css machine questions

[bendover]

Is there a list of sops for css machine operators.Ihave been working on css machines for a year and we still dont know the exact rules.
Can anyone explain 1) we have 3 css machines at our delivery office,how many staff should there be ,.

2) what is the exact rule ,is it 2 hours on 2 hours off or 2 hours on 15 mins off.

3)We work a ten hour shift,what is the total minutes of break we are allowed,not including doing other stuff,i mean total break.

4)is there a max or minimum limit of mail you can have on a batch or do you just judge for yourself,and hope it doesnt get too full of mail.


Also out of interest what is a typical night of other css machine operators.not including sun and monday nights which are different,tue to frin night we tend to batch maiol from 11.30 until 12.we run the machine from 12 until about 3.30 or 4.one man to a machine with another helping to batch down between the 3 machines,There is a 5th man who helps when 2 machines finish at the same time but apart form that he does sorting of mail,until needed.Breaks start at about 1.15 when the mail sorter comes onto machine 1 whilst he takes a break then he moves onto machine 2 when first man comes back ,and so on .all breaks taken by about 3.When the batchs are finished at about 3.30 - 4 we do the labels for 2nd wave then have a break from 4 until about 5.we then all go on sorting until about 6 when the 2nd wave turns up,2nd wave goes on from 6.15 until about 8 when we vacuum the machine and tidy up until about 8.45 then tend to go home .official finnish time is 9.30.

Thanks in advance for any answers

[Talell]

1: staff should be equal to the amount of machines running at the same time, e.g. if you have 3 machines in the office but only run 2 at the same time through the night, you would only require 2 operators

2: you can run any machine for an unlimited amount of time, 2 hours on 2 hours off is advisory

3: 50 minutes plus 10 grace

4: there is no minimum for sequencing or walksorting (i.e. you can run 1 tray batches), however there is a 20 tray maximum for sequencing, there is no limit iirc for walksorting

From what you have said there, I would expect you to lose one of the machines, since you have sufficient capacity to do it on 2.

[bendover]

That cant be right.We have 3 machines running from 12,until about 4 oclock.So you think we only need 3 men running those machines.Im sure health and safety wouldnt have them working 4 hours straight on a machine .This is what i mean,there should be some sort of rules set in stone.I heard it was one and half men to a machine which would make more sense as then you have somone to cover breaks.

[Talell]

So, turns out I am somewhat wrong.

LTB 479/11 says that in D.O.s the plan should be 2 hours on 20mins off as a bare minimum with an aim to have 2 hours off if the workload permits. It also says that it is contained in the national agreement attached, but I can't find it for love nor money.

The link for it is here, since postman doesn't like 3MB files.

[Budfrog]

1: staff should be equal to the amount of machines running at the same time, e.g. if you have 3 machines in the office but only run 2 at the same time through the night, you would only require 2 operators

The number of staff is dependant upon the number of batches and the workplan and is subject to local negotiation. It usually equates to around 2.5 duties per machine over the 6 nights however there are wide discrepancies nationally as regions were pretty much allowed to develop their own dutysets. It is an area that in my opinion needs more standardisation as a matter of some urgency as some structures are clearly too tight and do not have any contingency built in for unforeseen absences, save the staff running over the 2 hours recommended maximum (which some regions are happy to condone !!) .

2: you can run any machine for an unlimited amount of time, 2 hours on 2 hours off is advisory.

Correct provided Meal Breaks and Relaxation Allowance is taken. It is 2 Hrs on and 2 Hrs away from the machine in a Mail Centre but in a MPU it is 2 Hrs on and 20 mins. The reason for the difference is that there are more alternative tasks in a Mail Centre on nights.

3: 50 minutes plus 10 grace

I believe the grace break is at the discretion of the region, certainly in Thames Valley it is not shown on the duty structures. It is no surprise (again) that there is little consistency.

4: there is no minimum for sequencing or walksorting (i.e. you can run 1 tray batches), however there is a 20 tray maximum for sequencing, there is no limit iirc for walksorting

Correct although the RM Tutors were until recently advising a minimum of around 4 trays per batch. The pressure on regions to increase DP% figures has resulted in MPUs being instructed to sequence everything, even small batches that are clearly not worth doing.

From what you have said there, I would expect you to lose one of the machines, since you have sufficient capacity to do it on 2.

[Talell]

The number of staff is dependant upon the number of batches and the workplan and is subject to local negotiation. It usually equates to around 2.5 duties per machine over the 6 nights however there are wide discrepancies nationally as regions were pretty much allowed to develop their own dutysets. It is an area that in my opinion needs more standardisation as a matter of some urgency as some structures are clearly too tight and do not have any contingency built in for unforeseen absences, save the staff running over the 2 hours recommended maximum (which some regions are happy to condone !!) .

Correct provided Meal Breaks and Relaxation Allowance is taken. It is 2 Hrs on and 2 Hrs away from the machine in a Mail Centre but in a MPU it is 2 Hrs on and 20 mins. The reason for the difference is that there are more alternative tasks in a Mail Centre on nights.

I believe the grace break is at the discretion of the region, certainly in Thames Valley it is not shown on the duty structures. It is no surprise (again) that there is little consistency.

Correct although the RM Tutors were until recently advising a minimum of around 4 trays per batch. The pressure on regions to increase DP% figures has resulted in MPUs being instructed to sequence everything, even small batches that are clearly not worth doing.

Grace is above and beyond basic relief entitlement and should never be written on any 318 (relaxation is an exception), and should be allowed to be way forward compliant. In the above example, he receives a very generous grace break and is therefore compliant

The contingency is walksort. No really. If a machine breaks down, there is nothing you can do about it, so the other machine sequences as much as possible, then walksorts everything.

Also good to know I'm not alone in the stupid batch size nonsense

[Budfrog]

The number of staff is dependant upon the number of batches and the workplan and is subject to local negotiation. It usually equates to around 2.5 duties per machine over the 6 nights however there are wide discrepancies nationally as regions were pretty much allowed to develop their own dutysets. It is an area that in my opinion needs more standardisation as a matter of some urgency as some structures are clearly too tight and do not have any contingency built in for unforeseen absences, save the staff running over the 2 hours recommended maximum (which some regions are happy to condone !!) .

Correct provided Meal Breaks and Relaxation Allowance is taken. It is 2 Hrs on and 2 Hrs away from the machine in a Mail Centre but in a MPU it is 2 Hrs on and 20 mins. The reason for the difference is that there are more alternative tasks in a Mail Centre on nights.

I believe the grace break is at the discretion of the region, certainly in Thames Valley it is not shown on the duty structures. It is no surprise (again) that there is little consistency.

Correct although the RM Tutors were until recently advising a minimum of around 4 trays per batch. The pressure on regions to increase DP% figures has resulted in MPUs being instructed to sequence everything, even small batches that are clearly not worth doing.

Grace is above and beyond basic relief entitlement and should never be written on any 318 (relaxation is an exception), and should be allowed to be way forward compliant. In the above example, he receives a very generous grace break and is therefore compliant

The contingency is walksort. No really. If a machine breaks down, there is nothing you can do about it, so the other machine sequences as much as possible, then walksorts everything.

Also good to know I'm not alone in the stupid batch size nonsense

Thanks for the reply.

Just to clarify I was referring to contingency for having less than a full compliment of staff (I should have been clearer).

You are absolutely correct in terms of contingency for such occurrences as machine breakdowns, late arrivals, unduly heavy traffic volumes which is walksort.

[Talell]

the contingency is still walksort, regardless of the cause

[Budfrog]

the contingency is still walksort, regardless of the cause

There do not actually exit, to my knowledge, any contingency plans that are documented for an MPU running with less than the agreed number of staff.

The contingency planning is a bit of a farce really and RM are relying more on OPGs sense of duty to get them out of a fix when things go pear shaped. Most MPUs do not have the required coverage on shift to cope with blow outs without either working above the 2 hrs, working their meal breaks or dropping to walksort. If they drop to walksort their own on a satellite office then has to put into operation it's own contingency plan to cope with the extra workload. Given the late time that this info is given to the DOM is it really feasible that he can bring in extra staff .... no of course it is not ! Any additional resource will be later in the day when staff will be asked to work longer or brought in from their rest days .... and of course the hard working MLs taking walks out.

[Talell]

The thing with mech is to overstaff, not fly by the seat of your pants like you can do with manual.

For example, it's why staffing to 2hours on 2 off is so good, not only is it better for the operator getting a decent break from the workload, but also in the event of sick absence, you can drop down to 2 hours on 20mins off as the contingency, and man up for the impact on indoor in the morning, which is easier to resource for.

Mech jobs should be classed as priority hours in a MPU (if they aren't already), and are the first jobs filled, because how many people do you know of that would work all night on those things, on overtime, then go and do a walk as well.

I think in the event of lack of staff, the other machines would go as normal, and try to absorb the other batches at the end, anything that can't be absorbed as sequenced gets walksorted as a minimum (mail cannot be sent to the office in batch form, it must be at least walksorted), but it's the team leaders call.

[Budfrog]

The thing with mech is to overstaff, not fly by the seat of your pants like you can do with manual.

For example, it's why staffing to 2hours on 2 off is so good, not only is it better for the operator getting a decent break from the workload, but also in the event of sick absence, you can drop down to 2 hours on 20mins off as the contingency, and man up for the impact on indoor in the morning, which is easier to resource for.

Mech jobs should be classed as priority hours in a MPU (if they aren't already), and are the first jobs filled, because how many people do you know of that would work all night on those things, on overtime, then go and do a walk as well.

I think in the event of lack of staff, the other machines would go as normal, and try to absorb the other batches at the end, anything that can't be absorbed as sequenced gets walksorted as a minimum (mail cannot be sent to the office in batch form, it must be at least walksorted), but it's the team leaders call.

I agree with everything you say which makes a lot of sense.

My issue is with RMs attitude which is basically if an MPU needs to Walk Sort as part of it's Contingency Plan ... the Team Leader eMails the DOMs of the satellite units affected (probably when they are in the land of nod) and expects them to then implement their own Contingency Plans at such a late time.