Driving rules Regulations on Night Shift ?

[freedom4170]

Hi all....

I am looking for some advice, in my depot they have Night Shift driving duties and I was wondering if anyone actually knows the maximum amount of hours you can drive and work on a nighshift, I have read elsewhere that the maximum driving duty working nightshift is 8hrs although you can work 48hrs weekly but is this over 6 nights hence the 6 x 8 = 48hrs, and that the maximum working duty on nightshift is 11hrs does this include dinner break etc, I have read on other sites and it seems to contradict those times and its hard to understand. These duties are not driving Tacho vehicles but normal mercedes sprinters vans does that make a difference driving nightshift ?
Any help and advice would be great.
TIA.

[ballsup]

Domestic rules are if you drive over 4 hours ( I assume you do beacause you are driving sprinters ) you are limited to 11 hours working time not including breaks, with breaks you can be on shift for 12 hours 30 mins so that is two 45 min breaks and 11 hours work.

[freedom4170]

Hi Thanks for getting back to me, this is where I am getting confused a little as this is information I have found on other sites and does this also include driving ? this is an extract from NHS Health Scotland website.

Night working
Night time is the period between 11pm and 6am, though employers and workers can choose a different period. If they do, it must be at least seven hours long and include the period from midnight to 5am.

A night worker is someone who normally works at least three hours at night:

on most days worked
on a proportion of the days work which is specified in a collective or workforce agreement
often enough for it to be said that such hours are worked 'as a normal course'.
Night workers should not work more than eight hours daily on average, including overtime, where it is part of a night worker’s normal hours of work.

Nightly working time should be averaged out over a reference period, which is usually 17 weeks. This period can be longer if agreed in a workforce or collective agreement. However, a night worker cannot opt-out of the night working limit average of 8 hours on night work every 24 hours.

Employers must keep record of night workers' working hours to prove they are not exceeding night working limits. Employers must keep the records for at least two years

[ballsup]

https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998 ... tents/made" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can’t opt-out of the 48 hour week if you’re:

airline staff
a worker on ships or boats
a worker in the road transport industry, eg delivery drivers (except for drivers of vehicles under 3.5 tonnes using GB Domestic drivers’ hours rules)
other staff who travel in and operate vehicles covered by EU rules on drivers’ hours, eg bus conductors
a security guard on a vehicle carrying high-value goods


You can opt out of the 48 hour average as the sprinter vans are rated at 3499 tonne, they are specifically rated at that weight to avoid the EU drivers rules and to avoid being reduced to 56 mph. The opt out is voluntary. There doesn't seem to a bar on night workers from opting out.

The average is confusing because it doesn't take into account breaks or holidays so if you work 10 hours per day with a 45 minute break for 5 days your working time average for that week is 46:15 not 50 hours because you have to take your breaks off your working time, you would not need to opt out if that is your working week.

[freedom4170]

Hi thank you just gets a bit confusing and contradicting.
Thanks again.