I’m disabled, use a stick to walk, but checked with dvla and they considered it non declarable and have no limitations or codes whatsoever on my license relating to it. I can complete individual shifts and can drive unaffected and so there’s no need. I just can’t do a few days in a row so I’m just picking up the odd agency run here and there until alternative career plans bear fruit.
Anyway - the agency has been placing me on the basis of guaranteeing trunks or drop/swaps or bay tips (though I have a tanker run coming which I’m fretting over!).
Today I was advised the run would be a fork lift tip on a bay so happy days etc. Arrived and they say they don’t tip and won’t tip and although I offered to give it a go one handed with the pump truck (light pallets) they stopped me halfway out with the first one and said they won’t let me do it either. The threat was to refuse the load and send me back.
How do each of the three parties stand? Does the DDA come into play? Are the site obliged to provide assistance tipping if a driver has a disability? Or can they just refuse and it’s up to the contracted haulier to assign only to jobs they can guarantee will fit the bill? As for me I’m just sitting tight while they argue and will do as I’m told. I’m willing to try even if it takes me a while and know it will hurt if it means getting the job done. But obviously I’d rather be done according to plan.
el gordo:
Anyway - the agency has been placing me on the basis of guaranteeing trunks or drop/swaps or bay tips (though I have a tanker run coming which I’m fretting over!).
Don’t fret over tanker swaps. Just be aware of a splurge in fluid when you come to a standstill, and ease down on slip roads to motorways etc.
Who you going to be working for? As it appears I might know who your on for?
I wouldn’t fret this one. It seems to me to be a problem for those sending you, after all, they know your situation and should have the brains to check out the drop.
As Slackbladder said its the agencies responsibility to give you work you can do and send you to places they know are suitable.
And good on you for having a go to tip it seen a few drivers dissappear when they actually have to unload themselves.
The DDA does come into it. Companies are required to make adjustments if its reasonably possible and asking a member of warehouse staff to tip you is reasonable.
I have a spinal injury. I’ve had this before. At Safeway when you’re delivering meat, if its a mixed pallet then you’re expected to break it down and restack it on new pallets into individual products. I was doing a delivery at the one near Middlesborough. I took off the pallets but told them I couldn’t do the restacking, explained the situation and muppet in Goods In said they would reject the load. I asked to see the shift manager, explained the situation, they restacked the pallets. Next time I went back there was no issue.
I think the goods in bloke didn’t say it out of nastiness, rather because of a position of ignorance because he’d not been told that he could do that. It is extremely rare for warehouse staff to come across disabled drivers in haulage.
Conor:
The DDA does come into it. Companies are required to make adjustments if its reasonably possible and asking a member of warehouse staff to tip you is reasonable.
I have a spinal injury. I’ve had this before. At Safeway when you’re delivering meat, if its a mixed pallet then you’re expected to break it down and restack it on new pallets into individual products. I was doing a delivery at the one near Middlesborough. I took off the pallets but told them I couldn’t do the restacking, explained the situation and muppet in Goods In said they would reject the load. I asked to see the shift manager, explained the situation, they restacked the pallets. Next time I went back there was no issue.
I think the goods in bloke didn’t say it out of nastiness, rather because of a position of ignorance because he’d not been told that he could do that. It is extremely rare for warehouse staff to come across disabled drivers in haulage.
What he said.
EXCEPT, the DDA has been scrapped, it is now the Equality Act 2010.
You would be in a good position to sue for “discrimination” as they or your employer have not made “reasonable adjustments” as required in law.
It would be wise to check the legislation further as there can be exclusions, I am not saying there are any for our industry but worth checking first.
When I was working in the office at a bus company the DDA made adjustments to the industry to accommodate disabled passengers as it was not something that was or could happen overnight and the bus companies had about 8 or 10 years (cant remember) to comply but the legislation was full of little clauses like that.
Just worth a quick read up I reckon.