Oen letter to H & S

Dear Health and Safety Person,

I fully appreciate that H & S is important. As someone who has been on the recieving end of an Industrial ‘■■■■-up’ (and, as a consequence, still walks with a slight limp) I, perhaps more than most, appreciate the job that you are doing.

But…

It’s a big word - But…

H & S has come to the point where it is ridiculous. There are numerous threads on this site where you will find that you are being excoriated for the inane and childish rules that are being put in place at your behest.
The over whelming number of Lorry drivers are not idiots - we want to stay safe as much as the next man. Unfortunately, your constant inferference does nothing but irritate, rile, and annoy those of us who are actualy trying to do the job.
Having to wear your H-Vis in the cab so that “people can see you”.
Not being allowed on the bed of a trailer in case you fall off. (It’s an e##ing Low-Loader you prat!)
Being forced to wear a hard-hat when there is nothing above you within 5 miles except open sky.

I could go on.

So, whilst you are stting in your nice, warm, air-conditioned ooffice and trying to come up with yet more ludicrous strictures to put on people, all in the name of “Health and Safety”, watch this (it’s only 5 minutes long)… then come back and tell me I (for example) need a Hi-Vis and safety boots before I am able to walk the four feet from my cab to the weigh-bridge office.

youtube.com/watch?v=3R3-YwDZrzg

Whilst it pi$$'s me off about not getting on the back how many of you would soon be putting in a claim for compo if you fell of the back ? I bet the claim would be in before the ambulance turned its lights off and your Mrs would be breathing fire down the phone to your employer . However may be the hse should enforce all places that have regular deliverys have a bay to pull in to same height as the bed ,a bit like the sheeting gantry for a quarry tipper .

First time I`ve had vertigo, sat on my sofa.

Thanks.

You have it easy. Wait till H & S really kicks off then you will have something to moan about.

I am moving into trucking from another profession. - I will give you one example of silliness. Changing the bulb in an overhead projector. Normally stand on a chair - “thats not safe” says a little voice in the distance. Fair enough, gets a step ladder with someone to support it as well… “thats not safe” we hear again - need two hands to change bulb so not maintaining 3 points of contact. The next day a scaffold platform was errected in the training roo to change said bulb. At least I did not need a hi viz vest

Another one - we have to have a risk assessed procedure for every thing we do. If there is not a procedure then you have to write one and get it approved and risk assessed by people who have no idea what the task entails.
We have managed to get one approved that says Step 3 - do the hokey cokey and turn around.
This is all in the name of safety

Win-Stone:
Dear Health and Safety Person,

I fully appreciate that H & S is important. As someone who has been on the recieving end of an Industrial ‘■■■■-up’ (and, as a consequence, still walks with a slight limp) I, perhaps more than most, appreciate the job that you are doing.

But…

It’s a big word - But…

H & S has come to the point where it is ridiculous. There are numerous threads on this site where you will find that you are being excoriated for the inane and childish rules that are being put in place at your behest.
The over whelming number of Lorry drivers are not idiots - we want to stay safe as much as the next man. Unfortunately, your constant inferference does nothing but irritate, rile, and annoy those of us who are actualy trying to do the job.
Having to wear your H-Vis in the cab so that “people can see you”.
Not being allowed on the bed of a trailer in case you fall off. (It’s an e##ing Low-Loader you prat!)
Being forced to wear a hard-hat when there is nothing above you within 5 miles except open sky.

I could go on.

So, whilst you are stting in your nice, warm, air-conditioned ooffice and trying to come up with yet more ludicrous strictures to put on people, all in the name of “Health and Safety”, watch this (it’s only 5 minutes long)… then come back and tell me I (for example) need a Hi-Vis and safety boots before I am able to walk the four feet from my cab to the weigh-bridge office.

youtube.com/watch?v=3R3-YwDZrzg

Look in the mirror for the source of the problems, not H&S. Everywhere you go these days you hear people telling you to “put a claim in” instead of “watch where you’re going” and the money has to come from somewhere. People refuse to take personal responsibility for their actions these days and just see the pound signs rolling around in their eyelids to get themselves some “free” money and the OTT H&S is the result.

The over whelming number of Lorry drivers are not idiots

I couldn’t disagree more from what I hear come out of their mouths and observe them doing. The vast majority are complete thick [zb]s that I wouldn’t let loose with a wheelbarrow.

Its the way of things, just another sub section of lowest common denominator practice, dumbed down to the nth degree because some half wit can’t manage the simplest of tasks without causing bloody mayhem, so the vast vast majority ie everyone else is assumed to be as hopeless as the worse case.

Not all of us are waiting with baited breath to jump on the compo bandwagon, that’s how the new breed of me me me people behave, i can absolutely guarantee the prolific sick notes where anyone works are the compo crew too.

Most drivers are thick as ■■■■. That’s why we have dopey H&S rules so as the dopey drivers can understand.

peter s:
Most drivers are thick as [zb]. That’s why we have dopey H&S rules so as the dopey drivers can understand.

Exactly as often shown on here,willing to argue to the ‘nth’ degree,often for the sake of it than follow direction as required by employers,the reason for every little bit of what many regard as h&s rubbish…some did something daft.

We’ve got union reps walking round with the unions claim line telephone number on the back of their Hi-viz vests.

Sorry, but if I had my own large business I would probably have strict H&S rules in place too, anything to prevent some chancer taking me to the cleaners through some scumbag “no win no fee” character. You cover your arse so it’s watertight & if that means employing some graduate on £40kpa to come up with some daft rules that upset some drivers, that’ll save me 100k+pa in claims then so be it.

As someone who takes responsibility for my own safety, I get fed up as much as the next man at ■■■■■■■■ such as not being allowed to wear shorts. Any frustration though is better aimed at the handful of muppets that put in claims in for grazed knees rather than the company trying to cover its arse from a repeat.

I know of a driver of 30 odd years who claimed when he slipped off the bottom step of his unit. He grazed his shin. He won because even though he had been driving for so long, the company should have provided training to get into a truck.

Most firms have stopped sick pay because of people taking the mickey out of it, so genuine cases suffer.

H+S costs company money that could go towards pay and conditions, just because of the claim culture we have made for ourselves.

The over whelming number of Lorry drivers are not idiots - we want to stay safe as much as the next man

No but the few always have to be legislated for. Remember the thread on here where drivers were complaining about having to wear seat belts?

Do some firms make you wear hi-viz in the cab? Really?
That would be too much for me.

Win-Stone:
Dear Health and Safety Person,

I fully appreciate that H & S is important. As someone who has been on the recieving end of an Industrial ‘■■■■-up’ (and, as a consequence, still walks with a slight limp) I, perhaps more than most, appreciate the job that you are doing.

But…

It’s a big word - But…

H & S has come to the point where it is ridiculous. There are numerous threads on this site where you will find that you are being excoriated for the inane and childish rules that are being put in place at your behest.
The over whelming number of Lorry drivers are not idiots - we want to stay safe as much as the next man. Unfortunately, your constant inferference does nothing but irritate, rile, and annoy those of us who are actualy trying to do the job.
Having to wear your H-Vis in the cab so that “people can see you”.
Not being allowed on the bed of a trailer in case you fall off. (It’s an e##ing Low-Loader you prat!)
Being forced to wear a hard-hat when there is nothing above you within 5 miles except open sky.

I could go on.

So, whilst you are stting in your nice, warm, air-conditioned ooffice and trying to come up with yet more ludicrous strictures to put on people, all in the name of “Health and Safety”, watch this (it’s only 5 minutes long)… then come back and tell me I (for example) need a Hi-Vis and safety boots before I am able to walk the four feet from my cab to the weigh-bridge office.

youtube.com/watch?v=3R3-YwDZrzg

7 years ago I slipped on some ice in the yard at work and broke my elbow. For various reasons (including full sick pay) I didn’t put a claim in despite many people advising me too.

The points you make are to vague.

Either drivers are allowed on trailers or not. It keeps it simple. If you say you can, to what height? Do we get a tape measure to check? Will be a free for all. Or someone will fall from a normal trailer and say they thought they could because they saw you on yours. I slipped on ground level and broke bones so any fall from height could do worse.

How far are you wanting to walk before you put your boots and hi vis on? 8 feet? 20? Same principle that if the risk is identified it needs to be managed accordingly else again people will be wandering all over without them because “he isn’t wearing one”

I have never been asked to wear a hi vis in the truck but expect thats because they have had drivers hop out either forgetting/not bothering to put it on. Easier to ensure they keep it on.

As said by others I hate the over the top rules as much as anyone but its the people who do stupid things that cause the rules. Don’t forget that as well as the costs of the compensation claim the company pays out there are costs of investigating and dealing with it, sick pay, bad publicity and possible fines.

As above all of a sudden all these “stupid” rules look like good value to me

It’s all down to the American claim culture.
Companies now just want to cover their arses, and prove that they are above prosecution and claims…
So they bring all the rules together under the guise of H & S.
If you don’t follow their written procedure, and have an accident, you would find it very difficult to find one of those claims vultures who would be willing to take your case.

no1dieselman:
If there is not a procedure then you have to write one and get it approved and risk assessed

We have managed to get one approved that says Step 3 - do the hokey cokey and turn around.

Ha ha, what I love about this, is that if you didn’t do the hokey cokey and turn around, and you then hurt yourself in an accident, you couldn’t put a claim in because you weren’t following the SSOW