H&S

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I know health and safety is there to look after us all but some H&S rules are mind boggling.
I just tipped at Asda Erith. On entry to the site the security, technician, manager operative instructed me to keep my Hi visibility vest fastened at all times. :open_mouth: I asked as to whether there was a dress policy on this site to ensure us drivers did not look scruffy? :laughing:
Security, technician, manager, operative just looked over the top of his glasses at me. Obviously sarcasm and humour are not tolerated either, at this RDC :laughing:

2

Irony and sarcasm are not permitted at any RDC, punishable by exclusion from site.
I thought everyone knew that.

3

Pirate:
I know health and safety is there to look after us all but some H&S rules are mind boggling.
I just tipped at Asda Erith. On entry to the site the security, technician, manager operative instructed me to keep my Hi visibility vest fastened at all times. :open_mouth: I asked as to whether there was a dress policy on this site to ensure us drivers did not look scruffy? :laughing:
Security, technician, manager, operative just looked over the top of his glasses at me. Obviously sarcasm and humour are not tolerated either, at this RDC :laughing:

A hi Viz vest has reflective strips all around it so you can be visible.
If it’s windy at any point the vest may catch on something causing a worse hazard than by just not wearing it much like the need for safety footwear. put footwear on do up laces , why because you could trip on said laces causing a bigger hazard.
the jacket has Velcro or a zip for a reason use it .
if you got hit or had an accident and you hadn’t used the correct protocol who you gonna claim off …

4

All Asda sites require the hi vis to be fastened up.

5

Many years ago when ASDA driver where issued with shirts and tie’s and they had to be worn at all times, At Dartford RDC, one very hot summer most of the drivers started to leave their tie’s off, management insisted the next day all drivers would turn up for their shift wearing their tie’s no matter how hot the weather was or they would be sent home, the next day the drivers turned up obediently following management instructions wearing their tie’s,………. around their heads Indian style, some around their waists as belts to hold their trousers up, as was pointed out to management the rules only said you had to wear a tie NOT how to……management said on this occasion and because of the hot weather they would overlook the wearing of tie’s…. Happy days

Ossie

6

OssieD:
Many years ago when ASDA driver where issued with shirts and tie’s and they had to be worn at all times, At Dartford RDC, one very hot summer most of the drivers started to leave their tie’s off, management insisted the next day all drivers would turn up for their shift wearing their tie’s no matter how hot the weather was or they would be sent home, the next day the drivers turned up obediently following management instructions wearing their tie’s,………. around their heads Indian style, some around their waists as belts to hold their trousers up, as was pointed out to management the rules only said you had to wear a tie NOT how to……management said on this occasion and because of the hot weather they would overlook the wearing of tie’s…. Happy days

Ossie

and it has to be a clip on tie as per H&S

7

What’s the H&S stand on the wearing of all this gear ie: tin hat, goggles, gloves and all the Hi vis gear on top of a uniform on a hot day, surely heat exhaustion must be a factor to be taken into account, or is that asking to much of them?

Ossie

8

I wish I had taken a picture the other day…some in the H&S industry would have had kittens.

Picture an artic loaded up with several pallets of seriously heavy wooden marquee flooring panels, aluminium sided. (Side note - I would have said that was max weight, was only 5 axles), then on top of that, a set of 8 steel marquee frame posts. Two blokes on top of all that were helping line it all up. So they are 4.5 m in the air. No hi viz on either, though one did have ear plugs and the other had safety boots, so that’s obviously ok.

This was all being loaded by an impressive telescopic frontloader. The two blokes finished up and needed to get down, so they jump on the forks of the fully extended telescopic frontloader, one fork per man, and hang onto the load bar very tightly.

Then the driver decides to tilt the forks down for a laugh, while the thing is still 3m in the air. Was begging for a photo…

9

I have seen drivers where the hi-viz wouldnt go around their stomachs, i suppose they would get refused entry. As for the guys on the telescopic forks, its even more dangerous when loading hanging beef on top of 25 tonnes of steel. :laughing:

10

th2013:
I wish I had taken a picture the other day…some in the H&S industry would have had kittens.

Picture an artic loaded up with several pallets of seriously heavy wooden marquee flooring panels, aluminium sided. (Side note - I would have said that was max weight, was only 5 axles), then on top of that, a set of 8 steel marquee frame posts. Two blokes on top of all that were helping line it all up. So they are 4.5 m in the air. No hi viz on either, though one did have ear plugs and the other had safety boots, so that’s obviously ok.

This was all being loaded by an impressive telescopic frontloader. The two blokes finished up and needed to get down, so they jump on the forks of the fully extended telescopic frontloader, one fork per man, and hang onto the load bar very tightly.

Then the driver decides to tilt the forks down for a laugh, while the thing is still 3m in the air. Was begging for a photo…

Funny thing that’s how we always did things and how many times did anyone get hurt and how many times did the load move because you could place stuff correctly in position for strapping roping or chaining … not many ,

11

nick2008:

th2013:
I wish I had taken a picture the other day…some in the H&S industry would have had kittens.

Picture an artic loaded up with several pallets of seriously heavy wooden marquee flooring panels, aluminium sided. (Side note - I would have said that was max weight, was only 5 axles), then on top of that, a set of 8 steel marquee frame posts. Two blokes on top of all that were helping line it all up. So they are 4.5 m in the air. No hi viz on either, though one did have ear plugs and the other had safety boots, so that’s obviously ok.

This was all being loaded by an impressive telescopic frontloader. The two blokes finished up and needed to get down, so they jump on the forks of the fully extended telescopic frontloader, one fork per man, and hang onto the load bar very tightly.

Then the driver decides to tilt the forks down for a laugh, while the thing is still 3m in the air. Was begging for a photo…

Funny thing that’s how we always did things and how many times did anyone get hurt and how many times did the load move because you could place stuff correctly in position for strapping roping or chaining … not many ,

Maybe not right nowadays but boy did it get things done.

12

OssieD:

nick2008:

th2013:
I wish I had taken a picture the other day…some in the H&S industry would have had kittens.

Picture an artic loaded up with several pallets of seriously heavy wooden marquee flooring panels, aluminium sided. (Side note - I would have said that was max weight, was only 5 axles), then on top of that, a set of 8 steel marquee frame posts. Two blokes on top of all that were helping line it all up. So they are 4.5 m in the air. No hi viz on either, though one did have ear plugs and the other had safety boots, so that’s obviously ok.

This was all being loaded by an impressive telescopic frontloader. The two blokes finished up and needed to get down, so they jump on the forks of the fully extended telescopic frontloader, one fork per man, and hang onto the load bar very tightly.

Then the driver decides to tilt the forks down for a laugh, while the thing is still 3m in the air. Was begging for a photo…

Funny thing that’s how we always did things and how many times did anyone get hurt and how many times did the load move because you could place stuff correctly in position for strapping roping or chaining … not many ,

Maybe not right nowadays but boy did it get things done.

Aye you are right there ossie,im glad im out of it I couldn’t live with all this h&s,ret 13yrs.
regards dave.

13

I reckon these rdc’s must employ a “mind numbing tiny rules manager”. Some of it definitely hasn’t come from the HSE - too many inconsistencies between companies. ■■■ covering for litigation.

To be balanced, the old days of no hi viz, safety boots and all the rest probably went as a result of the first person/employee to get lawyer onto a company to squeeze them for doh when his foot got squashed or he got run over. I doubt companies if left to their own devices would be bothered to spend all that money on endless useless over the top signs and paint.

14

Freight Dog:
■■■ covering for litigation.

cant blame em after seeing how some so called drivers drive

15

if you got hit or had an accident and you hadn’t used the correct protocol who you gonna claim off …

You would claim from the person who ran you over. Hi Viz or no Hi Viz!!!

“hadn’t used the correct protocol” this is total bollock and is the biggest urban myth going. FACT!!!

So a cyclist can`t claim from a truck driver because he was not wearing a hi viz when you ran him over.

TOTAL H&S BULL!!!

16

OssieD:
What’s the H&S stand on the wearing of all this gear ie: tin hat, goggles, gloves and all the Hi vis gear on top of a uniform on a hot day, surely heat exhaustion must be a factor to be taken into account, or is that asking to much of them?

Ossie

Probably asking to much knowing some firms good firm and their are few and far between would use some logic have a uniform dress code for summer and a alternative one for winter

17

Last time I went to Monsantos ,Sotton with a box it was the middle summer ,I was wearing shorts. They wouldn’t load me with drums until I put on overalls,boots,hiviz ,goggles and hat. It was a container and I didn’t even need to get outa the cab except to sign the papers. They opened the doors on the container,loaded,and closed them. :unamused: