Page 80 - IRSEM_Main Book

Para No. 3.5.4 Annexure: 3-A13 - contd.

3. Preparation of Duty Rosters:

(a) Hours of duty will be exhibited in the duty rosters. (Duties may be shown as running at a
stretch or these may be covered in split shifts). (No duty roster should offend the
principle of hours of work prescribed for concerned workers or should offend the rules
against' long ons' and ' short offs'). Every roster must provide periodic rest as per rules
to be enjoyed within the week commencing from Sunday midnight and ending with
Saturday midnight. Weekly rest must nor be spread over two weeks. Duty rosters for
Continuous workers, covered by the principle of averaging, should be prepared on the
basis of 48 hours a week on the average in two weeks plus time for comp/prep. work, if
any. Rosters for those Continuous workers who are not covered by the principles of
averaging should be framed in such a way that their maximum daily statutory hours are
not exceeded. Duty Rosters for Intensive and E. I. workers should also be framed in the
same way in conformity with the two-weekly/weekly average number of hours as
prescribed. As fas as possible, duty rosters should be framed avoiding overtime work as
a regular feature. Duty Rosters of Rest Givers should also be framed in the same way.

(b) Short off. A ‘Short off’ means a short period of rest between the end of one rostered
duty and the beginning of the following rostered duty. It is a period of rest where it is
less than 12 hours in a roster of 6 hours' duty and less than 14 hours in a roster mixed of
6 and 8 hours' duty in the case of Intensive workers, less than 10 hours in the case of
Continuous workers and less than 8 hours in the case of E. I. workers (No railway servant
should normally be called on duty unless he has enjoyed rest as above).

(c) Long on. A ‘long o' is a period of duty (exclusive of the period or periods of breaks) for
long hours and spread over 8 hours in the case of Intensive workers, over 10 hours in
the case of Continuous workers and over 12 hours if the ease of E. I. workers.

(d) Split Shifts. Split shift means a shift which is punctuated in the daily tour of duty by
breaks during which the employee is free to leave his place of work. It is a shift which is
split up into two or more parts by intervals (not periods of inaction).

(e) Night Duty. Night duty means employment during any part of the night from 10.00 p. m.
to 6.00 a. m. Full night means the period between 10.00 p. m. and 6.00 a. m.
Employment of railway servants on continuous night duty should be avoided.

(f) Work beyond Ceiling Limits. All Railway workers governed by Hours of Employment
Regulations can be called upon to render duty beyond statutory limits applicable to
them by an order of temporary exemption made under Section 71-C of the Indian
Railway Act.

Chapter 3: Duties Of Signal Supervisors And Technical Staff Page 56 of 535