UK MLC: Seafarers Must Get 10 Hours of Daily Rest
Work and rest rules for seafarers under MLC 2006, as applied in UK regulation, set minimum rest limits on board.
Minimum Rest
For UK ships and non-UK ships without a maritime labour certificate, the rules require at least:
- 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period;
- 77 hours of rest in any seven-day period.
These requirements are set out in MSN 1877 (M) Amendment 2 on MLC 2006.
Daily rest may normally be divided into no more than two periods. One of those periods must be at least 6 hours long, and together the periods must provide at least 10 hours of rest. The interval between rest periods must not exceed 14 hours.
Schedule and Records on Board
A schedule of hours of rest must be posted on board. Records of hours of rest must also be maintained.
These documents matter for checking whether the minimum rest regime is being met: 10 hours in 24 hours and 77 hours in 7 days.
Exceptions
Exceptions are possible only under conditions authorised by the MCA. The limits include that exceptions may not apply to more than two 24-hour periods in a seven-day period, must still provide at least 70 hours of rest in any seven-day period, and must not apply for more than two consecutive weeks.
Paid Leave
For employed seafarers, the rules also provide 2.5 days of paid annual leave per month of employment and an additional 8 days of paid leave per year in respect of public holidays. For shorter periods, these entitlements are pro-rated.