working hours

[jan behnke]

Hi does any one know the law on how long the working day can be, and this is the hard one the 11 hour break is it law or a guide I have been working my nuts of this week finishing at 11.00 12.30 at night and starting at 7.30 8.00 and if it is illegal is my company insurance void for me while working and driving

[botrous]

Well here in Lebanon the maximum working hours are 8 a day including 1 hour of brake ,(if you work for more than 6 hours a day ur boss must pay for ur lunch or provide it), any additionnal hours are overtime ,but all ur working hours in the same day including overtime must not exceed 12 hours, and the boss must take your OK so you work overtime , and at over times insurance covers you . . . and you get paid the double of a regular hour , hours after 6 pm are multiplied by 4.

[chillin out]

Hi Botrous, got any jobs going for grabs out there?
That sounds good conditions to me.

[sjeanes]

in uk those working hours would be bliss.
insurance is good for what ever hours you work but doubt in health and safety

[Jamie]

Thats the reason i deserted the uk for a chilled lifestyle in New Zealand.
Got fed up of working the long hours.
Then paying for the immigrants and blairs **** ups!
The money was great but what you had left there was no time to spend it.

[piston broke]

Oi you lot!

Stop moaning and get back to your work.

PIST

[Argus]

Let's get real for a while.

It?s very interesting post and raises some even more interesting questions. Firstly the law in the UK (and the EU) is different to some other parts of the world. So, while they are interesting comparisons, it?s purely academic as far as this country is concerned, as the original post came from the UK.

Secondly, you are governed by the Working Time Regulations in the UK (and also the EU, as it is harmonised legislation).
You can get some info here.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/w...edirective.htm

In many respects it is a can of worms. But the law is the law.


As far as sleep deprivation is concerned, and on an even more serious note, the following three links describe a rail crash in 2001 in the North of England that claimed 10 peoples? lives due to a road driver suffering from sleep deprivation, and the consequences. His vehicle left the road, went down a bank onto a rail track, derailed one train and another crashed into the first.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/n...re/3103590.stm

He was charged with the manslaughter of 10 people.

In this link his parole application was rejected.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/n...re/3447167.stm

He got out of jail last year, two years early.

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ne...sentence_.html


Are you self employed? In these circumstances, your insurance would probably be invalid. Check it out with them. When insured, you are presumed to be operating legally.

Driving after sleep deprivation is tantamount to driving when drunk. No argument.

.
________
Avenger

[Latte]

Hi Guys,

As far as i was aware, the law at the moment is that you have to take & Show that you have had at least a 30min break in an 8 hour shift (UK). As to overtime, no regulations exist.

Lets face it, most companies SHOULD give you an 8 hour break each day although as most of us know if you are on call then this may not happen.

What we have always to remember is that we live in a world of litigation. No win No fee adverts at every commercial break. We have to act sensibily and if you are too tired you have to say enough is enough !!!!!. This job is dangerous enough when awake, don't go and kill yourself trying to help the comapny out or grabbing all the overtime possible.

I dont know about the rest of you but i work to live NOT live to work

Regards

Fatboy

[botrous]

Hi Botrous, got any jobs going for grabs out there?
That sounds good conditions to me.

It's good conditions to anybody who can have a job here . . . it's too hard to find a job here , the country is passing in a very hard economic situation since a decade .

[Brian_UK]

I'm not sure about the length of the break as stated by Fatboy but I know that you are not allowed to work for more than 6 hours continuosly without taking a break.

I was going to start off on a long list of working hour limits and then remembered that it only applies to commercial driving. So we can slog around in our vans for ever...

[jan behnke]

I have been in this game for over twenty years but as I get older it takes longer to recover from being on call, I am on call at the moment and so far have done 41-¼ hrs OT. I post the thread as this week I was working on a site, the site engineer laid down the law to me as I looked fxxked, to cover his arse and he stated you can only work a maximum of 16 hrs in 24 with a 11 hr break between end and start, but how does that work with us engineers when you could be travelling home for two hrs

[Latte]

Hi Jan,

This may be a H&S policy for this site as i have never come accross this before.

As Brian say's there is a law for HGV/PSV drivers. They have to take a 45 min break in every 4.5 hours on their tacho's, there are a few exceptions to this rule but i won't go on about them.

This touble is with this subject there is more grey area than there is reg's in black & white. EU And British rules come into force in different situations. All you can do is be sensible about it and don't push yourself too hard.

at the end of the day, if you are too tired to go to a job DONT.

regards

Fatboy