The Record, Hackensack, NJ 8/25/17:
Editorial: Reinstate mandated sleep apnea screening
Screening for sleep apnea for truck drivers hauling large loads and railroad engineers carrying railcars filled with hundreds of passengers is one more safety check that could save lives, and might prevent tragic accidents, especially in the heavily traveled Northeast. Yet in the Trump administration, thoughtful rules and regulations, even those protecting the environment, can be seen as intrusive, a burden on the free flow of commerce.
Well, there are costs, and then there are costs. And the loss of life is not an acceptable price to pay for inaction.
As Staff Writer Curtis Tate reported, the Trump administration’s decision earlier this month to drop an Obama-era proposal requiring railroad and trucking companies to test employees for obstructive sleep apnea runs counter to standard industry practice, expert recommendations and rules already in place at several transportation authorities.
It also goes against the grain of common sense.
SNIP
Clearly, sleep apnea is an emerging health issue, and when it involves truck drivers, railroad engineers or people who operate heavy machinery, it has to be taken seriously. By thwarting efforts for effective, across-the-board screenings for the sleep disorder, especially where it concerns interstate travel and commerce, the White House is throwing caution to the wind, and hoping for the best.
This rollback is reckless, irresponsible and unacceptable. Trump should order the agencies to reinstate the screenings.
More here.