Can someone decipher the 6 hour rule. I have to have a 15 min break within 6 hours not 30min. Then a further 15 before 9hours. And I thought the cpc courses was supposed to help.
I alway thought it was 15 mind in the first 6 and 30 mins at 9 hours 45 mins by 12 hours
ian.ellingworth.1:
Can someone decipher the 6 hour rule. I have to have a 15 min break within 6 hours not 30min. Then a further 15 before 9hours. And I thought the cpc courses was supposed to help.
You got the 6 hour rule correct = 15 mins
That applies to any period of 6 hours work done in the shift
There is no rule which says a further 15 mins must be taken before 9 hours of work done in the shift
There are rules which state what total amount of break(s) must be taken in a shift depending on how much work was done
NewLad:
I alway thought it was 15 mind in the first 6 and 30 mins at 9 hours 45 mins by 12 hours
Dunno where you got that from
There is no requirement in teh regulations to have a break before exceeding 9 hours work.
You need no WTD break for work of less than 6 hours. Before exceeding 6 hours you need 15 minutes break and the point at when the next break occurs depends on how much work is in your shift. If you will have between 6 and 9 hours work you will need another 15 minutes before the end of your shift.
If you will have more than 9 hours of work then you will need a further 30 minutes of break, which can be in two 15’s. The next break will be needed either when you clock another 6 hours of work or before the end of your shift, which ever comes first.
If the shift will have more than 9 hours work there is no need to take another break before exceeding 9 hours. There are two parts to the break requirements and you use the one which fits your situation and ignore the other. So in the case of more than 9 hours work you ignore the requirement for 30 minutes of break for up to 9 hours and instead go with the 45 minutes of break for more than 9 hours. You don’t apply both requirements to one situation.
You could work 6 hours, take 15 minutes, work another 6 hours and take another 15 then take a final 15 before the end of the shift. Thirty minutes of break not taken before 9 hours of work exceeded but perfectly legal for the WTD.
Coffeeholic:
You could work 6 hours, take 15 minutes,
Is the 8 a typo?
You can see why people get confused though when you read this.
You need no WTD break for work less than 6 hrs, but must take a 15 min break before exceeding 6 hrs!
Then if you work between 6 & 9 hrs you must have another 15 min break, that surely contradicts Rog saying there is no rule saying you must take a 15 min break before 9 hrs work.
The TM where I am working through agency is convinced you must have 30 mins before 6 hrs & another 30 between 6 & 9 hrs! He lists the weekly infringements in a league table.
BillyHunt:
Then if you work between 6 & 9 hrs you must have another 15 min break, that surely contradicts Rog saying there is no rule saying you must take a 15 min break before 9 hrs work.
If your work totals 11 hours in a 12 hour shift then there is no 9 hour rule
The second 15 before 9 hours only comes in where the work in a shift is between 6 and 9 hours
Two different rules depending on the length of work done in a shift
They are given as an either/or but many read it as both apply
I’ve always been under the impression you must have 15 up to, but not over 6 hrs, a further 15 up to, but not over 9 hrs & a further 15 if up to, but not over 12 hrs. I’ve always stuck to this and not had any infringements, or at least nobody has ever told me I was in the wrong.
Let’s face it, in this game no matter how well you plan for a 9 or 12 hrs shift, you can rarely guarantee it working out that way.
BillyHunt:
I’ve always been under the impression you must have 15 up to, but not over 6 hrs, a further 15 up to, but not over 9 hrs & a further 15 if up to, but not over 12 hrs. I’ve always stuck to this and not had any infringements, or at least nobody has ever told me I was in the wrong.
You are not doing anything illegal and have complied with what is needed which is why you are not ‘wrong’
Your understanding of the rules is ‘wrong’ but no worse than taking a 1 hour break for every 3 hours of driving
ROG:
There is no rule which says a further 15 mins must be taken before 9 hours of work done in the shift
Tell that to my boss. We work on a points system with infringements (12 in a month and you’re in the office) and doing this results in 3 points.
Unfortunately I’m not making this up 
We also have the 30 minutes by 6 hours thing. I’ve tried telling them but got nowhere. I’m yet to break any of these (fabricated) rules so haven’t had the chance to refuse to sign for them.
Terry T:
ROG:
There is no rule which says a further 15 mins must be taken before 9 hours of work done in the shiftTell that to my boss. We work on a points system with infringements (12 in a month and you’re in the office) and doing this results in 3 points.
Unfortunately I’m not making this up
We also have the 30 minutes by 6 hours thing. I’ve tried telling them but got nowhere. I’m yet to break any of these (fabricated) rules so haven’t had the chance to refuse to sign for them.
Your company can add on to the RTD and give you company only infringements for non compliance
That is between you, your company and the contract of employment
The easiest way to deal with it is to just take 30 minutes or a 45 before the 6hrs is up. Do you really want to be doing 6hrs without a break at all? Sod that.
Conor:
The easiest way to deal with it is to just take 30 minutes or a 45 before the 6hrs is up. Do you really want to be doing 6hrs without a break at all? Sod that.
Its often the back half of a shift which catches many out on the 6 hours of work and 15 min break rule
ROG:
Terry T:
ROG:
There is no rule which says a further 15 mins must be taken before 9 hours of work done in the shiftTell that to my boss. We work on a points system with infringements (12 in a month and you’re in the office) and doing this results in 3 points.
Unfortunately I’m not making this up
We also have the 30 minutes by 6 hours thing. I’ve tried telling them but got nowhere. I’m yet to break any of these (fabricated) rules so haven’t had the chance to refuse to sign for them.
Your company can add on to the RTD and give you company only infringements for non compliance
That is between you, your company and the contract of employment
They can, but why would they. We get paid for time spent on break so why would they force us to take more breaks than are necessary. I’ve discussed it with the driver trainer and there’s no doubt that they think it’s a legal requirement.
Terry T:
they think it’s a legal requirement.
Then direct them to this thread and - viewtopic.php?f=7&t=99021
Have the rules changed? I always understood the 6 hour rule to mean that you cannot work more than 6 hours without a compulsory 30 minute break, and no more than 9 hours without a compulsory 45 min break.
Where has the 15 minute break come from in relation to the 6 hour rule? I thought it was 30 minutes.
ezydriver:
Where has the 15 minute break come from in relation to the 6 hour rule? I thought it was 30 minutes.
You and half the drivers in the country. Maybe more actually.
Terry T:
ezydriver:
Where has the 15 minute break come from in relation to the 6 hour rule? I thought it was 30 minutes.You and half the drivers in the country. Maybe more actually.
Its the order in which the 4 rules are written and people not reading them correctly
This is the way they are written …
(1) No mobile worker shall work for more than six hours without a break.
(2) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds six hours but does not exceed nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 30 minutes and interrupting that period.
(3) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 45 minutes and interrupting that period.
(4) Each break may be made up of separate periods of not less than 15 minutes each.
This is the way I think they should be written without changing or adding much …
(1) No mobile worker shall work for more than six hours without a break.
(2) Each break may be made up of separate periods of not less than 15 minutes each.
(3) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds six hours but does not exceed nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 30 minutes and interrupting that period.
OR
(4) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 45 minutes and interrupting that period.
ROG:
Terry T:
ezydriver:
Where has the 15 minute break come from in relation to the 6 hour rule? I thought it was 30 minutes.You and half the drivers in the country. Maybe more actually.
Its the order in which the 4 rules are written and people not reading them correctly
This is the way they are written …
(1) No mobile worker shall work for more than six hours without a break.
(2) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds six hours but does not exceed nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 30 minutes and interrupting that period.
(3) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 45 minutes and interrupting that period.
(4) Each break may be made up of separate periods of not less than 15 minutes each.This is the way I think they should be written without changing or adding much …
(1) No mobile worker shall work for more than six hours without a break.
(2) Each break may be made up of separate periods of not less than 15 minutes each.(3) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds six hours but does not exceed nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 30 minutes and interrupting that period.
OR
(4) Where a mobile worker’s working time exceeds nine hours, the worker shall take break(s) totalling at least 45 minutes and interrupting that period.
even easier if your working between 6 and 9 hours you need a break or breaks totalling 45min before commencing any work past 9 hours
I reckon the majority of drivers never fall foul of the RTD because they take a 45 or 15 + 30 driving time break before any RTD break is needed
Its seems to be the back half of a shift when some fall foul of the 15 min rule