Sleep Reporting
 

Can an aviation employer legally require pilots to report their sleep history for three days prior to commencing every rostered duty period? This would seem to be gross overreach IMO. I get that organisations have a responsibility to help manage fatigue and that FRMS systems need data for modelling, but where does it stop? When do we acknowledge that individual employees also have a right to privacy? Would you trust your employer that fatigue and sleep data will not be used punitively?

Sleep or "sleep"?

I fail to see how they can possibly do this. And what happens if they deem your sleep is not up to the required “ standard “?

What is the standard? Who sets it?

I’m so glad I’m out of the industry. The fun seems to be completely gone, and it seems people want to regulate it out of existence. .

Could info from an Apple Watch or any sleep tracker be used in a prosecution?

Driven by a client requirement?

It’s common to have such creep in the mining sector, often resulting in a square peg in a round hole.

This seems too intrusive to me.

And surely it's brought on by rostering without sufficient time to recover between duties - so they are trying to put the blame for insufficient sleep on us rather than their rostering.

I have worked 6-on, 2-off rosters, starting on earlies, and finishing on lates; so the "2 days off" were actually only one day off the job.

It was brutal and I was like a zombie in those times, but try calling in sick or too tired on the first early mornings, and see how far your career lasts.

I fail to see the problem. You got 8 to 10 hours every night didn't you?

If you're stupid enough to wear one and let it dump your private info into the cloud (read data centre), I am sure it could. The incessant drive for personal information is driven by those stupid enough to hand it out. Loyalty cards, rewards cards, apps that track every move, apps that dump your health info into a data centre, all of it, most folk fail to see any problem and actually love this stuff. Sheeple indeed :-)

A lot of mining company aviation is advised by industry rejects perpetuating their importance.
your square peg analogy is spot on

It’s interesting to watch the modern just culture of aviation clash with mining‘s instant dismissal culture.

Tell em they are dreamin! ( F Off! )

What is your experience, and are you an ATPL airline pilot ?

Your comment of ".....8 - 10 hours every night...." suggests that you're not ? Not quite so easy when you are waking up at 0300 for earlies, or not getting into bed until 0300 after nights.

I agree with your comments re bio-trackers though. To risky, in this day and age of hackers, to put personal information of that kind onto the internet.

Appreciate the comments. Keep them coming. Especially interested in the associated legalities. I have spent some time in the Privacy Act 1988 and it is insightful...

Clearly there’s something in the background here Captain nomad, and I understand you probably can’t say too much
But can you outline if it’s sleep history or “sleep opportunity history” being sought. Sleep opportunity being legislated in rostering practices in CAO 48.1 IIRC.

If the employer requests a pilot’s “sleep history” over the preceding three days, what would said employer’s response be if the pilot reported going to bed at 20:00 after a light meal and a glass of wine at, say 18:30. Unable to sleep for fear of missing the alarm set for, say, 03:30. Pilot “thinks” that some time was asleep from, say, 23:30 until awakened by the alarm. Same pattern for three nights straight, to meet rostered sign on times.
If other pilots rostered for consecutive early shifts reported similar problems, what are employer’s responsibilities?
Sleep “opportunity “ is not “sleep”. Maybe simply providing the “opportunity” is acceptable for one 24 hour period, or even twice in a week if the duty periods are reasonable, but depending on the pattern, over three consecutive days it could be woefully inadequate.

Hey Compressor Stall, on the first point, correct... On the second point, the sleep reporting I am referring to is an assessment of 'actual sleep' in previous 24 and 72 hour windows.

CAAP 48-01 has an Appendix G - 'Data Collection Procedures.' It clearly indicates a voluntary process should be followed and data collection should not be coerced. Undoubtedly, this is in order to be compliant with the Privacy Act.

Just tell the boss, that you average four hours sleep in the flea infested hotel on the overnight after six sectors. The gentle hum of the air conditioner eventually lulls you off to sleep, along with the sound of running water from the toilet cistern, unfortunately the drug addled couple next door having an orgy with the local bikie gang, should result in you signing on fully fatigued at 6am for another six sectors.

Uplinker, no I am not. I also know full well that there are pilots that may well be sleep deprived. I get fatigue in GA where I work full time. Being asked to be creative with FCDT does happen. But, sometimes I just can't help myself :-) I can tend to be flippant.
I also appreciate that Captain Nomad is asking a genuine question and I respect that, but hey, we are on an internet forum.

Your sleep history is last thing your employer wants to know. It would open them to all kinds of liability. They want to know that you've had the required legal rest period, with the onus on you to report fatigue.

Rudestuff, if only it was that simple. That may have been the case 10 years ago, but these days... Well, a lot depends on how your FRMS is setup doesn't it? An industrial relations confliction between Workplace Health and Safety law attempting to override Privacy law...?!

My point is that knowing your sleep history and therefore your likely level of fatigue can only ever effect the company negatively. So I would expect any push for this kind of thing to come from regulators