RTD And Duty Time

ASK THE EXPERTS SAFETY, LAW AND WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE FORUM (INTE
1

Just getting muddled and need a bit of clarity on this…

My total duty time is between 6 and 9 hours so i need to have had a total of 30 minutes of break within that period.

My total duty time time is between 9 and 12 hours so i need to have had 45 minutes of break within that period.

My total duty time is between 12 and 15 hours so i need to have had how much break within that period… 1 hour? 45 minutes?

2

far as i am aware its 45 min for over 9 hours not 8 - 12.

however you cant do more than 6 hours at any point with out a break of at least 15 min,

for example you cant drive for 4.5 hours have a 45 min break and then complete a 12 hour shift as you will of done over 6 hours duty without a break…

3

This is where I go first.

It is guidance, not the actual statute, but normally is good enough.

I’m assuming you are normally under EU rules, and we never looking at any period of driving over 4hr30 and we are never working at night?

Quote from link

  • breaks:
  • mobile workers must not work more than 6 consecutive hours without taking a break
  • if working hours total between 6 and 9 hours, working time should be interrupted by a break or breaks totalling at least 30 minutes
  • if working hours total more than 9 hours, working time should be interrupted by a break or breaks totalling at least 45 minutes
  • breaks should be of at least 15 minutes’ duration

I think you are dead right on that.

I don’t think you can have a duty time of 15hrs. You are mixing start to finish time with duty time. And the rules discuss duty time.

If starting at 06hr00 you need to end by 21hrs to get a 9hr daily rest by 06hr00 the next day.

Start at 06hr00,
30mins break 11hr45 to 12hr15.
15min break 18hr00 to 18hr15.
End 21hr00

So, 45min is possible, I think.
Open to correction on above example.

And obviously we aren’t saying it is sensible or asking why would you :wink:

4

i guess that technically breaks don’t count towards duty so in theory 15 hours duty isnt possible as you would need to be at work for more than 15 hours. 45 min total break is possible for a 15 hour shift if you do less than 4.5 hours driving but who would want to.

years ago i had a warehouse job where 12 hour shifts were the norm for some and they would have 45 min break (1 half hour and 1 15 min break)

5

For the RT(WT)R all shifts over 9 hours working time require you to have a total of 45 minutes break.

The break can be split into breaks of no less than 15 minutes.

As long as you do not go over 6 hours working time without a break of at-least 15 minutes the break/breaks can be taken at anytime except the immediate start or end of shift.

Breaks for the RT(WT)R have to INTERUPT the total working time that’s why breaks at the immediate start or end of the shift do not count for the RT(WT)R.

6

It is an important concept that it is total working time rather than total duty time.

Your total working time would be the time since you started the shift minus any breaks or POA.

Over 9 hours work requires 45 minutes break in total.