Limit of 12 Hours a Day for Workers Driving Lorries with Workers in Rear Deck

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower how does the Ministry decide on the limit of 12 hours of work a day for a worker who is a driver of lorries with workers in the rear deck.

Dual-role drivers are typically covered under Part 4 of the Employment Act (EA) which provides basic employment terms and standards on rest days, hours of work and other conditions of service for workmen. Dual-role drivers are, therefore, subjected to this limit on 12 hours of work hours each day, which includes their time spent driving for work, and are not required to work more than six continuous hours without a break.

Beyond the EA, our Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act also requires employers of dual-role drivers to provide them with at least 30 minutes of rest immediately before driving workers in the lorry's rear decks. The WSH Council’s Guidelines on Fatigue Management and Guidelines on Traffic Safety also include recommendations on how employers can prevent fatigue. For example, in addition to limiting shifts to no more than 12 hours, including overtime, employers are advised to allow their drivers scheduled rest breaks of 15 minutes for every two hours of driving. As with any work activity, employers are required under the WSH Act to carry out a risk assessment and should adjust work hours and rest time if required, considering the nature and intensity of work carried out by the driver prior to driving the lorry.