Awake had developed a strategic partnership with FMI (Fatigue Management International). Most in-vehicle fatigue detection devices warn drivers that they are falling asleep by responding to signs such as head nodding or eyes closing. However, these signs occur far too late in the sleep process - by the time a device detects that the driver's head is nodding it may already be too late.

In contrast, ASTiD continually assesses the factors known to contribute to, or to be indicative of driver tiredness. The assessment of these factors is used to produce visual and audible alarms alerting drivers to the fact that they may be more tired than they think.

ASTiD takes into account the amount of recent sleep, time of day, length and type of driving, as well as steering movement. A reduction in these movements can be a good guide to impending microsleeps, especially on motorways and similar major roads. ASTiD is the only in-cab fatigue technology in the world to have Global Product Liability Insurance.

The ASTiD system relies on the driver understanding the dangers and effects of driver tiredness. Recognising the quality of the Awake Driver Tiredness Training Programme, ASTiD contracted Awake to provide driver training for companies purchasing the system. Using Awake's network of former police officers, ASTiD is able to provide powerful, credible, high quality training based on the latest research – guaranteed to raise drivers' awareness of the importance of sleep and the dangers of driving while tired.

Awake specialises in developing bespoke training programmes - ranging from lunchtime 'toolbox talks' through to multiple-day seminars accompanied by film and problem-based learning activities.

Our interactive training is based on a scientific understanding of tiredness, including the effects of drugs and alcohol. The emphasis is on engaging the audience, and we provide them with practical advice that can be implemented in their everyday lives.

We deliver training to managers, drivers, shiftworkers, and city professionals, tailoring our approach and delivery to suit the needs of our clients. No matter how large or small the organisation, we can develop an appropriate solution.

We offer highly developed educational and training specialisations in two key areas:

1) Fatigue Management Training

Our fatigue management training is designed to reduce accidents at work due to tiredness. The training has been adopted by both BP and Shell as the preferred training for all staff who drive as part of their job and is now being rolled out globally by both companies. In December 2003 Awake was awarded a Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award in recognition of the Awake Driver Tiredness training programme.

Our training is successful because it is also based on the scientific excellence of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, and is delivered in an accessible, entertaining, non-scientific way, by experts who understand their subject and how to communicate effectively at all levels.

Aims of the training:

Our training incorporates a variety of interactive elements (e.g. investigating real-world examples) as well as using powerful video footage to bring home to drivers the consequences of driving whilst tired. Our videos include police footage of drivers falling asleep, interviews with the families of those who have been killed by tired drivers, and even interviews with truck drivers in prison for having caused road accidents because they fell asleep at the wheel. A key feature of our training and awareness seminars are the problem-based learning techniques that involve the audience rather than relying on them to absorb information passively.

Many drivers also feel they know how to deal with driver tiredness and have developed their own 'strategies'. These can be very dangerous, and so our training is designed to show why these do not work.

The training we provide therefore has 4 objectives:

a) Raise awareness of the extent of the driver tiredness problem;

b) Dispel the myths that drivers have about what they can do to prevent themselves falling asleep at the wheel;

c) Provide effective countermeasures;

d) Raise awareness of employees' and drivers' personal responsibilities.

2) Courses

To cater for the needs of different groups we have developed a range of seminars. The following are some examples of the training we provide.

Seminar 1: Driver Tiredness Awareness for Professional Drivers

Typical duration: 60-90 minutes

For professional drivers we have developed a powerful, hard-hitting seminar that raises awareness of the dangers of driver tiredness and the importance of getting good sleep. These can be delivered by one of our former police officers, all of whom have been trained by Awake and who have direct experience of the effects of driver tiredness. This unique aspect of our work gives the training added credibility, particularly as most of our police officers are class II drivers themselves.

Seminar 2: Fatigue Awareness for Managers

Typical duration: 90-120 minutes

For managers who have responsibility for other staff who drive, as well as busy executives who travel extensively as part of their work, we have developed a more comprehensive training programme that highlights company and management responsibilities. This seminar can be adapted to focus on particular issues (e.g. coping with the effects of jet lag), but again features the core elements of hard-hitting video footage and active participation to raise awareness. In addition to raising awareness of the dangers of driving while tired this seminar also highlights the effects of tiredness on general performance in the workplace.

Seminar 3: Shift worker Fatigue Awareness

Typical duration: 60-90 minutes

Working around the clock is not a natural activity, and many shift workers are never taught how to adjust their lifestyle to reduce the effects of working night and/or rotating shifts. Consequently, performance at work suffers, as do health, safety and quality of life outside work – relationships with other family members deteriorate, and negative family attitudes can have a major impact on staff morale and job satisfaction.

Our fatigue management training is designed to help shift workers improve safety, maintain alertness over prolonged periods and to successfully cope with the additional pressures that shift work places upon their work and home life. Most importantly, our training is designed to reduce accident risk.

Seminar 4: Train-the-trainer workshops

Typical duration: 2 days at client's site.

For large organisations employing many drivers and who have a dedicated team of in-house trainers, the cost effective solution is for Awake to train the trainers. Awake has trained trainers from over 30 countries and run train-the-trainer workshops in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Africa and the Far East. To date our training has been translated into 16 languages.

Objectives:

Teach trainers to deliver presentations covering:
• The effects of tiredness on drivers, their families and managers;
• Raise awareness of the effects of tiredness and the importance of sleep;
• Dispel myths that many drivers have about what works;
• Provide effective short term and long term solutions to the problem

Target audience:

• Driver Trainers;
• HSSE Managers;
• Training managers;
• Schedulers;
• Contract Managers;
• Transport managers.

Content:

• Interactive with plenty of group activities;
• Video footage of drivers falling asleep at the wheel;
• Police footage of sleep-related accidents;
• Interviews with families of victims and with imprisoned drivers;
• Accident investigation to identify accidents caused by fatigue.

All attendees receive a trainers' pack including booklet, posters, drivers' guide and a CD containing the presentations, films and questionnaires to raise awareness. Upon completion of the training all delegates complete a written competency assessment, successful completion of which results in Awake accreditation and inclusion on our database of registered fatigue trainers.

We also regularly attend Company 'family days' or participate in health and wellbeing campaigns, and have a stand that we can set up at a particular location for the course of an event. In addition, Awake has developed a comprehensive range of high-quality materials designed to raise awareness of tiredness and the importance of good sleep.

Awake is linked to the Loughborough Sleep Research Centre, the UK's Centre of excellence for basic and applied research into sleep and alertness. The centre maintains a world wide reputation through its innovative work and sustained publication output in top academic journals.

A national and international force, LSRC influences industry, public policy, EU organisations and its work is discussed in Parliament. The Centre provides expert advice on sleep related matters to industry, the police and legal professions.

LSRC has bedrooms for overnight sleep monitoring, its own fully interactive car simulator and use of a road track and instrumented car for monitoring road performance.

Our assessments of the tiredness-related risk present in a workplace generally consider information collected from 4 sources:

• Discussions with management.

• Employee interviews to find out how tired they are, how they cope with their work schedule and whether they are at risk of sleep disorders.

• An environmental assessment looking at the role factors such as noise, lighting along with canteen and rest facilities, play in workers alertness.

• The objective measurement of the tiredness associated with current shift schedules using software based on international scientific research.

As a result of a risk assessment, informed decisions about what types of changes: schedule, organisational or environmental, can be made to promote well-being and alertness at work.

We offer a number of specialised risk assessment services, including:

Fatigue-related Risk Assessments

Our first step when assessing the extent to which fatigue impacts upon a client's business is to undertake a 'Fatigue-Related Risk Assessment'.

This is designed to assess the extent to which drivers (and other employees involved in safety critical work) are at risk from fatigue. In addition, the risk assessment also enables us to identify strengths, including initiatives, practices and policies which counteract driver tiredness, as well as weaknesses: features of the infrastructure, management practices and policies which contribute to or exacerbate the tiredness experienced by the workforce.

Awake offers a specialised assessment of potential sleep apnoea cases, and can screen and treat your fleet drivers with minimal effects on your business.

What is Sleep Apnoea?

Sleep apnoea is a fairly common sleeping disorder in which breathing stops during sleep, often for 10 seconds or more, and is usually characterised by gagging sounds followed by very heavy snoring. In some cases, this might happen more than 300 times per night. During an average night's sleep, these brief stoppages lead to disruptions in restful sleep, which can have serious effects on waking life. Of course, badly broken sleep increases daytime sleepiness, which can become dangerous if a person doses off, for example, whilst driving. This condition which largely affects obese people, particularly older men, can often go unrecognised unless detected by a witness to the apnoea episodes during sleep. Combined with the other pressures of the 24/7 society, sleep apnoea can further contribute to a groggy and poorly rested workforce, especially if they are on shifts. Part of this problem is that many GPs still fail to diagnose sleep apnoea. The good news is that is is usually quickly and effectively treated.

Awake can organise rapid referrals of potential sleep apnoea cases in the workforce, to specialist sleep clinics in the UK.

Our research-based approach into the management of issues related to sleep and waking, has enabled us to develop strategies for addressing this and other sleep related disorders underlying fatigue, not only in the workplace, but at home and on the road.

Analysis and assessment of shift schedules

The fatigue levels associated with an organisation's shift schedules can be objectively determined using computerised shiftwork analysis software. This software, which has been extensively developed by a leading european research centre, with whom we collaborate, can be used to predict the fatigue levels for each hour of work in a schedule, based on:

• The duration of duty and rest periods

• The time of day that duty and rest periods occur

• The history of duty and rest periods over the previous 7 days

• The biological limits to recovery

This analysis enables us to identify 'fatigue hotspots'; that is, parts of a shift schedule that are associated with a high degree of fatigue risk. Also, by relating these back to times and dates of accidents or incidents, we can also estimate the extent to which they could have been attributed to fatigue.

Finally, we make recommendations regarding the existing or proposed shift schedules, to help to minimise the fatigue levels associated with the shift pattern.