We are reviewing our policy relating to freezer workers (-18 - -24 C). I was hoping to identify the policy that other companies have regarding rest breaks in the absense of any firm guidance! HSG76 states "suitable and sufficient breaks based on a risk assessment...." and states further information can be obtained in BS 7915 (which we do not have access to, and Im doubtfull a figure is provided?) I remember reading somewhere that the industry norm was 10 minutes out of every hour? (i.e. 50minutes worked, 10minute break etc). However currently I can find no "official" guidance on what constitues an appropriate work / rest period. Our problem is that 10 minute standalone breaks do not work, due to the size of the warehouse, it takes pickers and FLT operators 5 minutes to travel from the freezer to the rest area and change out of their freezer gear. 20 minute breaks work OK as this gives the operatives time, after travelling and changing, to have a warm drink etc before they are due back. If this is applicable to your industry, what policy do you operate? Do you operate a 10 minute break every hour? a 20 minute break every 2 hours? 10 minutes taken back-to-back therefore 20 minute breaks but 10 minutes within each hour worked? Thoughts much appreciated.

Jake, I expect you need to refer to your risk assessments and work with HR regarding this. What is the purpose of the rest period... recover from fatigue, break away from intensively concentrating tasks? Other areas to consider is a change from a repetitive task required... change the task regularly? Like DSE where there is evidence that breaks from prolonged screen work is well know... but the break doesn't necessarily mean rest as this can also mean changing the task, e.g. filing, photocopying etc.

Thought so! And therein lies the problem.. I am conducting the risk assessment, for this I need some infomration / guidelines (or just be happy to pick a figure from thin air!). By benchmarking we can then move forward with a suggestion on break time. I am completing the risk assessment, so I can't refer to it! Im a little confused with yopur response, the purpose of the rest period is purely as a break from the cold conditions. The work is stock picking and forklift operations within the freezer. There is no DSE etc and the task is not repetative. We have got all other information together re freezer workers, just trying to pinpoint and work out our policy for breaks from the cold.

I was a forklift driver in a 8000 pallet coldstore for 16 years at -18, for the first 10 until we were given heated reach trucks. We used to have a 10 minute break after 30 minutes, time taken to re-locate unloaded pallets from outside. The cold tends to effect people in different ways in a coldstore and the operational environment can also be a factor. We used to feel the cold more at night when you are tired and also when the cooling fans were on as on a reach truck, you were driving into the blast sideways as you drove towards the exit doors. With conditions as are now and dependant on the site location, it can be as cold outside with an open loading dock. With regard to warming, we were fortunate to have a warming room on the side of the loading dock and so a quick warm was not a real problem. We found it a fine line between management moaning that to many warm breaks were being taken, understandable in the summer but not in the Winter. Depends on your workload and if KPI's are involved to some degree.

There are few if any reality figures quoted so work in the cold store yourself along side the staff with some HR present and you will all soon establish a 'reality' rest period policy The above is not a glib statement I mean it; as time and again risk assessors/policy makers do not have a full understanding and are reluctant to make stand alone decisions without referencing guidance created by others that may not fit their environment e.g. Arbourists working on clearing trees from across roads in this cold weather work until the job is done irrespective of the cold nor breaks but their situation is different so their break/work parameters are not the same as yours and only a good RA will accomplish what you need best of luck

Table 5.2 of BOHS guidance document 12 Thermal Environment has work rest regimes for different temperatures including wind speeds and work rates. As well as other general guidance for risk assessing cold or hot tasks

Sorry the table hasn't come out clearly in the posting. Basically the DIN standard suggests For temperatures from minus 5 to minus 18 degrees C, maxiumum uninterrupted exposure should be 90 minutes. Recovery should be 20% of that time (i.e. 15 minutes) So after 90 minutes exposure a 15 minute break. For minus 18 to minus 30 degrees C, exposure time should be 90 minutes with 30% of that as recovery time (30 minutes). And below minus 30 degress C, exposure time should be no more than 60 minutes with 60 minutes recovery time.