Working Time Directive

[sguy42]

We are shortly to start fitting up a show that is a collaborative project between us and an external theatre company (which happens to be owned by two of our employees).

 

Our principal rigger (not one of the two), will be working his normal hours (plus some overtime in the week) to get this up.

 

OK so far.

 

However due to the scale of the piece, the external company want to pay him to work on at least two intermediate weekends. this means he will be working a minimum of 19 days without a break.

 

Obviously we wouldn't be able to ask him to do that ourselves (although I'm sure a lot of places do).

 

If we were unaware of the work I believe we would be in the clear, however since it's partly our project, our venue, our equipment I suspect we have a duty to ensure the appropriate breaks. i.e. 1 day of in 14.

 

What are your thoughts?

[Roderick]

Without going into any legal arguments, I would suggest that it would be a really bad idea to have people working 19 days without a proper break, certainly your principal rigger.

It is a proven fact that people loose concentration working too many hours without a chance to 'recharge the batteries', a really bad thing for riggers. If it were your board op, with all respect, they may stuff up a few Q's which will need to be fixed up later but when it comes to the people that suspend stuff above your head, do your risk assessment.

Surely you can work out the schedule so that the poor person gets at least a day-off a week and is on top of things when on the job. I am sure he/she will have some ideas about that too but sometimes we have to protect people from trying to do 'the right thing for the production' for the sake of their own and everyone else's safety.