OMAHA — Union Pacific Railroad is branching into the classroom to share its findings on the impact of fatigue on performance — in school, on the job, or at home, according to a wire service report.
Titled, “Z-9 Adolescents and Sleep,” a 10-minute video produced by the railroad opens with a humorous turn of the tables — youngsters struggling to wake up their parents and get them to work on time.
The video, intended for students in eigth grade through the first year in college, has a serious message, said Denny Holland, director of occupational health psychology at the nation’s largest railroad.
“Fatigue and sleep deprivation is a growing problem in our society,” Holland said.
Teen-agers generally need about nine hours of sleep each night, but distractions and demands like television, the Internet, homework and part-time jobs have cut that to about 61/2 hours for American youths, Holland said.
Lack of sleep hurts performance while increasing irritability and stress, said Drew Dawson, director of the Center of Sleep Research at the University of South Australia.
“They might be doing a lot, but their mood is not as good,” said Dawson, who has consulted with the railroad and appears on the video.
Tips for a good night’s sleep in the video include maintaining a healthful diet and regular schedule, exercising, avoiding caffeine three hours before going to bed and avoiding work and worry in the bedroom.
The video was made in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration as part of the agency’s efforts to keep the nation’s workforce well rested and safe, said spokesman Warren Flateau.
“Certainly the FRA has been in the forefront and the railroad industry has been taking the lead in fatigue management,” Flateau said.
Fatigue has long been an issue at railroads, which run 24 hours a day and require some people to work at night.
Union Pacific’s 1996 merger with Southern Pacific brought the issue to a head when three train collisions the next year killed five railroad workers and two trespassers.
The federal government cracked down on the railroad, conducting a 16-day investigation that found causes of the crashes included tired and overworked Union Pacific employees.
Union Pacific responded by hiring more workers, allowing nap times and including entire families in discussions about the need for employees to get their rest.
Working with the family led to the kind of information in the videotape that is aimed at teenagers, railroad spokesman Mark Davis said.
“The next logical step in helping the family is adolescents,” Davis said. “By helping the family we’re also developing potential employees.”
The video was completed in July and the railroad has presented a copy to the Omaha Public School District for its consideration. Some schools in central Wisconsin also have expressed interest, Holland said.
Railroad employees are being encouraged to tell their area schools about the film, Holland said.
“We’ve not used it yet,” said Luanne Nelson, a spokeswoman for the Omaha schools. It has been placed in a video library for teachers to use, Nelson said.
Production of the video began about two years ago after Holland spoke about the consequences of fatigue at a health class at Millard South High School. The children and teachers were enthusiastic about the topic and the railroad wanted to reach a broader audience with what it had learned about fatigue, Holland said.