How wrong is this

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

I have been having a few problems at work lately with a few dodgey collections that we do ihave been complaining about the weights and safety this is how it is:

Friday i got to this job and the goods were 6 rolls of cloth weighing 92 kg’s each now these are put on my truck through the side curtain which isnt a problem but we don’t have any straps so these rolls are just rolling back and forwards all day long which i personally dont like and the other problem is when i get back to the yard at night we unload through the rear onto a loading bay so these 92 kg rolls have to be man handled off.

so on friday when i got to the job i said there is no way the rolls were going on and explained why. I was told by the lady on dispatch if i didnt collect them then the company would lose the custom. so i phoned my boss and he said i had to collect them so i said fair enough i’ll do the job but thats me finished working for them.
I arrived back at the yard and the SAFETY officer had a look and did’nt think it was a problem. how can a woman who has never driven an hgv tell me what i think is safe and what isnt when the load is MY responsability also manhandling 92kg’s is a bit heavy which she did’nt think was a problem as well.

Today i have been of work my boss just phoned me to find out what im doing about work so because i’m not a [zb] i said i would work there until the end of march to train someone else up on the run. But he told me that it would have to be a diferent run as one of the customers has barred me of site but he would’nt say which.

Now this isnt a new problem it has been going on for 6 months but friday was the last straw for me as i had been told time and time again the problem would be sorted.

Now the question is have i blown this out of all proportion or have i done the right thing by trying to protect myself?

opinions
simon

2

You are dead right and I think you have a just cause to complain, the driver is responsible for the load and if it is unsafe in any way then the driver can refuse to haul it. You are best out of there if your boss does not understand the reasoning of your concerns, plus he should provide you with the equipment to secure the load. Does he not know that he is responsible for the loading of the trucks as well as you?

3

You are responisble for the load, so you did the right thing.

Also I would say that you should have help if you did manhandle these rolls off the back of your lorry.

If you have been complaining about this load for some time it should have been sorted out by now! So if you had to refuse to take this load because it was unsafe then maybe the next time you go there it would be loaded in a safer condition.

Only my thoughts on this problem

4

you done right as far as i am concerned your boss sounds like one i worked for in my area.
i was a shunter loading trailers etc the transport manager said to me to use only four straps on each load and when i used 5 or 6 on certain loads i got told of there should be a law to protect us drivers from bosses like these.
good luck if you are looking for a new job.

cannonball

5

Loads should be secure we all know this and 92kg rolling rounds the truck is not good. There is no way you should man handle 92kg. You could have called the safety officers bluff and asked for a written statement that the load was safe. People like her are quite happy to tell you something is ok, but won’t put it in writing.

6

Two trains of thought crop up here.

Firstly,as others have said,you are within your right to refuse the load,as you deem it to be unsafe,because remember,if it goes through the curtain,then you can be sure the local constabulary will be less than impressed.

Secondly,have you completed a manual handling course? If not,then again,you are within your right to refuse to lift an article so heavy,if mechanical means can be used, for fear of injury.

Now if you intend to tell your boss to put his job where the sun don’t shine,then I would be inclined to let the VI know that he is condoning the transportation of unsafe loads,and then a phone call to your local HSE would be advisable to let them know of this unsafe and potentially dangerous practice of lifting heavy articles.

As our company’s Safety Officer elect,if our gaffer were to ask one of our drivers to do any of the above things,then they would be getting short shrift off me.

Ken.

7

25Kg is the maximum you are allowed to carry, we have some digital scales at work and i am 90 Kg :open_mouth: you should have asked her to carry them, we have some new desking at work and are not allowed to unload it on our own because it is 75Kg, you should have called there bluff and see if you were sacked, then took them to a tribunal they would not have had a leg to stand on.

8

Quinney. When I contacted the VI about 2 years ago for infomation about a problem I was having they were A1 untill I said OK if this is as bad as you say this is who it is. Only then did they become very busy & unwilling to talk to me.
So I contacted the local police, gave them all the details including who I had spoken to at the VI & guess what, suddenly the VI wants to get involved.
So my line would be Police & HSE, sod the VI they only want drivers not the operators.

9

your boss sounds like the rest money,money,money thats all they see and if one of his drivers has refused to pick up frt then his bank balance starts to ring.and as for warehouse people at the customers they don’t have a say in the matter,if you don’t feel its safe for transporting then that is your decision and nobody can go against that. iwould contact police h&s,not only for your company but for this customer who sent the frt out and was obviously the one that barred you from site.also i would not train someone else up for the job, let the boss do it.as soon as you leave i bet he is put on your old run and the same will only start all over again. :wink:

10

Dam right ya did the right thing… like everyone else has said, it’s the drivers responsibility and at the end of the day it’s your license and livelyhood there risking.

If you are looking for another job, i wouldn’t bother training someone up to take over, just go, what’s to say that the new run they’re putting you on is going to be loaded any safer? AND What do you owe them? I know that sometimes leaving a job on good terms is a good option, but i don’t really think they deserve the respect that takes. WALK

Good luck and i hope you do the right thing for you ■■

Marie

11

Like everyone else has said on here, its your responsibility, its your licence, its your career, its your money that will need to be handed over if you were fined…

You must NOT under any circumstances accept a load that you consider to be unsafe… That would be so unprofessional as to be tantamount to pulling the trigger yourself…

You are so RIGHT to question the customer and your company about this unlawful practice and to keep doing so until you are blue in the face and have the result you expect…

I do speak from experiencce, when I worked for TNT, we had a contract working out of Tilbury delivering reels of paper with a minimum weight of 1 metric tonne each… We loaded these reels on the roll (side down-not on their ends) and chocked them with wedges of fence post right to the back doors (curtain-sider) then a full size fence post (cut diagonally - top to bottom) was wedged under the last reel and nailed in with 4 six inch nails… Not too bad so far, still highly dangerous but, with care, just about safe, then they loaded still more reels on top of the ones already on the bed of the trailer!!

When you got to the customer, they all had to be rolled out of the back door because they did not have the equipment (reel grabs) to take them off the side…

When you have 1 tonne + reels of paper rolling back down the trailer, with those on top crashing down all around you, your only options are ‘die’ or get out fast… NEVER, NEVER, EVER again.

Some drivers agreed to do the job, mostly agency, actually on reflection, only agency (no disrespect) but as a fellow professional, once bitten, NEVER again.

If a loads unsafe, if a place is too tight, if you dont THINK its right, then it probably is not right. I apologise if this reads a little dictatorial, but I have seen people injured because of this diabolical practice and despite constant questioning they still carried out this practice (TNT) until they lost the contract (Thank God).

It just so happened that for about 40 wedges, and 1 back stop and 4 nails TNT got another £50 per load… WOW!! As usual, they earn YOU lose.

Phew, glad thats out, like my signature, BE SAFE, WORK SMART, NOT HARD…

Terry

12

Simon it’s dead simple mate :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

If each of these rolls weighs 92kg each then all you need to do is ask the safety officer for the risk assessment report

A company is legally required to carryout a risk assessment for all tasks

13

Well i went into work today nobody has said anything about whats gone on i cant get a straight honest answer from anyone and when i phone the customer to find out if i have been barred from their site they wont answer the phone to me.
I have also had my run changed so i now cover north walesand the driver who normally does it has got my run so it has basiclly been swept under the carpet and nothing has changed.
Roll on 31st march then im out of there and back working for my proper boss but whats really [zb] me off is i worked hard on that run to straighten it out and make sure the job was done right and now ive just been tossed aside like a piece of [zb] and branded a trouble maker

simon

14

SimonRS2K:
Well i went into work today nobody has said anything about whats gone on i cant get a straight honest answer from anyone and when i phone the customer to find out if i have been barred from their site they wont answer the phone to me.
I have also had my run changed so i now cover north walesand the driver who normally does it has got my run so it has basiclly been swept under the carpet and nothing has changed.
Roll on 31st march then im out of there and back working for my proper boss but whats really [zb] me off is i worked hard on that run to straighten it out and make sure the job was done right and now ive just been tossed aside like a piece of [zb] and branded a trouble maker

simon

Dontw orry about been branded a trouble maker as you did what you should have done and were in the right and if anyone ever says anything regarding this to you as in a future employer or such like ( if that ever happens ) you can explain why and what happened and at the end of the day it is your safety and health that is paramount within HEALTH AND SAFETY issues

reason says that the current boss knows that he running dodgy and doesnt want anyone ot bring that to the attention of the powers that be and it is easier for him to oust the right and continue in the wrong you are better off out of there

15

Whats even more frustrating is this company im on contract to is a major european haulier :open_mouth: :cry:

simon

16

simonrs2k, the reason nobody has said anything to you is because they know your in the right and that goes for the customer as well. the customer that you where picking up from are they a big company :question: if so why don;t you put down on paper what happened and send it to there manageing deirector. even if they ain’t big i bet the top man does not know what is going on.what about writting to your companies m.d, and see what he has to say.if they are a big europeon haulier they won’t want bad pr going round about them. just tell him that you are bringing in the police and the health and safety to look in to this. lets see what reply you get.

17

kitkat:
simonrs2k, the reason nobody has said anything to you is because they know your in the right and that goes for the customer as well. the customer that you where picking up from are they a big company :question: if so why don;t you put down on paper what happened and send it to there manageing deirector. even if they ain’t big i bet the top man does not know what is going on.what about writting to your companies m.d, and see what he has to say.if they are a big europeon haulier they won’t want bad pr going round about them. just tell him that you are bringing in the police and the health and safety to look in to this. lets see what reply you get.

Already in motion everything that has happened upto now i have written down and as soon as im out of there i will be sending statements to both companies head offices not gonna get the police involved though

simon

18

All very wrong I agree. But at the end of the day the driver is responsible for his load, truck, health and safety and anyone elses. The talk of reporting something like this to the police is:

not going to change loading practise
not going to help you keeo your job or get references
not going to improve the lot of the next driver collecting at these premises.

This isnt a police matter

If the company wont speak to you on the phone that is probably because your company are the ones to deal with them, not the driver.

Kitkat suggests writing to your MD, That sounds like good advice.

Of course this is only my opinion

19

Already in motion everything that has happened upto now i have written down and as soon as im out of there i will be sending statements to both companies head offices not gonna get the police involved though.

i think you’d be better doing it when you are still there. this way the boss can’t tell the m.d. lies whilst you are sat there. but if you have left then you will be called everything under the sun and nothing would be done about it. i’d still involve the police. :wink: cause them as much grief as you can. make them remember you :bulb: :wink: :laughing:

20

Sadly I don’t think the police are going to be interested until the load falls off the lorry. The HSE might not be interested either until somebody gets hurt. It always seems to be the way in these cases. However you were right to stand up and say it was not acceptable, sadly they will find a driver who will just moan in the yard, but won’t do anything about it.