Workers advised on break time rules

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has advised workers on the rules and regulations of break times in the workplace.

Advice from the body follows the publication of a new working-time directive, which outlines the law regarding breaks workers are required to take during working hours.

According to a spokesperson for the HSE, the amount of break time an employee takes can be dependent on their age.

'There are also requirements on breaks across a number of sectors and work activities; for example when working with display screen equipment, working in different environments and if the work is strenuous or repetitive,' she said.

Figures from the HSE show that during 2006-7, 30 million working days were lost due to ill health, which equates to 1.5 days per person.

A further six million days of work were lost because of injury in the workplace, the HSE noted.