lifting incident

[tiredworker]

Hi, I'm hoping you can give me some advice.
I work in a delivery office on a part time perm contract.
Yesterday my bags felt heavy as I put them on a york (grey sacks not pouches), so I went to the wheel on scales to weigh them. The scales had been removed to make way for new working practices. Both sets had been removed. The only scales on the floor were wall mounted ones to wiegh pouch bags, so I lifted the sack around 4 foot off the floor onto the hook. While doing this I hurt my back. I saw a manager (who had prepped my walk and bags) and showed him the overwieght bag (17kg). He lifted it off, but the damage was already done.
I have gone sick from work but went in today to fill in the accident book. A lot of the questions on the ERICA form I didnt really understand, such as was the lifting done safely, and have I had manual lifting course in the last three years (not sure), and I signed it (mistake). This absence will trigger a stage one warning, and I feel a bit cheated beacuse the accident wasn't reallly my failing. Does the business have a duty to provide the proper scales? I think the wall hung ones are too high off the floor to weigh grey sacks. Also why was the bag 17kg in the first place. My sick record is good, and I don't want the stage.
There are some scales on the dock but I didn't know they were there until after the accident, and they are unaccesible anyway as they are covered in yorks.
How can a business that so values health and saftey remove the scales from the delivery floor.
Please help me and advise me what to do, and what royal mails obligations are.

[daveyeff]

it was an accident on duty so it really should not be counted. if they do try to issue it, i would suspect they,ll be trying the 'blameworthy' procedure, where they will issue a stage even though it was on duty because the accident was your own fault, i.e you were careless or not following a stated h&s procedure. i cant see how they can issue it if they,ve removed the scales, and having new scales raised 4ft off the floor could be deemed as a h&s issue in itself. no doubt they will say you,ve had the lifting and handling course and you say you,ve signed it,,,but, this does NOT guarantee you wont still put you,re back out!! it does not make you ''back injury'' proof. you can still be injured, as you have prooved. they may say you didnt lift it correctly, hence the blameworthy stance. so see you,re rep. take it further if neccesary, put a grievance in if needs be.

[POSTMAN]

Your rep should be on the case and the manager should get his arse chewed,6kg over ffs.
You're on a permanent contract as well which is good,see your doctor and don't go back till you feel better,if the back is bad then asked to be referred to ATOS.
Also the rep should also stop the stage warning given.

[keithposty]

has your office had the revision yet (park and loop etc)

removed scales for new working practice, realy

they can move the scales but must relocate.
the scales are now to be used to weigh the hct, 105 kg max laden weight.

why are you using grey sacks and not bags

are you using a light weight trolly for delivery

the scales are a health and safety issue and as such are mandatory prior to a revision being implemented so it all hangs on

has your office started the new way of working, shared vans, park and loop etc

[tiredworker]

We havnt started park and loop. Only handful of people use a trolly.
My first bag was in red pouch bag but rest in grey sacks ready for pouch boxes.
There are scales on another floor level, but in area
covered in york.
The scales I used were the ones for weighing
pouch bags. In retrospect I was stupid for using
them. Some new scales have been ordered.
I just feel a bit upset, and sorry for myself sitting here on new years eve with back ache.

[keithposty]

well then

grey sacks for what ever reason are 11 kg max

have you been told what the max weights are to carry, be it pouch, hct, grey bags etc, etc

[tiredworker]

I was told weights pre 2005 when I left delivery for mail centre. Then 6 months ago I came back.
The weights are on the notice board cause I checked them. Normally id use walk on scale but removed to make way for new walk sorting area. The scales I used are the ones at shoulder height for weighting ur postbag. They arnt suitable for grey bags (I have since found) because its very hard to hook bag on. I would never have used it out of choice. I didnt make the grey bag up and didnt know how much it weighed.
The sack contained the mail for my 4th bag. We havnt started the shared vans yet at our do. Things are just being shuffled around.

[dvbuk55]

Don't concern yourself, the person who made up the sack is the responsible party for producing it overweight, even for a pouch which was formerly 16 kg. If they try the sicness route hit them with a grievance case because your accident was the result of someone else' actions and the right equipment wasn't available to ascertain the correct weight. As an aside it might have been an idea to empty the sack into pouch, possibly halving the weight BUT you were not to know what the sack weighed in the first place.

[BarnsleyLackey]

Look mate, we know that people take their sick records seriously. You've hurt your back, take as long as it takes to get well, and put the firm out of your mind.
Easier said, I know.

[bitchface]

normal H&S IN REAL COMPANIES SAY UPTO 25 KGS.

YOUR OBLIGATION WAS TO NOT LIFT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE AS YOU HAD ALREADY IDENTIFIED IT WAS OVERWEIGHT.
GOLDEN RULE OF H&S.YOU MUST ENSURE YOUR OWN SAFTY.YOU SAY YOUR SICKNESS RECORD IS GOOD,BUT TO GET A STAGE THIS MUST BE YOU (THIRD THIS YEAR?).SO YOU WOULD BE ONE THAT ENJOYS TAKING UP ALL YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH(TIREDPOSTIE).

[dvbuk55]

normal H&S IN REAL COMPANIES SAY UPTO 25 KGS.

I REALLY FAIL TO BELIEVE YOU HURT YOUR BACK PUTTING THIS SACK ON WALL SCALES BECAUSE IT WAS 17KGS.LIFTING IT 4 FEET IN THE AIR TO PROVE WHAT YOU ALREADY KNEW.WHERE THERE IS BLAME THER IS A CLAIM AND YOU SHOULD BE TAKING YOURSELF TO COURT.
DID YOU NOT EVEN HAVE THE GUMPTION TO EMPTY SOME OUT OR WAS IT TO SCORE POINTS FOR SOME MANGER BASHING
STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES FOREST

It's pretty easy to hurt your back doing the most innocuous things, I was earning a bit extra once working as a labourer and installing solid fuel heating. Having taken out the old fireplace I was shovelling the rubble into a wheelbarrow - you know shovel, turn, dump, shovel, turn, dump. Well the floor was asphalt and the dust on the floor enabled my boot to swivel except on the one occasion that it didn't. I've no idea what I did but I could not bend to save my life, I was taken to the A&E in my employers Merc with my head on the headrest and my heels in the footwell like a 6ft plank - well they checked my back and couldn't find anything but sprayed it with something and the next day I was right as rain but the pain was horrendous.

[tiredworker]

Bitchface (nice name-classy and mature), I am called tired worker not tired postie. If you bothered to read you would know that.
I am not manager bashing, dont be so stupid and petty. The last thing I want to do is get anyone in trouble.
And what made you qualified to say how you can hurt your back. You can hurt your back just getting out of bed.
And as for claim & blame, i'd never dream of doing that. I think that culture is a disgrace.
How could I identify the bag was 17kg in the absence of scales. I couldnt. Without weighing it. And the problem arose from the unsuitable scales. I could not hook the loops of the grey bag on the large hook. In the processs I hurt my back. If the bag weighed 10kg I would have prob done the same because the equiptment was unsuitable.
And yes my sickness is good. I have not been staged for many years. Mainly because I try to keep myself safe and healthy.
And as for stupid, well at least I read posts and get peoples names right
Something that you obviously dont have the intelligence to do.
Whats wrong with you? You sound very nasty, bitter and untrusting. Has someone hurt you?
If my work is given to me in grey bags then I should have the equiptment to safely weigh the bags. And the bags should not be made overweight. Simple.
I dont know what your problem is mate. Try taking ur caps lock off too if you know what that is Bitch face (hmmm nice).

[tiredworker]

And whats a 'real' company? Dont be stupid, we do work for a real company and the health and saftey rules are there to protect their workers. Do 'real' companies not have health and saftey?
Plus Im not stupid, Im a mother and a graduate and a worker. That does not make me stupid.
All I did was use the ONLY equiipment available to me, and it turned out to be the wrong equipment. The stupid ones were the ones that removed the essential h & s equipment without replacing it.
And if ur
saying Im lying then sorry Bitchface but I wish I was.
I didnt want this to happen. I am not gaining from this
In fact im loosing. Im in pain.
All I wanted to do was go to work and do my job (which I love) safely.
By the way, any self respecting person wouldn't call theirselves bitchface. U got issues.
As for a stage, as you should (but prob dont) know, u dont need more than 3 absences to get a stage one. Its 4 absences or 14 days. So no it does not mean the 3rd or 4th time Ive been off this year. It could be the first, second, third or forth. Get a life mate.

[tiredworker]

plus bitchface I didnt know it was overweight, it felt heavy but I didnt know the weight. I thought maybe I was being a wuss. So yes I did the right thing weighing the bag. As ive stated Id normally use walk on or floor scales.
I would not even apply for a 'real' job lifting 25kg 4 foot off the ground because thats beyond my capabilities. That was an irrelevant comment from you. I am not to blame for using the only equipment available. Id never used those scales before. All I want is for royal mail to install correct equipment (on order), to feel better, and to not get any grief when I return to work. Id never try and get anyone ( manager or staff) in trouble. And Id be mortified to have to go down a grievence route. I jus wanna do my job safely and well.
Ur not helpful bitchface, ur not clever, or smart, or even funny.
Ur advice is rubbish. U make a judgement that someone is dishonest without knowing anything about them. So bitchface, I for one dont want anymore of ur bad 'advice', save it for somone else or ;eep it to urself. U hater. Dont post again on my thread if you would be so kind. Thankyou.

[tiredworker]

Also Id like to add that the golden rule of health and saftey is it's everyones business. We have not only a responsibility for ourselves but everyone else as well.
Yes I was responsible for lifting bag safely which I did. My manager was responsible for making the bag overweight. The office manager was responsible for providing the correct equipment.
Not only the right equipment for pouch bags, but the correct equipment for HCT (which we have a few), grey sacks and yorks. What If I needed to weigh the contents of a york? Would you suggest I take each thing off the york and weigh it in about 30 pouch bags and add them together? The same with H C trollies. Do we not have the right to check our weights? It is basic equipment.