Public Safety

The Public Safety Committee identifies safety risks related to sleep, fatigue and circadian misalignment and develops strategies to advocate for and promote improved regulatory oversight, awareness, alertness, and overall safety.

Access resources created by the Public Safety Committee including FAQs on fatigue and sleep in commercial operators, comments on federal regulation, guidance for the Philips recall, information on daylight saving time and more. Share these with your colleagues, legislators, federal and state agencies, and other transportation stakeholders.

COVID-19

The Public Safety Committee along with the AASM COVID-19 Task Force have worked since the beginning of the pandemic to keep members up-to-date with the latest news, provide guidance, and create and curate supportive and informative resources.

Daylight saving time

The committee’s work on daylight saving time led to the publication of the AASM position statement, two episodes of the Talking Sleep podcast, and the AASM daylight saving time policy webinar. The AASM advocates for permanent standard time and opposes the Sunshine Protection Act.

Fatigue and sleep in commercial operators

Commercial operators who are fatigued or have undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders pose a distinct threat to public safety. The committee has created extensive resources to raise awareness of these issues and to support health care providers in their management of fatigue and sleep disorders in commercial operators.

Federal regulations

The Public Safety Committee provided the AASM response to several federal regulations.

Philips recall

The Public Safety Committee was instrumental in shaping the AASM guidance for members in response to the Philips recall of PAP devices.

Physician burnout

Many factors contribute to physician burnout, including sleep deprivation. Prioritizing sleep is one measure health care providers can use to combat burnout. To bring attention to this important issue, the committee created a shareable tip sheet and authored an AASM position statement.

Other publications