CDME Module 4: Respiratory-Withdrawal of Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) does not mean examiners and employers should ignore safety risks

Withdrawal of Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) does not mean examiners and employers should ignore safety risks

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Pdf Summary

The Department of Transportation and its agencies have withdrawn the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on the Evaluation of Safety Sensitive Personnel for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in commercial motor vehicle drivers. This has led to confusion among medical examiners and employers as to whether screening and/or treatment for OSA is still necessary. However, it is important to note that the withdrawal of the ANPRM does not mean that safety risks associated with OSA should be ignored. The Department of Transportation and its agencies have acknowledged that OSA remains a concern for motor carrier and railroad industries due to its potential to cause unintended sleep episodes and resulting deficits in attention, concentration, situational awareness, and memory. There are still resources available to medical examiners to help determine whether a driver is at risk for OSA, such as the January 2015 Bulletin to Medical Examiners and Training Organizations Regarding Obstructive Sleep Apnea and the 2016 Medical Review Board recommendations. While there are no specific criteria that examiners are required to follow, they can use these resources as guidelines for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of OSA in commercial motor vehicle drivers. Examiners are expected to use their medical training and expertise to determine whether a driver exhibits symptoms and/or multiple risk factors for OSA and to refer drivers for further evaluation and treatment if necessary. It is important for examiners to assess each driver on a case-by-case basis and to document their rationale for any additional testing or treatment required. Ignoring the risk of OSA in drivers is not acceptable, and examiners should continue to prioritize safety in their evaluations.

Asset Caption

Hartenbaum NP. J Occup Environ Med. 2017;59e374–e376

Keywords

Department of Transportation

agencies

Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Evaluation of Safety Sensitive Personnel

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

commercial motor vehicle drivers

medical examiners

employers

screening

treatment