Can anyone assist me? Does the employer have to provide rest beds to ambulance crews coming off duty when they are fatigued or sleepy? For example the staff (paramedics) normally work a 12 hour shift or sometimes 8 hours depending on the roster, either way crews coming off shift that have been particularly busy are often extremely tiered. They explain that they drive and they attend to patients but both jobs are mentally draining after long periods. They explain the nature of their job puts them on heighten alert and they explain they have an adrenaline rush when they are attending emergency calls. They have no rostered breaks so when they are busy they tend to be on the go for the whole shift, they also explain the shift can over run and shifts can be extended due to the nature of emergency calls. Crews that finish after a long busy night explain that often so tiered they feel its dangerous to drive home after a shift, they describe it as a adrenaline crash. They have requested the employer provides beds so crews can rest prior to making a journey in their car. With the onset of the recession budgets etc, the employer finds it difficult to provide such facilities. However all ambulance stations have bedrooms but recently they have taken out the beds. Many thanks Dave

You need to be proactive and look to resolve the problem at its route cause as provision of beds etc. is after the problem has been allowed to manifest itself -The problem is massive especially so at this time and I doubt that you will solve it Undertake the appropriate risk assessments present them to immediate and upper management and see what happens - using the RA in future if needed as a piece of the prosecutors evidence best of luck

Though not my area or an answer to the question but I have heard that our local ambulance service has recently reviewed the hours and length of shift their crews work following an accident where a crew member fell asleep at the wheel of an ambulance. So I think that Bob's comments about looking at the route cause is the better option than beds. There was some case law I read a few years ago around employers being responsible for tired staff who had done long shifts and then are driving home, so if you can't resolve at the route of the cause then you will need to look at your options as the employers responsibility for staff safety doesn't end when the shift finishes.

Hi Dave Do you provide reclining arm chairs or similar in station crew rooms and at response posts? Scott

I have personally served in 2 uniformed services, not the ambulance, and have done these long tiring shifts myself. Personally, the last thing on my mind would be wanting to stay and have a snooze before I head home, regardless of how tried I was. I don’t have any experience of beds in an ambulance station. However, reading between the lines was this a ‘perk’ at some of the quieter stations / quieter periods of the night shift and staff could have a snooze whilst not out on 999 calls? I think the nub of it is more deep routed than the provisions of beds for a snooze at the end of a [expletive deleted]. The nub, from my point of view, is the length of the shift and the appropriate breaks during.