Work life balance for signaller?

[Richie P]

Hi..can any current signallers give me an insight as to how your shifts and time off marry up together please? I am looking to leave a secure job as a firefighter which provides me a 4 on 4 off rota and is very family friendly. I am just trying to get all my facts together before actually making the decision to jump ship. All your comments and experiences through different grades would be appreciated.

 

[TRain87]

Hi..can any current signallers give me an insight as to how your shifts and time off marry up together please? I am looking to leave a secure job as a firefighter which provides me a 4 on 4 off rota and is very family friendly. I am just trying to get all my facts together before actually making the decision to jump ship. All your comments and experiences through different grades would be appreciated.

Best thing you can do is read the 'A career as a signaller' thread! It has all the information you require

 

[Llanigraham]

It would be useful to know where in the country you are looking as shift patterns can vary regionally, and even between different Boxes.

For example, most of the Boxes along the Marches line run 12 hour shifts, 0600 - 1800 - 0600 on a 4 week rotation, so you end up working 14 days in every 28. I have never seen a 4 on/4 off pattern; it is a little more complictaded than that. Mine was 4N, 7off, 4D, 3off, 3N, 1off, 3D, 3off, then repeat. A similar pattern was worked in South Wales. That includes Sundays that are rostered as overtime and you are expected to work them unless you can arrange cover yourself.

Scotland's 12 hour shifts ran 1200 - 2400 - 1200!

8 hour shift patterns seem a lot more comlicated and one I would not have wanted to work.

 

[Richie P]

It would be useful to know where in the country you are looking as shift patterns can vary regionally, and even between different Boxes.

For example, most of the Boxes along the Marches line run 12 hour shifts, 0600 - 1800 - 0600 on a 4 week rotation, so you end up working 14 days in every 28. I have never seen a 4 on/4 off pattern; it is a little more complictaded than that. Mine was 4N, 7off, 4D, 3off, 3N, 1off, 3D, 3off, then repeat. A similar pattern was worked in South Wales. That includes Sundays that are rostered as overtime and you are expected to work them unless you can arrange cover yourself.

Scotland's 12 hour shifts ran 1200 - 2400 - 1200!

8 hour shift patterns seem a lot more comlicated and one I would not have wanted to work.

Thanks mate...i am in South Wales where I am looking at a couple of vacancies, but also looking as far as Cambridge and Norwich to get my foot in the door. I will read the post mentioned above again to see what I have missed. Grateful for your reply...and everyone else too.

 

[Southernsig]

Some single man box 8 hr rosters are nothing short of brutal! 12 hrs are definatly far more friendly. That being said progression can be extremely quick if you want to be when signalling so if its something you really want to do it might be worth putting up with an 8 hr roster to begin with and moving on to a location with 12's in the future!