I feel I should know this (in fact I think I do know this), but a conversation at work the other day raised some doubts in my mind. Anyway, the situation is that when our “usual” truck is off the road for repair, testing etc, we usually get deployed as “drivers mate” on another vehicle. Normally this means we can share the driving, but the other week one of our 7.5 tonne drivers came out with me for the day. He doesn’t have a Class C licence, so he did all the labouring and I did the driving. No problem with that. But at the start of the day when I invited him to put a chart in the tacho, he gave me a bit of a blank look and said it wasn’t necessary as he wasn’t driving that day. That’s not right is it?
It was my understanding that charts were required for all working days, even if we’re on e.g. a training course or working in the warehouse or office? Or have I got the wrong end of yet another stick?
As far as I know you are correct.
Whether driving or not you come into scope as you are working and therefore you need to account for your hours upto the maximum permitted under Working time/ EU hours as he would have previously needed tachos for the rest of the week that he would have been driving. A manual entry can be made but it would have been far easier for him to have put a chart in the 2nd man position and leave it on other work for the day. (aaprt from the required breaks of course)
Yep, a record is required for that day if he has, or will be, driving a vehicle under EU rules during that week. Personally in that situation I would prefer to make a manual entry for that day as putting a chart into the head in a vehicle he doesn’t have the correct category of licence to drive could cause questions to be asked if you were stopped. I guess you could explain the situation if her did have a chart in but I think it would look a bit iffy with him not having the correct category on his licence.
Thanks to both of you for confirming what (I thought) I already knew 
Interesting point re: the driving licence. I wonder what the official view would be?