Bungle forces postmen to stoop and deliver

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/041 ... 08_12.html


ASK any postie what height a letter box should be and they’re more than likely to tell you as long as they can reach it, it’s fine.
Ask contractors working on an estate in Highgate and they’ll start spouting European directives at you.
At least, that’s the excuse Camden have apparently been given for a back-breaking error on the Holly Lodge estate.
Letterboxes on a newly refurbished block in a Highgate West Hill estate have been fitted at just over one foot above the ground – forcing postmen and women to bend over at every door to deliver mail.

What Postman Pat and his black and white cat would have made of the European directive EN 13724 – a list of specifications that the blunder can be traced back to – is anyone’s guess.
But given that Pat was often roped in to solve his neighbours’ problems, it is likely he would have agreed with Green ward councillor Adrian Oliver, who said: “There’s been a lack of common sense.â€

[POSTMAN]

But for Holly Lodge’s posties, the folly is likely to prove a recurring pain in the back

No it aint!!! Down my neck of the woods this was done,the union got involved and refused to deliver to this newly built estate as 100's were low level boxes.
The residents had to colect their mail until all the doors were fixed.

[DGP1]

I've delivered whole estates that have low level letterboxes so why is now that they are a problem?? Must be a slow news day

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I've delivered whole estates that have low level letterboxes so why is now that they are a problem?? Must be a slow news day

Under the new 318 or walk log system low level letter boxes are seen as a hazard and Royal Mail are being extra careful over them. A postie with An Post in Eire successfully sued them I believe for the same reason.

http://www.cwu.org.uk/news.asp?step=3&NID=885 - CWU Approach

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60668460.html

AN POST is facing a sackful of claims after a postie won a landmark compo case for crippling his back on his mail round.

Disgruntled postie Ian Barclay bagged pounds 43,000 in the High Court yesterday for suffering years of agony over bending down to reach nuisance letter boxes at the bottom of doors.

The country's mailing company is now bracing itself for a flood of legal letters from posties who have been put through severe pain from delivering letters to hazard doors.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/156374.stm

Postmen and women in the UK could find themselves not having to bend so much while delivering letters after the outcome of a court case in the Irish republic.

An Irish postal worker has been awarded £43,500 in damages for an injured back after he delivered mail to a housing estate where all the letterboxes were at ground level.

New regulations are now being planned in the republic which is expected to require letterboxes to be two-and-a-half feet above the ground.

One Irish local authority has already banned low letter boxes from its housing schemes.

The Communication Workers Union, which represents UK postal workers, is studying details of the Irish case.

A union spokesman said: "Low letterboxes are a serious problem for delivery workers across the UK.

"A simple change in design would make life a lot easier for postmen and women."

[combocrasher]

i used to deliver to one round with over a couple of hundred low level letterboxes, never once made it back for the second post, was so glad come repick time

[brothermagrew]

Brother Teebs is quite correct the relevant case law was a High Court of Ireland Decision namely Barclay v. An Post [1998] IEHC 110; [1998] 2 ILRM 385 (7th July, 1998).

The decision can be viewed at http://www.bailii.org

Mr Barclay's injuries originally arose from delivering mail to a house at Greenlea Place, Terenure, in the City of Dublin, which was fitted with a very low level letter box.

Awarded in total £43,500.

[BELIAL]

Hope zippy and geoffrey don't take advantage