The American Sleep Apnea Association will hold a national conference on sleep apnea and trucking, the first event of its kind, the ASAA says.
The event is slated for Wednesday, May 12, 2010, at The Westin Baltimore Washington Airport - BWI in Baltimore.

According to the association, as many as 28 percent of commercial drivers may be afflicted with sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which an individual's airway is blocked while sleeping, typically resulting in frequent breathing interruptions lasting from 10 seconds to more than a minute at a time, loud snoring and non-restorative sleep. One controlled study found that people with OSA have a six times greater risk of being involved in a traffic crash and a seven times greater risk of having multiple crashes.

"The meeting's objectives are to provide a common understanding of OSA diagnosis and treatment, clarify current and proposed regulations, create a forum of experts to generate guidance for improvements, and provide trucking management attendees with a resource toolkit to improve employee health and safety as well as realize significant benefits for the company," said Ed Grandi, ASAA executive director.

The organizers hope the conference will establish an ongoing forum that will enable trucking, health and policy groups to work together to manage a health and safety concern that needs more awareness and focused effort.

So far, the following government agencies, organizations and companies will participate: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, American Trucking Associations, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, National Transportation Safety Board, Schneider National and ResMed Corporation.

"Considering the perceived expense associated with diagnosis and treatment, the potential loss of income for drivers, and the need for additional research and thoughtful regulation, the issue becomes quite complex," Grandi said. "By convening this meeting, great strides can be made to overcome some of the stumbling blocks that have prevented further progress."

"As far as a return on investment, we've found that not only have we reduced crash frequency and severity, we've improved fleet retention," said Don Osterberg, senior vice president of safety at Schneider National. "We've seen dramatic reductions in health care costs with drivers after they've been diagnosed and treated."

For more information, visit www.satc2010.org.