On Aug. 4 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration announced that they are officially withdrawing the March 10, 2016, advance notice of proposed rulemaking concerning the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among individuals occupying safety sensitive positions in highway and rail transportation,and its potential consequences for the safety of highway and rail transportation.
The AASM submitted a response to the FMCSA and FRA proposal, and in August 2016, AASM Past President Dr. Nathaniel Watson represented the AASM at a public meeting of the FMCSA Medical Review Board (MRB).
The Agencies’ announcement indicated that they have determined not to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking at this time and believe that current safety programs and FRA’s rulemaking addressing fatigue risk management are the appropriate avenues to address OSA.
The official notice is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Aug. 8.
