§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines he has issued as to the minimum sleep requirements within 24-hour and seven-day periods for(a) airline pilots, (b) train drivers, (c) lorry drivers and (d) coach drivers.
§ Mr. KeyThe Air Navigation Order 1989 requires that no member of an aircraft crew shall fly, nor shall an operator require him to fly, if either has reason to believe that he is suffering, or likely to suffer while flying, from fatigue which may endanger the safety of the aircraft or its occupants. Aircraft operators are also required to establish a scheme for the regulation of flight times for aircrews. Such schemes need to be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The CAA's civil aviation publication 317 "The Avoidance of Fatigue in Aircrews" gives guidance on requirements for operator's flight time limitation schemes. Flight time limitation schemes do not set out minimum sleep requirements but specify maximum duty periods and minimum rests periods. The actual working of the schemes are complex but, in general, the maximum duty hours for aircrew should not exceed 55 hours in one week.
The Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulation 1994 places a duty on all railway employers to prevent employees with key safety responsibilities from working excessive hours. The Health and Safety Executive's non-statutory guidance recommends that train drivers should under normal circumstances have a minimum rest period of at least 11 consecutive hours per 24-hour period. Further guidance will be given in a statutory approved code of practice to be produced by the Health and Safety Executive by March 1995.
For most heavy goods vehicle drivers and about half bus and coach drivers Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3820/85 on drivers' hours limits driving hours—nine hours a day which may be increased to 10 hours twice a week—breaks —a break or breaks totalling 45 minutes must be taken during or after 4.5 hours of driving—and rest periods—11 consecutive hours daily rest, reducible to nine hours three times a week, and 45 consecutive hours weekly rest, reducible to 36 hours or 24 hours away from base.
The remainder, which include drivers of vehicles used for the carriage of passengers on a regular service of not more than 50 km are exempt from EC regulations and are subject to domestic drivers' hours rules.
The domestic rules for heavy goods vehicles limit the daily driving period of 10 hours and a maximum working day/duty time to 11 hours. The domestic rules for public service vehicles differ from those for HGVs. The daily driving period of 10 hours per day is the same, but the maximum working day/duty time is 16 hours. There is also a 5.5 hour limit on continuous driving and a 10 hour daily rest requirement.
Booklets providing guidance on the regulations for both lorry and coach drivers are available from local traffic area offices.