Metro Plans To Place 14-Hour Cap On Workers' Hours

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Metro is planning to impose a 14-hour cap on the number of hours that automated train control technicians and other employees can work.

The suggestion was offered Thursday during a Metro board safety and security committee meeting to address fatigue among rail employees who work in safety-critical jobs. Metro plans to put the workday cap in place by the end of 2012.

General Manager Richard Sarles says the transit agency will also require supervisors to attend mandatory fatigue-awareness training.

Metro also plans to hire an expert to examine how to identify and prevent worker fatigue.

Dan Stessel, Metro's chief spokesman, says the proposals will cost about $11 million.

The recommendations follow a study of how the transit agency manages fatigue among workers.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)