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Backdoor accidents

Started by Chairswan, 18-05-06, 03:49AM

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Rigger

Quote from: diesel.pi on 07-02-15, 10:38PM
In our store if there are not 2 people to unload the delivery they either wait or come back later...it's not unusual to have two deliveries waiting 2 hours for staff to start.

Not always the case.............I've turned up at a store with a delivery to be told they can't tip for 3 hours, I phone my dc who phones the store, store still say 3 hours, in the end store doesn't get a delivery that day............if stores thought they could turn us away and get us to come back later they'd all be doing it

talesin

Back door has always been one of the most dangerous areas to work in, but Express is by far the worst. Very often the deliveries are tipped on the road which can have an extreme camber or in the worst cases are on a steep hill.

The lorries are small and have inadequate tail gates, it makes me nervous looking at them.  Very often public are passing the tailgate when it is being lowered and if a cage came off the side next to a narrow pavement, the cones would not protect them.  I've seen badly loaded cages (which is common, not rare) tip off the sides and front of the tail lift.  I've seen reversing deliveries hit cars in car parks and the driver get out, check and get back in, even if there was some damage and try to pretend it never happened.

I have seen the back wall of a store get demolished by a lorry, the heavily pregnant manager guiding it in had to jump out of the way in a hurry.  One manager said that it had been at least 6 months before she realised you were supposed to have 2 people to tip a lorry.  Single person off loading is regular.

It is depressing to read all this and find out that nothing is being done about it.  Unfortunately I think that even a death is unlikely to change this.  What are the unions doing about it all?  Part of the reason unions were first established was to fight for H and S in the workplace, and they have done sterling work in the past, but after Thatchers emasculation of the unions it seems they are unable to fight as they should for our rights.  What are they doing about it and why are we paying them subscriptions when they will not fight for our right to be safe at work?

tumshie

Have you asked the union for help with this?

talesin

Did at the time, nothing came of it- back door assessments in place, training in place, blah,blah,blah and frankly the h and s rep was not exactly dedicated. Now older and wiser I would have handled it differently but the problem is endemic in Express, there is no money and one on one is common.  As others have commented shutting the shop is not really an option, where do you go from there? In most stores there seem to be enough hours in place in the early morning as long as the store is not super busy, but the morning is one of the busiest times of the day in Express and often the person helping tip has to rush off mid job to prop up the checkouts and the problems REALLY start when the delivery is late . Is it going to get better?  In the current Tesco environment I think not.

JimmySaville

well said talesin.

The problem of late deliveries is becoming a huge concern these days. Most express stores are morning heavy with staff. Nowadays,m they are literally twiddling their thumbs until the delivery arrives after midday. Leaving the evening shift to do ALL of the work on half of the staff. This of course impacts everything from customer satisfaction to routines to general motivation as mornings staff are less busy customer wise, theres double the staff,double the management and far less to do in comparison to the late staff. Which is pretty much 1-1 for the whole night.

just curious

Whilst this item does not apply to " Backdoor accidents " as such do any of the staff working on the back door suffer hearing problems which are possibly caused by the Tosco lorries and the warning veichle reversing alert / bleepers and the securicor cash vans doing the same , not to mention all the other bread vans - milk delivery vans - dot com vans etc which members of the back door team hear constantly through out there shifts / work pattern ?
Can the loss of hearing be classed as a work related illness / injury , would compensation be payable for the loss of hearing ? , as I know of a member of staff who very often does not hear as well as they could - once did ? ( and no it is not selective deafness where they only hear what they want to hear ).

craftyarchie

One of our milk drivers wears ear plugs the time. He says that wheeling milk dollies over the corrugated floor  for several hours a day is deafening and his Doctor advised him to wear them.

Nomad

http://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/regulations.htm

QuoteThe level at which employers must provide hearing protection and hearing protection zones is now 85 decibels (daily or weekly average exposure) and the level at which employers must assess the risk to workers' health and provide them with information and training is now 80 decibels. There is also an exposure limit value of 87 decibels, taking account of any reduction in exposure provided by hearing protection, above which workers must not be exposed.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

Gold_Alien

Talking to someone at Northwich today, there back gate/wall by back gate got demolished by the green brigade Saturday night.
I'm told it was a foreign driver who didn't speak a word of English.

Nomad

Northwich pictures sent to me by ex-employee.

[attachment deleted by admin]
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

BANDERSNATCH

Quote from: Gold_Alien on 07-12-15, 02:19PM
Talking to someone at Northwich today, there back gate/wall by back gate got demolished by the green brigade Sat*rday night.
I'm told it was a foreign driver who didn't speak a word of English.

Welsh then ?

kernow 54

Talesin...now your older...wiser...become a rep and do something.....

NeedingSleep

Not an accident, but backdoor related.

We have no one at our store who is trained for back door after our backdoor man left.

Myself, and other members of staff are being forced to unload lorries. So going up on the lift, in the lorry, backloadi g etc.

All this with no HS gear or boots. Any objection to doing the lorry results in threats of being sacked for refusing to follow a managers command.

We are constantly told no training is needed, as being shown what the buttons on the lift do, counts as training.

Is there anywhere I can get some information or Tesco documents that can confirm if we need training or not, other than my word vs theirs?

Thank you!

darklighter

Of course you need to be trained properly and have your training records updated accordingly.  High viz and safety footwer are also a must.  Remember, if there is ever a serious accident then you may be held responsible along with the idiot of a Manager that forced you to work with equipment that is potentially dangerous and you are not trained for. 
You could be sacked or worse, end up in jail.
 

Terrahawk2016

@Needingsleep

As it states in the back door safe and legal, are 2 trained staff unloading vehicles or words to that effect, in your case that's a no so it should that's a breach of health & safety

Does showing how the buttons work count as training...No!!
To be validated for back door & warehouse you must complete the training framework & it must be signed off on a TRC!

You should be supplied with safety shoes also as they are a requirement for anybody unloading/loading a vehicle.

And lastly if a manager threatens you with the sack call his bluff, you are legally not trained to be at the back door & as a result the manager in question is breaching health & safety rules & HE is liable to face punishment should any accidents happen at the back door & he knowingly sent someone who is not trained. But I would be tempted to call the protector line or inform the SM of the situation. Hope this helps

NeedingSleep

Thank you both for the replies and for confirming what I thought.

We get told that the driver counts as the second person.

It's just tedious when you're constantly called a liar, despite knowing you are right. Will make some phone calls later today I think, and see what comes of it.

Talisman

Just refuse to do it and explain you need to have formal training so you can assess the risks yourself.   He can't discipline you for it.

blutopia

....and insist on being supplied with your own pair of safety shoes/boots - it doesn't come out of the store's budget, so they should have no excuses.  You can order online but need to be set up in a job category that requires them.

baldeagle

The driver does not count as the second person as they should not leave the trailer, also this lift you are using, I hope its the store lift and not the tail lift.

JL

Our managers continually ask all night teams to unload wagons, drag cages from the warehouse to the shop floor and do pre sort is this not the role of backdoor/warehouse therefore you should be able to get boots supplied?

lucgeo

If you haven't had the correct training, been signed off on your training card, been given your OWN safety boots and any other PPE required then you DONT DO IT!!

Untrained and unprotected colleagues, who work on these departments are leaving themselves wide open. If you sustain an injury or damage Tesco property you will get no sympathy from Tesco. You won't receive any compensation, you could lose money if your sickness allowance runs out. That is if you still have your job and haven't been sacked for gross misconduct. Tesco will distance themselves by saying you shouldn't have been there, any damage you may have done will not be covered by their insurance, you will not be covered by their insurance. Then of course there is the possibility that you could sustain such an injury, that you are no longer able to work and have to survive on benefits, which won't cover your mortgage, or any financial commitments you may have!

How keen are you now, to stand up to these moron managers and say NO ??? ???
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

darklighter

They are too damn lazy to train you properly but expect you to do the job regardless.

Two backdoor trained staff must be available for tail lift deliveries or moving cages on an incline or uneven ground, only one is necessary for unloading using a scissor lift.  Drivers do not count as the second member of staff and should not be counted as such although most are willing to give you a hand they have no obligation to.

Next time you are asked say you cannot comply as you are not properly trained nor do you have the correct PPE for the job.
 

snowyowl

Needing Sleep;
QuoteAny objection to doing the lorry results in threats of being sacked for refusing to follow a managers command.

Where is it you work, in the nineteen forties. Refusing to follow a managers command! Nobody is in any position to command you to do anything and I'm pretty sure he hasn't got the authority to sack anybody, very simply he would get put right very quickly he commanded anything of me.
You can get in bother not not responding to a "managers reasonable request" but what he is commanding is neither reasonable or a request.
If it occurs again refuse to comply and explain to him that you will resolve this problem with the Senior Manager as you feel he is commanding that you do something that is breaking Health and Safety regulations. If he has any sense he will rethink the matter. "D*CK"

lol ok

You could order your own safety boots...just a thought!

lucgeo

Yes that's a point! Go on your colleagues ordering form, if they don't have protective footwear allocated to your job description, then Tesco don't recognise you as needing them to do your job,which would be another good point in your favour ???

Tell your moron manager you have spoken to your area Union office, your union rep and your health and safety rep, all who state you are untrained and unprotected, and therefore you are refusing an unreasonable request, and if he insists, you will place a grievance under terms and conditions, harassment and questioning his management abilities ???

NEVER BUY YOUR OWN SHOES  >:(
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

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