Fatigue in rail operations is a safety risk, a compliance challenge and a potential operational bottleneck. Early shifts, night shifts and consecutive schedules can push workers beyond safe working limits. For rail staffing agencies and operators, ensuring every shift complies with Office of Rail and Road (ORR) fatigue guidelines is critical not only to protect employees but also to safeguard projects, prevent delays and maintain regulatory compliance.

Signal Software’s latest update tackles this head-on. By integrating ORR fatigue standards directly into our platform and improving the alert user interface, agencies can now manage fatigue efficiently, accurately and proactively.

Why Fatigue Management Matters

Rail operations are complex, fast-moving and highly regulated. Fatigue can have far-reaching consequences:

• Safety incidents: Exhausted workers are more likely to make errors that put themselves, colleagues and passengers at risk.
• Compliance breaches: ORR regulations specify maximum working hours, rest periods and consecutive shift limits. Non-compliance can lead to fines or operational restrictions.
• Operational inefficiency: Without clear monitoring, managers may unknowingly schedule overlapping or excessive shifts, creating last-minute staffing gaps and overworked employees.

Signal Software addresses all these challenges, giving agencies the tools to monitor, prevent and act on fatigue risks before they escalate.

ORR Fatigue Guidelines Integrated into Signal Software

The “Enable ORR Guidelines” feature is at the heart of the update. Once activated, Signal Software automatically tracks every shift against ORR’s recommended working limits, rest periods and consecutive shift rules.

Key features include:

Automated Shift Monitoring

Signal Software monitors fatigue in real-time across all shift types:

These automated messages allow managers to see exactly where shifts exceed safe or compliant limits, removing the need for manual calculations or error-prone spreadsheets.

Enhanced Alert Interface

Signal Software has also improved how alerts are displayed, making it easier to act immediately:

• Red (!) icon: Shows traditional exceedances
• New triangle alert icon: Appears for ORR-specific breaches
• Hover tooltips: Quick summary of the issue for fast review
• ORR Guideline Monitoring popup: Click the triangle to see detailed information, including:
• Employee name and profile photo
• Triggered rule and description
• Severity level (High for critical breaches, Info for informational checks)
• Applies From / Applies To dates for context
• Excel export option for reporting or audits

This interface gives managers full visibility at a glance while preserving the ability to dive deep into specific exceedances.

Seamless Integration with Workforce Management

What makes this update powerful is its integration into Signal Software’s broader recruitment and shift management platform:

• Automatic scheduling checks: Shift assignments are monitored against fatigue rules as they’re created, reducing errors before they reach the bookings sheet.
• Risk assessment integration: Alerts feed into compliance dashboards, linking fatigue, safety and risk in one place.
• Audit-ready reporting: Excel exports and clear exceedance logs make regulatory audits faster and simpler.
• Proactive workforce planning: Managers can adjust schedules early, avoid consecutive high-risk shifts and ensure worker rest periods are maintained.

This isn’t just compliance it’s smarter, safer and more efficient workforce management.

Real-World Benefits for Rail Organisations

By using Signal Software’s ORR fatigue monitoring features, rail organisations can:

• Prevent fatigue-related incidents: Automated alerts reduce the risk of overworked workers.
• Ensure regulatory compliance: All shifts are tracked against ORR guidelines, with evidence ready for audits.
• Save time and reduce errors: Automation eliminates manual calculations and monitoring.
• Enhance operational efficiency: Managers can make data-driven decisions about workers, reducing last-minute changes and delays.
• Improve worker wellbeing: Workers get the rest they need, improving morale, retention and productivity.

The Signal Software Difference

Unlike generic scheduling or HR tools, Signal Software combines recruitment, rostering and fatigue management in one platform. The new ORR guideline monitoring is not an add-on it’s fully integrated, giving agencies actionable insights at every stage of workforce management.

With this update, fatigue compliance moves from being a reactive, time-consuming task to a proactive, automated and user-friendly process.

Take Control of Fatigue Compliance Today

Fatigue management doesn’t have to be complicated. Signal Software’s ORR guideline integration and enhanced alert UI empower agencies to protect employees, maintain compliance and optimise operations all in one platform.

Book a demo today and see how Signal Software turns fatigue monitoring from a challenge into a competitive advantage.