Work and rest time regulations.
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Work and rest time regulations.
Hi.
was talking to a colleague on our last long flight and we came up with a question that maybe can be answered here.
Do ATC controllers have a work and rest time regulation like pilots have and how long is a normal shift for an ATC controller and how many shifts a week, month, year do ATC controllers work.
Hope you guys are better organized than we are with 60 hrs in 7 days 🙈
was talking to a colleague on our last long flight and we came up with a question that maybe can be answered here.
Do ATC controllers have a work and rest time regulation like pilots have and how long is a normal shift for an ATC controller and how many shifts a week, month, year do ATC controllers work.
Hope you guys are better organized than we are with 60 hrs in 7 days 🙈
UK varies from unit to unit, fortunately UK rules and regs don’t allow the daft working hours we see US ATC doing. The unit variation comes in with number of staff, and hours of operation. There’s a UK industry shortage of ATCO’s, so some units have hours of operation based around the number of staff vs primary customer needs.
The UKs hours regulations were SCRATCOH, but I can’t find an easy link to them, these went to Easa, but since coming out of the EU, the UK is back on its own formula which can be determined by each unit, however they are ideally based around SCRATCOH/Easa as they are practical and on the whole safe frameworks to hang rosters on.
The link below gives a good idea of the parameters within the system.
https://skybrary.aero/sites/default/...helf/34421.pdf
The UKs hours regulations were SCRATCOH, but I can’t find an easy link to them, these went to Easa, but since coming out of the EU, the UK is back on its own formula which can be determined by each unit, however they are ideally based around SCRATCOH/Easa as they are practical and on the whole safe frameworks to hang rosters on.
The link below gives a good idea of the parameters within the system.
https://skybrary.aero/sites/default/...helf/34421.pdf
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As a rough guide for most U.K.
maximum 6 consecutive days. Usually 7 or 8 hours, night shift is 9.
maximum 2 hours on (often 1.5 by local agreement) followed by minimum 30 minutes break.
54 hours off following night shifts.
3 periods of at least 60 hours off per month.
This is all accommodated by a “6 on, 4 off” shift cycle of MMAANN which sounds okay on paper but finishing a nighshift on day 7 at 0700 doesn’t really feel like your first day off.
Our job is very cyclical, not only day/night and winter/summer but is really impacted by the economic cycle.
2008, 2009 and obviously 2020, 2021 were very quiet so less radar positions open and longer breaks at work. But from 2010 the workload kept building until over the summers of 2018 and 2019 it felt like these operational hour protections weren’t nearly enough to protect us from fatigue.
maximum 6 consecutive days. Usually 7 or 8 hours, night shift is 9.
maximum 2 hours on (often 1.5 by local agreement) followed by minimum 30 minutes break.
54 hours off following night shifts.
3 periods of at least 60 hours off per month.
This is all accommodated by a “6 on, 4 off” shift cycle of MMAANN which sounds okay on paper but finishing a nighshift on day 7 at 0700 doesn’t really feel like your first day off.
Our job is very cyclical, not only day/night and winter/summer but is really impacted by the economic cycle.
2008, 2009 and obviously 2020, 2021 were very quiet so less radar positions open and longer breaks at work. But from 2010 the workload kept building until over the summers of 2018 and 2019 it felt like these operational hour protections weren’t nearly enough to protect us from fatigue.
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UK varies from unit to unit, fortunately UK rules and regs don’t allow the daft working hours we see US ATC doing. The unit variation comes in with number of staff, and hours of operation. There’s a UK industry shortage of ATCO’s, so some units have hours of operation based around the number of staff vs primary customer needs.
The UKs hours regulations were SCRATCOH, but I can’t find an easy link to them, these went to Easa, but since coming out of the EU, the UK is back on its own formula which can be determined by each unit, however they are ideally based around SCRATCOH/Easa as they are practical and on the whole safe frameworks to hang rosters on.
The UKs hours regulations were SCRATCOH, but I can’t find an easy link to them, these went to Easa, but since coming out of the EU, the UK is back on its own formula which can be determined by each unit, however they are ideally based around SCRATCOH/Easa as they are practical and on the whole safe frameworks to hang rosters on.
It's 108 days off per year which is 4 more than a M-F office hours worker. But in fact most office workers do max 9 day fortnights (130 days off/yr) and much less if we now include all the WFH arrangements that have taken off since covid. Which makes that pattern even worse in fact.
Any ATC H24 roster which doesn't provide 156 days off per yr is below par IMHO.
Last edited by 10JQKA; 1st Apr 2024 at 07:40.
Originally Posted by 10JQKA
Always thought the 7on (6 shifts) 3off then start early was one of the most fatigue inducing patterns as far as chronic (long term) fatigue goes,....
And that's the problem with working hours guidelines and rules....everyone is different. It's notable also that much of the guidance in the aviation sector appears to believe that the majority (i.e. the normal person) is an early bird rather than a night owl whereas there is research which suggests that natural circadian rhythms tend to be spread fairly evenly between the two extremes. And, more significantly, perhaps for ATC staff more than pilots, little consideration can be given to the lifestyle/situation outside the workplace which, in some cases may have a substantially greater effect on fatigue than working patterns.
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Always thought the 7on (6 shifts) 3off then start early was one of the most fatigue inducing patterns as far as chronic (long term) fatigue goes, which is the type which sends you to an early grave 10 years before you should have. It's great for the ANSP as they are fulfilling their FRMS responsibilities as very little fatigue in the cycle, but what is a day off worth as far as replenishing the batteries over the long term ? I and many sleep scientists argue much more. Acute (in cycle) fatigue is fixed by some catch up sleep, Chronic fatigue is fixed by rostering that doesn't allow it to occur. ANSPs could not care less what yr longevity outlook is and neither do regulators so long as the acute frms rules are ticked off.
It's 108 days off per year which is 4 more than a M-F office hours worker. But in fact most office workers do max 9 day fortnights (130 days off/yr) and much less if we now include all the WFH arrangements that have taken off since covid. Which makes that pattern even worse in fact.
Any ATC H24 roster which doesn't provide 156 days off per yr is below par IMHO.
It's 108 days off per year which is 4 more than a M-F office hours worker. But in fact most office workers do max 9 day fortnights (130 days off/yr) and much less if we now include all the WFH arrangements that have taken off since covid. Which makes that pattern even worse in fact.
Any ATC H24 roster which doesn't provide 156 days off per yr is below par IMHO.
The other view would be that Monday to Friday workers have 40 extra working days than H24 watchkeeprs. At my unit the majority of each watch on a given cycle do not do night shifts, so they do get 4 days off per cycle.
Not sure what you mean by 'most office workers do 9-day fortnights'. I certainly don't. I'd also dispute your claim that WFH means working much less.
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Of course, it all depends how you look at it.
The other view would be that Monday to Friday workers have 40 extra working days than H24 watchkeeprs. At my unit the majority of each watch on a given cycle do not do night shifts, so they do get 4 days off per cycle.
Not sure what you mean by 'most office workers do 9-day fortnights'. I certainly don't. I'd also dispute your claim that WFH means working much less.
The other view would be that Monday to Friday workers have 40 extra working days than H24 watchkeeprs. At my unit the majority of each watch on a given cycle do not do night shifts, so they do get 4 days off per cycle.
Not sure what you mean by 'most office workers do 9-day fortnights'. I certainly don't. I'd also dispute your claim that WFH means working much less.
I also have done both, and shifts, especially nights, are harder to deal with when older. It's the shift from finishing at 0700 and pivoting to mornings when next back at work that's the killer. I believe one of the Scandinavian countries doesn't allow ATCOs over a certain age to do nights. Still, after 38 years of shiftwork, I'm retiring soon, and looking forward to it.
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I agree with the lack of commute, but the phrase used was in relation to 'working much less' which is a criticism often targeted at those (including me!) who have the ability to work from home. In my experience, those who WFH are more productive, and actually spend more time working than they would in the office because of that lack of commute, and for other reasons.
Certainly, having done nights every cycle for years (along with a 1hr40 commute each way) earlier in my career, I know the impact of them, but my post wasn't about that.
My point is that fatigue affects us all individually, in different ways. Reducing things to a 'shiftworkers have it worse, office workers have it easy' while claiming office workers work less is just facile and doesn't help anyone.
I'll be some years behind you, but also looking forward to it!
Certainly, having done nights every cycle for years (along with a 1hr40 commute each way) earlier in my career, I know the impact of them, but my post wasn't about that.
My point is that fatigue affects us all individually, in different ways. Reducing things to a 'shiftworkers have it worse, office workers have it easy' while claiming office workers work less is just facile and doesn't help anyone.
I'll be some years behind you, but also looking forward to it!
Hi.
was talking to a colleague on our last long flight and we came up with a question that maybe can be answered here.
Do ATC controllers have a work and rest time regulation like pilots have and how long is a normal shift for an ATC controller and how many shifts a week, month, year do ATC controllers work.
Hope you guys are better organized than we are with 60 hrs in 7 days 🙈
was talking to a colleague on our last long flight and we came up with a question that maybe can be answered here.
Do ATC controllers have a work and rest time regulation like pilots have and how long is a normal shift for an ATC controller and how many shifts a week, month, year do ATC controllers work.
Hope you guys are better organized than we are with 60 hrs in 7 days 🙈
Australia.
The main rule-set affecting shifts and roster patterns is the ATC Enterprise Agreement (Industrial agreement that is re-negotiated every 3 years or so).
Basic rules
Length of shift
Vary depending on location, 8 hours; 9 hours for Enroute, or 10 hours.
Length of a shift will not be less than 6 hours.
A night shift will not be longer than 8 hours.
Shift lengths of up to 8 hours will be defined in increments of 15 minutes.
Shift lengths over 8 hours will be defined in increments of 30 minutes.
Maximum shift length (rostered or worked) is 10 hours.
Consecutive shifts
(a) The minimum number of consecutive rostered shifts will be 3.
(b) The maximum number of consecutive rostered shifts will be 5.
(c) The maximum number of consecutive rostered shifts can be varied by agreement to a maximum of 6.
(d) The maximum number of hours acquitted that can be rostered in consecutive shifts will be 48.
(e) The maximum number of consecutive shifts worked, inclusive of additional duty or emergency duty, will be 10; and
(f) the maximum number of hours acquitted in consecutive shifts inclusive of additional duty or emergency duty, will be 80.
a-d apply to roster patterns, e&f apply when additional duty or emergency duty is added, either an extension of a shift or as a seperate shift.
Commencement and cessation of work
No rostered shift will commence or cease between the hours of 0001 and 0459 local time.
So, in theory, assuming 8 hour shifts then 80 hours in 10 days, or if you like 56 hours in 7 days. If the shifts are 10 hours then it could be 80 hours in just 8 days, or if you like 70 hours in 7 days.
