Not sure if this is the correct site but …
I have a relative who is a truck driver on a busy building site.
He enjoys his job but recently the demands on him have substantially increased, including requests to a work 7 day week, and a point has been reached where his health is now suffering.
Can anyone advise what the best course of action is given the environment he’s working in?
There is a high risk of an accident or worse from being tired at work, there is a risk of falling asleep at the wheel.
It only takes half a second to nod off, in that time , at 56 mph, the truck has travelled a long way, I would seek the advice of the free Citizens Advice Bureau or a trade union representative.
Worst case scenario is to contact DVSA or VOSA.
-If somebody is killed, he is looking at many years of a prison sentence.
The employer will deny it all, and drop him in it, saying we did not force him to do it.
By not resting, the body and mind does not heal itself, the result is depression or anxiety,insomnia.
The immunity system fails too.
No social time or quality time is an issue.
Leave this job and find another.
Is he under EU driving regs?
futurenets:
Can anyone advise what the best course of action is given the environment he’s working in?
That will depend on what his job is, if he ever drives his HGV on public roads there’s a chance that he could not legally work seven days a week, but without more information of exactly what he does it’s not possible to give a more precise answer I’m afraid.
futurenets:
Not sure if this is the correct site but …I have a relative who is a truck driver on a busy building site.
He enjoys his job but recently the demands on him have substantially increased, including requests to a work 7 day week, and a point has been reached where his health is now suffering.
Can anyone advise what the best course of action is given the environment he’s working in?
His best course of action is to say NO when expected to work 7 days a week if he doesnt want to. He could also visit the doctors for a health check and maybe look for another job.
Legalities aside though he should really communicate with his boss about these issues and take it from there. Loving the job is one thing living the job is another.
Sorry if im stating the obvious.
I spent 8 years on concrete pumps 4 hr drives to get to a site to do a 12 hr pour before driving back 4 hrs was not uncommon as the concrete pump is not tacho regulated etc in the end it nearly killed me but that was the nature of the game no leeway was given whatever the circumstances and you were always reminded were the door was eventually I used it and didn’t look back.