Anyone injured themselves doing their regular job unloading Overstacked roll cages, I have damaged both my shoulders and my back! 
I seem to remember the words to an Evita track⌠âAnd the money came rolling inâŚâ 
who decides overload weight
so heavy are the cages
ladybird48:
Anyone injured themselves doing their regular job unloading Overstacked roll cages, I have damaged both my shoulders and my back!
if you are in a union then report it too your rep, and also tell your transport office that any over loaded cages will be brought back as it is dangerous and your at risk of injury by trying too move them and quote H&S rulesâŚ
We have all reported this complaint all 150 to 200 drivers but NO ONE LISTENS I gave a pettion to the union about over stacked roll cages with 130 drivers signictures but shop steward threw it out saying it was not done by the unionâ â ? and there isânt a problem with the unloading of roll cagesâ â ? WE WORK FOR WINCANTON .
ladybird48:
We have all reported this complaint all 150 to 200 drivers but NO ONE LISTENS I gave a pettion to the union about over stacked roll cages with 130 drivers signictures but shop steward threw it out saying it was not done by the unionâ â ? and there isânt a problem with the unloading of roll cagesâ â ? WE WORK FOR WINCANTON .
if thats the case you have too contact the H & SE and report it too them, there are laws there too protect you, roll cages would come under the same lawâs as pallet trucks and the weight you are allowed by law too move with themâŚ
Iâve told this before on Trucknet and Iâll happily tell it again
When I was employed by TDG delivering garage doors for Hendersons in Bowburn, we had to drag the doors to the back of the truck for unloading as the customers always claimed they were not insured to get into the back of the Trucks.
Whilst pulling a large framed door the lifting toggle on the far end snagged and I wrenched my back, I lost 6 weeks work through it, I argued with the manager at TDG that I should be on half pay but he claimed it was my own fault for ignoring the signs on the doors saying âSeek assistance when liftingâ
I contacted the Union (URTU) who put me in touch with their solicitors, I filled in the form he sent me and included the reason TDG were refusing to pay half pay, he phoned me after a couple of days and asked where my second man was at the time I wrenched my back, I replied we worked alone and that was it.
TDG did not even contest the unions claim as it was pointed out that they should be supplying a 2nd man as they were aware of the doors being too heavy for 1 person to lift.
If the Employer is aware that the items are too heavy for 1 person they are legally obliged to supply assistance, So tell your union guy to get his finger out and get it sorted !!!
ladybird48:
We have all reported this complaint all 150 to 200 drivers but NO ONE LISTENS I gave a pettion to the union about over stacked roll cages with 130 drivers signictures but shop steward threw it out saying it was not done by the unionâ â ? and there isânt a problem with the unloading of roll cagesâ â ? WE WORK FOR WINCANTON .
Do what we did when we was on for Wetherspoons, take the overloaded ones back to the depot. A roll cage should be loaded with a maximum of 0.5tonne as the wheels wont hold anymore weight, officially, than that. They cannot legally fire you over refusing to deliver, if they do then get legal advice and go for the industrial tribuneral.
As for taking a petition to the shop steward, waste of time, most of them in my expierence are in with the management anyhow. Most rollcages are usually knackered within 3 - 4 months anyhow, because of the simple reason, warehouse staff havent got a clue on how to load them.
Cheers for all your help! Itâs greatly appreciatedâŚJust hope I can still work to a good ageâŚMy Orthopedic surgeon has said that this Manual handling has brought on osteoarthris five years early⌠due to the weights we have to move. Another thing Wincanton has done is rivit shut the spines in a fridge trailer so that we cannot turn the cages round and push the Ambient outâŚinstead we have to drag them out 44ftâŚ
because they load the roll cages back to front so that you cannot hold the handles when pulling them out!!! I have had 3 years of damaging myselfâŚand they are stopping paying sick pay too⌠after 5 occasions of sick which could be a one day/ a two day. a one day etc/âŚ
in an ideal world there would be no work related injuries, but it happens.
so heres a list of some of mine.
snapped a muscle in my back lifting windows.
cut my finger with a chainsaw.
cut my arm with a chainsaw.
hit in the eye with some wood.
slipped disk pushing ibcâs.
hurt my knuckle on someones head.
got shot. but he bought me a pint.
if you are working for a company that puts you in constant danger, then you have two choices.
- stay.
- go.
my job is the same when it comes to cages, on a daily occurence i will push a cage which is to heavy and off comes the wheel, but still expected to deliver that cage. with just THREE WHEELS⌠im always saying there overloading the cages, and they say they have a word but nothing is done, also most of my drops i go to, the ground is very very bad, and its steep hills in limpley stoke etc, ive had 3 people helping before as it was that hard. but normally again expected to do this on my own.
limeyphil:
in an ideal world there would be no work related injuries, but it happens.
so heres a list of some of mine.snapped a muscle in my back lifting windows.
cut my finger with a chainsaw.
cut my arm with a chainsaw.
hit in the eye with some wood.
slipped disk pushing ibcâs.
hurt my knuckle on someones head.
got shot. but he bought me a pint.if you are working for a company that puts you in constant danger, then you have two choices.
- stay.
- go.
Keep them coming mateâŚYou are the only reason i come on here⌠
ladybird48:
Cheers for all your help! Itâs greatly appreciatedâŚJust hope I can still work to a good ageâŚMy Orthopedic surgeon has said that this Manual handling has brought on osteoarthris five years early⌠due to the weights we have to move. Another thing Wincanton has done is rivit shut the spines in a fridge trailer so that we cannot turn the cages round and push the Ambient outâŚinstead we have to drag them out 44ftâŚ
Do you KNOW what the limit is for you as an individual? The manual handling guidance is just that guidance and people of different strengths and abilities will have different capabilities. Do you make a risk assessment before moving the cage to determine wether you can move it without harming yourself? Not to put to fine a point on it if youâve been repeatedly injured for a number of years then maybe there is something you are not doing properly.
ladybird48:
because they load the roll cages back to front so that you cannot hold the handles when pulling them out!!! I have had 3 years of damaging myselfâŚand they are stopping paying sick pay too⌠after 5 occasions of sick which could be a one day/ a two day. a one day etc/âŚ
If you cant open the doors ( Iâm making the assumption that the handles are in the door panel) then you cannot lighten the load and this may be a contributory factor as I would be very surprised if within your âsafe system of workâ there isnât an instruction along the lines ofâŚif a cage is to heavy for you to move then remove some stock untill you can safely do so.
This may not be quite what you want to hear but as one who has twice been injured by roll cages when they cage was loaded door first in a restricted space and sucessesfully won the first and waiting settlement/court date for the second you will have to show that you did all that you could to prevent the injury to yourself.
ladybird48:
Anyone injured themselves doing their regular job unloading Overstacked roll cages, I have damaged both my shoulders and my back!
Wimp
Iâm sure there are HSE rules to prevent this type of injury, only no one gives a â â â â when HSE works in the drivers favour, typical!
I used to sub for Tesco (pre Stobart) & hated the work, loved the money though so I suffered it, what I used to do with heavy cages or ones with buggered wheels was tip them over as I hit the plate, then refuse to move any more without assistance, they could keep me hanging around all day if they wanted, I was on a day rate so I didnât care.
In reality the whole thing is a disgrace, the cages are loaded on to the trailers with electric pallet trucks & yet at the other end, muggins the driver has to hump them up hill & down dale, in trailers with all kinds of crap on the floor, but remember guys & girls, youâre wearing a hi-viz & safety boots, so thatâs alright 
Cheers everyone for the response, greatly appreciated. Pity H+S are not fully trained in How Trailers Should be Loaded or go out with drivers undercover!!!
They do not understand this field of study at all, Thanks Guys ! Nice to here your experience.
I gave a pettion to the union about over stacked roll cages with 130 drivers signatures but shop steward threw it out saying it was not done by the unionâ â ?
Let me guess, T & G?
The steward is supposed to represent the interests of the members. If he refused to act take it to a branch meeting or the local office and COMPLAIN! You pay your subs, get the lazy git of his a***. Or sack him.
JISL to ESL:
The steward is supposed to represent the interests of the members. If he refused to act take it to a branch meeting or the local office and COMPLAIN! You pay your subs, get the lazy git of his a***. Or sack him.
What a dumb statement to make.
What if those interests are quite demanding and unrealistic? The union is quite right not to pursue it if it puts the relationship with the employer in danger.
Unions donât just blindly take up memberâs interest without checking legality and viability first. Any union knows that it not only has to look after the memberâs interest but also the Companyâs interest as without a Company there wouldnât be any members.
Perhaps in the dark days of unions it was operated as you describe. Long gone have them days.
interlog:
JISL to ESL:
The steward is supposed to represent the interests of the members. If he refused to act take it to a branch meeting or the local office and COMPLAIN! You pay your subs, get the lazy git of his a***. Or sack him.
What a dumb statement to make.
Why so?
What if those interests are quite demanding and unrealistic? The union is quite right not to pursue it if it puts the relationship with the employer in danger.
Cobras (1)
Unions donât just blindly take up memberâs interest without checking legality and viability first.
Exactly, but if 100 plus members have a grievance the steward must investigate, not dismiss it out of hand.
Any union knows that it not only has to look after the memberâs interest but also the Companyâs interestsâŚ
Cobras (2) The company has highly paid âexpertsâ to deal with the companyâs interests. The union presents the workersâ concerns. In this case the matter need investigating, if the cages are overloaded the driversâ safety is the overriding concern.
If a union is involved & 130 people make a complaint then surely it has to be investigated at the very least?
Now Iâm of the opinion that a lot (too many) of todayâs drivers are a bunch of whinging fairies who havenât got a dayâs work in them, but on this subject I agree completely, I donât think that itâs unfair that the driver has to roll the cages on or off, thatâs supermarket work, if you donât want to do it, get another job, but, the equipment must be up to the job i.e. Trolleys/pallet trucks that are in full working order, if the ground isnât more or less level then the receiving store should provide assistance, admittedly some do, but many do not & this isnât right. 
I have been told, but dont quote me on this, but the Morrisons drivers at the new Sittingbourne RDC have been told NOT to go in the trailer, the stores unload them. And strap any loose ones back inâŚ
When I doing Tescos I uased to raise unit suspension and lower trailer, makes the cages easier to roll, if they were too heavy I just let em go, if they went over tough, to heavy for me to hold.
Esp as I have 10 bolts and five plates holding my spine together after an accident that broke itâŚ