research specifically looking at shiftwork and fatigue and guidelines have been created, although from previous research I have read, these guidelines may be out there but day to day workings are not always able to reflect such guidance.
Thanks again for your valuable comments. All of this is really valid to what the study may uncover and what limitations it will flag up and potentially point to what else needs to be looked at or asked. Much appreciated.

 

[ComUtoR]

Many thanks for your continuing replies.

What many of our internal briefings and discussions revolve around the number of hours sleep we tend to get. I used to be a heavy 10hr sleeper which dropped to around a consistent 8 in my 30's and in stable employment.

Ever since joining the railway and going through shift changes I'm a disrupted and erratic 5/6 hours. Oddly (circadian rhythms etc) when I hit 6 on the money I'm generally ok and do not experience traditional 'fatigue' If I push 7 I'm again totally screwed. I also find that the Sleep credit/deficit dynamic can also make a dramatic difference; sometimes I deliberately use it to my advantage.

I fully understand the reasons why your questions and underlying methodology is being used. I found the constraints of being a student too restrictive and the requirement to use existing studies as a launch platform for research to be more detrimental to advancing research than creating new methodologies and hypothesis. However, I digress...

May I suggest that using a base #hrs sleep as potential additional user entered data. It may reduce the deviation in the 'sleep quality' number especially as average data may be biased in terms of how the participant calculates their personal average or where extreme ends of the clock are used.

Good luck with your research. Fatigue is one of our biggest concern as Drivers and other safety critical staff.

 

[doonaray]

Many thanks for your continuing replies.

What many of our internal briefings and discussions revolve around the number of hours sleep we tend to get. I used to be a heavy 10hr sleeper which dropped to around a consistent 8 in my 30's and in stable employment.

Ever since joining the railway and going through shift changes I'm a disrupted and erratic 5/6 hours. Oddly (circadian rhythms etc) when I hit 6 on the money I'm generally ok and do not experience traditional 'fatigue' If I push 7 I'm again totally screwed. I also find that the Sleep credit/deficit dynamic can also make a dramatic difference; sometimes I deliberately use it to my advantage.

I fully understand the reasons why your questions and underlying methodology is being used. I found the constraints of being a student too restrictive and the requirement to use existing studies as a launch platform for research to be more detrimental to advancing research than creating new methodologies and hypothesis. However, I digress...

May I suggest that using a base #hrs sleep as potential additional user entered data. It may reduce the deviation in the 'sleep quality' number especially as average data may be biased in terms of how the participant calculates their personal average or where extreme ends of the clock are used.

Good luck with your research. Fatigue is one of our biggest concern as Drivers and other safety critical staff.

Hello again,

Great post. Thanks for sharing your own personal experience of sleep. As you say fatigue is an enormous concern and a hot topic currently with institutions such as the Chartered Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics across all safety critical industries. This was one reason for me choosing this topic since I felt the findings would be relevant to other industries not solely rail.
Thanks too for your suggestions regarding #hours sleep for my survey. It is something I will bring up with my supervisors who I will have contact with middle of next week. Unfortunately without their agreement I am unable to make changes to the live survey as it would require further ethics approval. I will see what they have to say. Ideally, if I had carried out a pilot study (which wasn't the requirement of my course), then this issue would have been flagged up.

It has been really beneficial to receive your messages and comments. Thank you and take care.

 

[plymothian]

Hi there,
Thank you for your detailed comment regarding the questions in the survey on time to bed and wake up. I have posted a reply to a previous member's post regarding this same issue they found. I totally understand the difficulty in answering it when your shiftwork pattern varies so much. As I said to the previous member, the only thing I can hope for with participants is that they make a best fit judgement on an average basis i.e. typing in two times where the difference between them represents an average amount of time they spend in bed each night / day (depending on the shift). A limitation of the survey is that this isn't explained clearly enough, or that the test allows for such variation in shiftwork. Unfortunately I was constrained with the choice of 'sleep quality test' to use....these weren't just random questions that I had thought up myself, but rather had to be an actual test that other researchers had used and validated in the past with other studies which had been published. These validated questions will allow me to create a sleep quality score for each participant which can then be compared with fatigue level experienced. I know in the past there has been quite a lot of research specifically looking at shiftwork and fatigue and guidelines have been created, although from previous research I have read, these guidelines may be out there but day to day workings are not always able to reflect such guidance.
Thanks again for your valuable comments. All of this is really valid to what the study may uncover and what limitations it will flag up and potentially point to what else needs to be looked at or asked. Much appreciated.

Yes, one I struggled with too as there is no usual time with shift patterns, generally anything going to bed between 20.00 and 03.00 and rising between 02.00 and 10.00; I had to plump for an average of the two, based on knowing I probably get on average 5 hours sleep a night over a month.

 

[doonaray]

Yes, one I struggled with too as there is no usual time with shift patterns, generally anything going to bed between 20.00 and 03.00 and rising between 02.00 and 10.00; I had to plump for an average of the two, based on knowing I probably get on average 5 hours sleep a night over a month.

Hi there,
Thank you for your comments. I'm sorry the question is proving such a pain to answer. Your decision on 5 hours though seems a sound response to me. Thanks again for participating.