Van sharing must stop : UPDATE 23March Guidance is being sent to managers on how to introduce social distancing in our operations, including moving to one person per van

[daveyeff]

its not as if i am not taking this seriously cos i am, but people with thoughts as strong as this should be asking themselves should you really be at work at all. asymptomatic people are near you at work, they touch surfaces, door handles, letters, parcels, use toilet seats, turn on taps before washing their hands, there is an absolute endless list that would allow anyone to catch this virus from anyone who has it. so just saying that van sharing should stop won't do diddley if someone in your workplace has it. people who feel this strongly should self isolate.

I get your point, but this is about our employer doing everything they possibly can to minimise risk.

If they don't then we should ALL stay home. It's not about how strongly you "feel" about it - the virus doesn't care.

the management can only pass on expert advice it is given to its workforce. they wouldn't know if someone had the virus and was at work, people who may have it could be at work because they are asymptomatic, then a week later the s**t hits the fan.

[daveyeff]

There's no point going on about van sharing if you can't distance within an office...

exactly. plus even keeping your distance in an office is STILL a risk cos we are all in a confined space and touching things that can all be picked up by someone else.

[daveyeff]

on the news the last week, it showed scences where people in an airport queue were all advised to stand 2 metres apart. what good would this really do? all these people were going to get on the same plane and sit next to each other. and if anyone DID have it, then it wouldve been recirculated through the planes air conditioning system. totally pointless. but they were just acting on expert government advice.

[Acca Dacca]

There's no point going on about van sharing if you can't distance within an office...

Im a part timer and can distance myself just fine in the office

[daveyeff]

There's no point going on about van sharing if you can't distance within an office...

Im a part timer and can distance myself just fine in the office

you still have to touch letters/packets PDAs that have all been handled by someone else. you still use toilet facilities. its also an airbourne virus that is spread when someone coughs or sneezes. are you going to dodge the droplets?

[sindba]

There's no point going on about van sharing if you can't distance within an office...

Im a part timer and can distance myself just fine in the office

you still have to touch letters/packets PDAs that have all been handled by someone else. you still use toilet facilities. its also an airbourne virus that is spread when someone coughs or sneezes. are you going to dodge the droplets?

You're missihg the point.

There will always be some risk. What we are asking is for RM to take drastic measures to *minimise* that risk.

At the moment they are not doing so, and it could be lethal.

[daveyeff]

RM are doing exactly what they have been told to advise.

[ssdd]

There's no point going on about van sharing if you can't distance within an office...

Im a part timer and can distance myself just fine in the office

you still have to touch letters/packets PDAs that have all been handled by someone else. you still use toilet facilities. its also an airbourne virus that is spread when someone coughs or sneezes. are you going to dodge the droplets?

You're missihg the point.

There will always be some risk. What we are asking is for RM to take drastic measures to *minimise* that risk.

At the moment they are not doing so, and it could be lethal.

Well it should be starting within the office environment, not vans.

[lillywhite]

Honestly don’t think it will be long before the first claim for negligence or duty of care case goes in.

[sindba]

RM are doing exactly what they have been told to advise.

They are doing the bare minimum they can get away with.

They can and must do a lot more.

Including 1 per van, staggered sorting and attendance, refusing acceptance of non-essental items, rigorously cleaning offices every day, and more. The whole nine yards.

[nuisance]

There's no point going on about van sharing if you can't distance within an office...

Im a part timer and can distance myself just fine in the office

you still have to touch letters/packets PDAs that have all been handled by someone else. you still use toilet facilities. its also an airbourne virus that is spread when someone coughs or sneezes. are you going to dodge the droplets?

You're missihg the point.

There will always be some risk. What we are asking is for RM to take drastic measures to *minimise* that risk.

At the moment they are not doing so, and it could be lethal.

Well it should be starting within the office environment, not vans.

I think the vans are the worst, most intense risk of exposure. Rotating users is just as bad as sharing. The handles, steering wheel, gear stick, etc, could all be contaminated by someone who could well be carrying the virus who has been in it for hours where you're going to be sitting. It's my day off tomorrow (I normally always work it) and one of the spare's covering is just returning from a sick absence. The management must really not care that we're all going to catch it. I don't fall into any of the vulnerable groups and live alone. I'm resigned to considering myself virus food with not much I can do about it. What they don't seem to grasp is that this virus will be potentially horrible and dangerous for EVERYONE. Just because statistically we're not one of the people most likely to die doesn't mean they don't have to at least try to protect us as we try to protect ourselves.

[Schiff]

The vans that we use are a disgrace. It makes you wonder how some of our colleagues live at home.

RM should have every van professionally valeted then provide wipes to clean steering wheel, gear stick, door handles etc before and after use. Make it a gross misconduct offence to not leave the vans immaculate at the end of each shift, even if you think that you will be the next one to use the van.

[PostmanBitesDog]

The vans that we use are a disgrace. It makes you wonder how some of our colleagues live at home. RM should have every van professionally valeted then provide wipes to clean steering wheel, gear stick, door handles etc before and after use. Make it a gross misconduct offence to not leave the vans immaculate at the end of each shift, even if you think that you will be the next one to use the van.

Too right. As a Cover/Reserve OPG I use different vans almost every day, so I don't have the privilege of taking care of my own van. That means that the vans I do use are in shocking conditions. What gets my goat is the excuses the drivers and their regular partners use to get away with such behavior. The most common excuse is a lack of time to clean the vans. Sure, plenty of time on a Tuesday when the mail is often light. I mean, c'mon. Wear some protective kitchen gloves, grab a bin bag, a packet off wipes, a roll of paper towel, a bucket of soapy water and a brush and just spend 30 minutes to give the vehicle a decent clean.
Or at least bin the trash left in the vans.

[warren.n.ward]

Where do we stand on shared vans and the 2 meter min distance. We have had no info on what to do and government guide lines state we should be 7ft apart!

[sindba]

Where do we stand on shared vans and the 2 meter min distance. We have had no info on what to do and government guide lines state we should be 7ft apart!

Hopefully there will be new procedures tomorrow.

If not, then point blank refuse to do it. If they threaten you, stand your ground as much as you can.

If they still force you, tell them you will put your health concerns in writing and will cc Royal Mail HR. Then don't go in the next day.