Snow and Ice

[Lounge Lizard]

Given Royal Mail's responsibility for our health and safety are there occasions when they tell or advise us NOT to attempt delivery due to snow, ice or other adverse weather conditions ?

[Jennifer]

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Never heard of that happening for a full delivery but I am sure you are allowed to not deliver to individual addresses if to do so would endanger you because of a danger or a trip or fall caused by ice or snow. In fact I have returned mail for 1 address on my walk because they never clear their steps which being metal are very slippery when covered in Ice.

[DGP1]

I've sometimes deliver a deep rural and I've brought back whole roads because I felt it was unsafe to deliver (plus if you drive into some of these places you'll never get out, sometimes of you stop you can't start again ).

[stokes11eg]

Given Royal Mail's responsibility for our health and safety are there occasions when they tell or advise us NOT to attempt delivery due to snow, ice or other adverse weather conditions ?

About seven or so years ago, when we had really bad snow, the Managers phoned some Posties who lived
quite far away and told them not to come in.Guess what? they then found they were not to be paid for it.
I, and many others had walked into work, in the near blizzard conditions, and we had to struggle out with the miniscule
amount of mail that had managed to get through.

[krussel]

I ve only known the delivery to be 100% cancelled once in 21 years !
I rember back in the early 90,s we had very bad snow and ice and only about 2/3 s of the office turned up. I walked in through driving snow and was knacked before i started. Our rep asked, no pleaded that we be allowed to prep and return home but our DOM would not budge and insisted the delivery went out in full with the 2nd delivery to be cancelled and the belated walks taken out after
I was on a rural delivery and went out with a crew in a van. I started delivering and it was a knightmare as you could not see paths down gardens and kept slipping into flower beds etc. After about an hour of stumbling about the driver came and got me as the snow had got worse and he had enough and was going back.
We got back to the office and the DOM went ballestic and told us to get back out on the walks or we were all suspended Anyway we got back in the van but never made back to our deliverys as on a bend we slid off the road into a ditch. The van was written off and somehow i slipped off the middle seat and snapped the gearstick

The final toll for the day was 4 crashed vans (2 written off) 8 people off sick for falling over and sadly one bad fall which left the postwomen with nerve damage in wrist which retired her early.

I would like to think that things have changed and moved on but somehow i doubt it.

[DGP1]

I would like to think that things have changed and moved on but somehow i doubt it.

They have changed.......................these days we have as many managers delivering as postmen

[krussel]

Not in our office they do anything to avoid walking the streets and not going home at 11.30am

[DGP1]

Not in our office they do anything to avoid walking the streets and not going home at 11.30am

[stokes11eg]

I ve only known the delivery to be 100% cancelled once in 21 years !
I rember back in the early 90,s we had very bad snow and ice and only about 2/3 s of the office turned up. I walked in through driving snow and was knacked before i started. Our rep asked, no pleaded that we be allowed to prep and return home but our DOM would not budge and insisted the delivery went out in full with the 2nd delivery to be cancelled and the belated walks taken out after
I was on a rural delivery and went out with a crew in a van. I started delivering and it was a knightmare as you could not see paths down gardens and kept slipping into flower beds etc. After about an hour of stumbling about the driver came and got me as the snow had got worse and he had enough and was going back.
We got back to the office and the DOM went ballestic and told us to get back out on the walks or we were all suspended Anyway we got back in the van but never made back to our deliverys as on a bend we slid off the road into a ditch. The van was written off and somehow i slipped off the middle seat and snapped the gearstick

The final toll for the day was 4 crashed vans (2 written off) 8 people off sick for falling over and sadly one bad fall which left the postwomen with nerve damage in wrist which retired her early.

I would like to think that things have changed and moved on but somehow i doubt it.

Yes, this sounds like Royal Mail at it's best. do the impossible----

[Thorby Bislam]

When we had that heavy snow a couple weeks back, our DOM told us at the huddle to take extra care. And not to attempt a delivery if we thought it too dangerous. Van drivers didn't have to attempt to drive up streets they didn't think they could get back out of.

Different offices, different rules.

[trythat]

We're always been told when we've had bad ice or snow, if we think we're at risk then bring the mail back, whether it's a town or rural (loads of rural deliveries).
What I miss now is that we used to have spades that we could take out, and bags of salt, so you felt a little safer in when driving the van, now I just fill a tray up with salt and leave it in the van for the few days we have snow.

[bedfordrl]

Are the line managers not supposed to do a risk assessment with bad weather?.
Regarding that last post regarding being sent out and vans being written off , that DOM should have got the sack.

[k979aaa]

It comes down to this a job or your life and well being i know which i would chose!.

[brothermagrew]

Given Royal Mail's responsibility for our health and safety are there occasions when they tell or advise us NOT to attempt delivery due to snow, ice or other adverse weather conditions ?

The Severe Weather Policy and its application was looked at closely by the HSE during the HSE Inspection programme in the pilot year 2003/4 and the formal Inspection programme years 1 (2004/5) and 2 (2005/6) where Royal Mail DOMs were criticised by HSE Inspectors for not applying the policy (along with a whole host of other policies). DOMs were not taking account of snow and ice and flooding etc, PPE, policing weight restrictions or the need to reduce weight when conditions are bad, weren't reviewing Safe Systems of Work and weren't considering the possibility that deliveries may need to be delayed, reduced or even cancelled.


CWU website LTB 382/07 RM Letters Severe Weather Policy (V2.1), Severe Weather Policy Supporting Document (V2.1), & Severe Weather Manual (V1.7)