HCTs

[clashcityrocker]

Are there any guidelines on using HCT's when you deliver to flats?
Can you chain it/lock it and leave it outside?
Does anyone do this?
Are the guidelines official or "local agreement"?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I am about to go out for the day and I'll try to post a document later, if I can find one. But from memory the walk has to be risk assessed with a special emphasis on security. The walk, or section of it, if appropriate, is given a grading and this grading limits the amount of time a HCT can be left out of view of the duty holder (still has to be chained though) minimum 0 minutes to I think 15 minutes.

[Straight4ward]

Clashcityrocker wrote;

Are there any guidelines on using HCT's when you deliver to flats?
Can you chain it/lock it and leave it outside?

Well you sure as hell can't lug it up the stairs.

[TeeferTiger]

I just leave mine outside but then again, there are only 6 flats and the l/b are all in the foyer. It would take me longer to find somewhere to lock it up than it would to go inside.

The door is always open too anyway so I can see it if I lean back a bit.

[Straight4ward]

Sorry, my earlier post was intended to be humorous but just comes across as unhelpful.

I was thinking about my own experiences with blessed things. We have to weigh them before we set off and I usually clock anything from high 80’s to 120kgs, depending on how busy the day is, and top up from drop bags as I progress round the delivery.

If you’re not familiar with them, yes they do have lockable lids. Fortunately the area in which I deliver is pretty safe and I’ve never yet had to padlock and chain them to a lamppost for security reasons. More likely to get kids move it round the corner for a lark or something, than anyone attempting to steal from it in this part of the world.

Things to watch out for:

Overload it and you can’t get the lid shut.

It has a fixed wheel base. When you go round corners you can, if unlucky, drag the tyre off the wheel. Should you do this, prepare yourself for tears of frustration and anger as you try to get the tyre back on. It’s most likely to happen when fully laden. You usually end up having to empty all the mail out before you can get the tyre back on.

The brakes are notoriously poor. The handle often either doesn’t engage or slips out of the ratchet. When parking on a slope look to turn the thing into the kerb or a wall so that if it does start to move it cannot travel any distance. (One of the guys in the office had a disaster with his HCT when it rolled out onto a busy road smack into a oncoming car, LOL!)

If you are about to start using them for the first time, good luck. They’re not bad.

[DGP1]

I thought the maximum length of time one could be left was 10 minutes and that was dependant on a risk assessment on the area.

[realmichael]

I thought the maximum length of time one could be left was 10 minutes and that was dependant on a risk assessment on the area.

that is my understanding, and anyone not locking them up is going mad to be sacked

[fishtank]

Are there any guidelines on using HCT's when you deliver to flats?
Can you chain it/lock it and leave it outside?
Does anyone do this?
Are the guidelines official or "local agreement"?

This will tell you everything you want to know....

Security Agreement.pdf

[TeeferTiger]

I attach mine to road signs/lamposts as and when I can if I have to leave it. There are some places where there is literally nothing to attach it to without dead walking a few minutes by which time I could've delivered the mail. Everywhere else though, it's attached to something if it's not attached to me.

[clashcityrocker]

This will tell you everything you want to know....

Security Agreement.pdf

Many thanks FT - tells me nearly everything I neeed to know.
If your postround was only flats it appears the HCT would be out of your sight for about 75% of the delivery.
Would this be acceptable if you only saw it fleetingly every few minutes? (Sounds remarkably similar to my relationship with my wife)

[clashcityrocker]

This is the problem.
What do you do if your postround looks like this?

[wakkono]

only takes 5 seconds to prise the lid open, we had an incident last week here in sunny south wales when the postie was in full view of his trolley but was quite away from it when 2 lads prised the lid and nicked some packets,by the time he had run back to the trolley they were along the railway track and out of sight,thank god it was chained to a lampost or the poor geezer would of lost his job