rules around break/rest requirements for rail staff

[34D]

In this thread member gadgetman states:

any additional staff called in to cover trains both on the day of disruption and possibly the next morning if it affects the 12 hour required rest period between shifts

Is this correct?

Could someone point me to the legislation which governs rail staff working time entitlements? I'm familiar with the Road Transport working time directive, and the 'normal' working time regulations, neither of which appears to relate to drivers etc.

Thanks

 

[jnjkerbin]

I'm not sure what actual laws govern this but.the working hours are subject to the Hidden Regulations which state a driver can not work a shift of more than 12 hours and only then if there is no driving after the 11th hour. They also state there must be a 12 hour break between shifts.

Joe

 

[Dr.iver]

Can't work more than 12 hours in a shift
Must have 12 hours rest between shifts
No more than 72 hrs in any 7 day period
Can't work more than 13 consecutive days without a day off

The rules above can only be broken in the event of an Emergency and you must be authorised by senior mgmt, so cancellations and disruption are not excepted as valid reasons

 

[ainsworth74]

Is this correct?

Yes it is. In the aftermath of Clapham Junction and the Hidden report (which in part blamed the errors in wiring upon fatigue due to the worker having had one day off in thirteen weeks as stated in paragraph 16.11) the railway came up with new regulations for the governing of safety critical staff and their working hours. Dubbed the Hidden Limits or Hidden Regulations. They can be found in Appendix A of RGS GH/RT4004. The railway has a statutory requirement to regulate the risk of fatigue amongst its safety critical staff under 'The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006' specifically section 25. To meet this requirement the railway uses the Hidden Limits as outlined earlier. At that's my interpretation of the situation.

 

[GB]

Hidden Regulations no longer exist and have not done so for a couple of years. Each company now manages its own fatigue according to the fatigue index.

There are also some situations where it is permitted (roster wise) to have less then 12hrs off between shifts.

 

[Flamingo]

You can have 10 hours between shifts if doing non safety-critical work, for example the next day is doing something off-train (court appearance, for example).

 

[ainsworth74]

Hidden Regulations no longer exist and have not done so for a couple of years. Each company now manages its own fatigue according to the fatigue index.

I stand corrected. Though assume they inform what each company has come up with, as sort of a starting point?

 

[dk1]

You can have 10 hours between shifts if doing non safety-critical work, for example the next day is doing something off-train (court appearance, for example).

At GA non-safety critical is 11 hours.

PNB is rather more complicated for drivers is quite strict with varying length breaks depending on shift length & have to be booked between 3rd & 5th hour etc.

 

[thelongestroad]

My role is non safety critical and the minimum is 12 hours. Even that doesn't seem enough..!

 

[Monty]

It appears to differ from company to company, though I can say SWT still seem to follow the Hidden rules for its train crew as far as rest periods are concerned.

 

[ellios]

What are the rules for First Great Western Gateline staff?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

It appears to differ from company to company, though I can say SWT still seem to follow the Hidden rules for its train crew as far as rest periods are concerned.

Same where I work. Hidden got dropped a couple of years ago but the guidelines we work to remained the same. All fairly standard stuff, can't work more than a twelve hour shift, must have a minimum of twelve hours rest between shifts, breaks must be of certain lengths and taken at certain times within a shift (etc)