railway working hours

[FIRE5149]

Hi does anyone know what the legal maximum working hours on the railways, What are the legal rest periods etc

Thanks in advance

[Buenchico]

The maximum working hours for safety critical rail staff are determined by the provisions of the Hidden Report.

No safety critical rail employee may work more than 12 hours in a shift. The break between shifts must be a minimum of 12 hours. The number of successive days worked must not exceed 13. The number of hours worked in any one week must not exceed 72.

Otherwise the same rules as apply to other workers are applicable to the rail industry. Workers are entitled to a minimum break of 20 minutes in any shift which exceeds 6 hours. The allowance is neither 'scaled' nor 'cumulative'. i.e. Someone working a 12 hour shift is still only entitled to one 20 minute break.

The average number of hours worked each week (calculated over a 17 week period) should not exceed 48 unless the employee has voluntarily entered into an agreement with the employer.

Workers should either have 24 hours free of work each week or 48 hours free of work each fortnight.

The rules are different for workers under 18 years of age:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employe es/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/index.htm

Chris

[Reverandfunk]

Whenever I use the train the rest periods are 8 hours per worker

[corkydog]

Point 1 The hidden report is only a guideline and not law so you can be made to work longer if the needs of the network require it.
Point 2 If you work in a single manned location such as a signalbox or crossing location you have no entitlement to a lunch / rest period away from your location no matter what the length of your shift.
Point 3 You can be required to stop on for upto 1 hr at the end of your shift wether you want to or not (or even come in early) if the company deems it necessary.
This is all network rail some of the train operating companys work to different guidlines.
The 48 hour working agreement must be opted OUT of not in.