To comply with Control Room Management regulations[1], companies must establish shift lengths and schedule rotations that allow Controllers enough off-duty time to get eight hours of continuous sleep. Since Controllers are responsible for monitoring pipelines, communicating with others, recording work details accurately, and maintaining pipeline safety around the clock, getting sufficient sleep is crucial for their job performance.
Sleep plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. It is important to ensure that we get enough sleep of good quality, especially for people who work rotating shifts. Such individuals are at a higher risk of developing sleep disorders. If you are struggling to achieve the recommended eight hours of sleep due to sleep disorders, it is advisable to consult with your doctor. The good news is that sleep disorders are treatable.
Scheduling is an essential component of managing your work, sleep, and personal plans. Make sure to hang your Pipeline Performance Group calendar in a common area of your home where family members can see it. Sit down with the calendar every month and enter your work schedule and the corresponding hours of sleep you will need. This simple step helps your family and friends understand that work and sleep are your top priorities. Next, add family activities, meal prep, home maintenance, and recreation to the schedule. While many off-duty activities can be scheduled for off days between sets of shifts, some activities are unavoidable and cannot be neatly aligned with your stretches of off days. There is no perfect formula for a healthy work-life balance, but involving others in your monthly scheduling allows them to provide support for your unique needs as a shift worker.
A Controller once told Charles Alday that he couldn’t go to bed as soon as he got home from work because he had to feed the chickens. Charles laughed. There are many tasks at home that demand our attention, which is why it’s important to find ways to delegate or delay them in order to get the rest we need.
With the arrival of the holiday season, we often find ourselves with a lot of additional tasks to complete. When feeling overwhelmed, it can be helpful to organize and prioritize our tasks. One thing that should always be a top priority is our health and safety on the job, and a key component of that is getting enough sleep. To ensure you have enough rest, it might mean switching off the TV and other electronic devices to get an extra hour or two of sleep.
Did you know that the 2024 PPG Managing Fatigue Calendar is now available? You can order yours for the new year at https://pipelineperformancegroup.com/calendar/. By planning your schedule, prioritizing sleep, and getting the support of your loved ones, you can ensure that you get the rest you need to show up for your job feeling alert and ready to work.
MANAGING FATIGUE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
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[1] 49 CFR § Parts 192.631 (d) (1) and 195.446 (d) (1)
