I had the pleasure of recently attending a conference on fatigue risk management systems (FRMS) in Mexico City. It is gratifying to watch these systems mature and be put into use by operators around the world. There is no question that fatigue is a major risk that must be managed, but I think it is important to understand how these systems fit into the context of other safety systems and programs being implemented globally.
The unfortunate truth is that people, in their enthusiasm, sometimes see new initiatives such as FRMS providing the answer to everything. Whatever else was in place is put aside, and everybody chases after the new thing.
That isn’t how the safety business is supposed to work. It is too easy to forget that we are supposed to make the system safe by building layers of protection. Just because somebody suggests we build a new layer doesn’t mean we have to tear the others down.
Let’s look at FRMS in that context. New standards and guidance materials are s…
