Looking out for the hidden risks

Published: Commercial Vehicle Workshop

In protecting employee wellbeing, an employer has to consider a number of different risks that pose direct and indirect threats of injury. One such indirect and hidden danger is tiredness caused by working excessive hours over a long period of time. Peter Purdom, director of health and safety experts, xCenta Solutions considers the Working Time Regulations (1998) and the role of the commercial workshop in minimising such incidents.  

The impact of working long hours, well in excess of 48 hours per week, can take its toll on an employee’s performance if defined breaks or time off aren’t taken. Attention to detail will suffer as a result and in turn increase the risk of damage or serious or fatal injury. The recession has augmented this risk as companies and employees tend to work longer hours to manage peaks of activity rather than increase headcount.

A part of the Working Time Regulations state that employees should not work more than 48 hours in an average week. This average is taken over a period of time, to take into account occasional peaks but to prevent it becoming the norm. In the UK, the Directive allows an ‘opt out’ to the time limit which is a voluntary agreement between an employee and employer and can be retracted at anytime. But even with this ‘opt out’, senior management has a responsibility to ensure that long hours don’t become the root cause of accidents.

Working hours take no account of travel time employees spend going to and from work. As a result, a working week of more than 60 hours excluding variable additional commuting time is not uncommon, with minimum time taken for days off. All parts contribute to an employee’s ability to assess risk and pay attention to detail.

Responsible employers should keep track of the excessive hours and days their staff work, reviewing ways to ensure that both quality of work and exposure to risk are not being affected.

The enforcement of the Working Time Regulations fall under the HSE’s remit, checking company records to ensure that workshops are adhering to the working time limit of 48 hours per week wouldn’t normally form part of a regular inspection by the HSE. However, if a specific complaint is received by an individual or group of employees or their representatives then it would be an inspector’s role to ensure that businesses aren’t flouting the regulations.

With an ‘opt out’ in place, businesses have taken steps to cover themselves, whilst employees enjoy the financial rewards additional working hours bring. This may raise the question of what is the problem if employees work long hours for extra money, as long as the right forms are in place? But while a business has complied with the law, should a serious accident take place then any HSE inspector will examine all the facts surrounding the accident – including the pattern of working hours.

Compliance with health and safety legislation and its numerous regulations is very achievable provided there is a management system in place that enables commercial vehicle workshops to implement procedures, train staff and review progress to protect employees, visitors and the business from harm. Key to any system is the identification and review of risks and hazards, many of which involve the use of equipment, COSHH, layout of premises and the movement of vehicles. The training and familiarisation of employees in their working environment is critical and easy to review. What is always difficult to assess is both the physical and mental condition of individuals, to which continuous excessive hours will be a contributing factor.

Most workshops truly value their workforce and would hate for an accident, no matter how serious, to happen on their premises - therefore, it’s important that senior management include working hours as an equal priority to other potential risks.

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