Can anyone please give me some advise. As I delivered mail through a letter box a dog grabbed my hand and shook it. I've ended up with quite a few stitches. Manager asked if I had my post it peg with me. I did but didn't use it because I didn't know the dog was there.I am so careful were dogs are concerned as I am terrifed of them. I always write DOG on the envelope when I have been told or I know from the walk logs there is a dog. were do I stand?
I have been attacked and bitten 8 times. This is the 3rd hospital case. I'm in the process of a claim from a previous attack were the dog was deliberately set on me. The owner got a caution in that case, the claim is on going.
Should I report this incident to the police? I asked union rep he said it's up to me.
I have been issued with dog repellent spray which I have to use on a regular basis, I asked for more and a dog alarm. I have been told RM don't issue them anymore. Any idea Why?
Will I be able to claim or will it be looked on as my fault. and in pain.
Same here , all you get is that you should not put any part of your hand through the letterbox, end of. But I gather like my dog case, a long thin snout came OUT the letter box and dragged my finger through. Don't expect them to budge though, they won't believe you . Just make sure the house is marked as a hazard for future posties.
Are we expected to use the Dog peg for every house NO, so how are you expected to know if there is a dog at a house, xray bloody vision, its ridiculous that your manager will bring the non use of the peg up before anything else. no concern for our safety in reality, just covering there own arses
Many if not all letterboxes nowadays have flaps behind them..meaning the pegs are useless when pushing mail through(i have lost two trying to deliver mail+one dog even ate one of my pegs)..so you have to use your hand to push mail right through..not ideal,but the only way really!
junior1 wrote:Can anyone please give me some advise. As I delivered mail through a letter box a dog grabbed my hand and shook it. I've ended up with quite a few stitches. Manager asked if I had my post it peg with me. I did but didn't use it because I didn't know the dog was there.I am so careful were dogs are concerned as I am terrifed of them. I always write DOG on the envelope when I have been told or I know from the walk logs there is a dog. were do I stand?
I have been attacked and bitten 8 times. This is the 3rd hospital case. I'm in the process of a claim from a previous attack were the dog was deliberately set on me. The owner got a caution in that case, the claim is on going.
Should I report this incident to the police? I asked union rep he said it's up to me.
I have been issued with dog repellent spray which I have to use on a regular basis, I asked for more and a dog alarm. I have been told RM don't issue them anymore. Any idea Why?
Will I be able to claim or will it be looked on as my fault. and in pain.
we had a wtll session a few month back and we were told if this sort of incident happened, we could expect to be taken down the conduct code for ignoring health and safety. so i dont think you will be able to claim. you may in fact get a serious warning.
It is Royal Mails responsibility to report the incident to the police and/or dog warden, and you have no choice in that matter.
The purpose of a posting peg, (not dog peg), is for additional intervention where it is not possible to insert mail without your finger(s) also being inserted.
If you know there is a dog hazard, do not deliver the mail, it is the dog owners responsibility to remove the hazard, not yours to endanger yourself by attempting to work around it using warnings or pegs.
This is all bollox.
Half the time we don't know there is a dog there,screws are talking s**t,conduct code my f***ing arse.
Only 'slight' problem and a loop hole for them is how far the hand went into the letter box,but the way these boxes are now especially with the 2nd flap or them fecking brushes and trying to put just 1 flimsy letter through,these things are going to happen.
I would argue my arse of on this,and get deliveries banned until a basket thing was fitted at the back.
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been. My BFF Clash The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
I am in ops now and only have experience of delivering leaflets where I got bitten once by a dog lurking behind a door. It never happened to me again. I have written to various people at the Mail to explain how I did it but never had a response. The post pegs are useless because of their size but years ago I used a similar principal. I took the plastic handle from a bath sponge used for cleaning backs. It had an oval cut out at the end. I put the leaflets inside this, put it through the letter boxes and a flick of the wrist and the leaflet was out. If there was a dog on the other side, (which often you don't know about) and it happened regularly, the dog ended up chewing on the stick and that was all. My fingers were safe and I identified a dog at the premises. My husband laughed when we tried it out, and after dumping his stick, he got bitten at the very next door and ended up in A & E, so I had the last laugh!
It is entirely feasible to use the stick to post any letters which will go through the letter box by simply placing the handle in the middle of the pile if there are several and pushing them through. I never had a problem and was never bitten more than that first occasion. If you are issued with a stick and didn't use it, the management will say tough, sometimes you have to use your own initiative to protect yourselves as they don't give a stuff otherwise they would have come up with something better than a tiny post peg. After all lads, a couple of inches makes all the difference!
As Royal Mail have a Duty of Care over you I would suggest the company is partly to blame as the delivery point on your frame should have been ID'd with a Dog Warning Sticker and/or Special Warning Instruction Card. There should also be an up to date list of ALL hazards in the Walk Log which should also be on the frame ! ! !
Having said all that it's a NO NO putting fingers through letterboxes and it is not policy for posties to do this (I know it's difficult not to sometimes) Dog Pegs for known dogs are a good piece of kit. I've found most dogs don't like biting on the plastic
Cats can be more problematic than dogs as their long arms reach out of letterbox and get you ! ! ! Ask your manager why there was no Dog Hazard Warning on Frame. Good Luck.
5plusbonusball wrote:Same here , all you get is that you should not put any part of your hand through the letterbox, end of. But I gather like my dog case, a long thin snout came OUT the letter box and dragged my finger through. Don't expect them to budge though, they won't believe you . Just make sure the house is marked as a hazard for future posties.
Yes same here. I'm pretty sure there has been a hazard card placed on the fitting. I let my manager know and the walk holder, so hopefully 'fingers crossed' ha not in my case and the moment. Thank you for your response.
sirgordonzola wrote:Are we expected to use the Dog peg for every house NO, so how are you expected to know if there is a dog at a house, xray bloody vision, its ridiculous that your manager will bring the non use of the peg up before anything else. no concern for our safety in reality, just covering there own arses
Thank you. Royal mail should send letters out to every household telling people if they have a dog they MUST put a cage or something to stop their dog attacking the mail. If not then they should be made to collect their mail.
postypie wrote:Many if not all letterboxes nowadays have flaps behind them..meaning the pegs are useless when pushing mail through(i have lost two trying to deliver mail+one dog even ate one of my pegs)..so you have to use your hand to push mail right through..not ideal,but the only way really!
I know I've lost two myself asked manager for a 3rd and I'm still waiting, I told a collegue about it and he gave me his.
POSTMAN wrote:This is all bollox.
Half the time we don't know there is a dog there,screws are talking s**t,conduct code my f***ing arse.
Only 'slight' problem and a loop hole for them is how far the hand went into the letter box,but the way these boxes are now especially with the 2nd flap or them fecking brushes and trying to put just 1 flimsy letter through,these things are going to happen.
I would argue my arse of on this,and get deliveries banned until a basket thing was fitted at the back.
I am a bit worried about the conduct code hope I don't get taken down it. worried about going to back work as it!
dogxtc wrote:I am in ops now and only have experience of delivering leaflets where I got bitten once by a dog lurking behind a door. It never happened to me again. I have written to various people at the Mail to explain how I did it but never had a response. The post pegs are useless because of their size but years ago I used a similar principal. I took the plastic handle from a bath sponge used for cleaning backs. It had an oval cut out at the end. I put the leaflets inside this, put it through the letter boxes and a flick of the wrist and the leaflet was out. If there was a dog on the other side, (which often you don't know about) and it happened regularly, the dog ended up chewing on the stick and that was all. My fingers were safe and I identified a dog at the premises. My husband laughed when we tried it out, and after dumping his stick, he got bitten at the very next door and ended up in A & E, so I had the last laugh!
It is entirely feasible to use the stick to post any letters which will go through the letter box by simply placing the handle in the middle of the pile if there are several and pushing them through. I never had a problem and was never bitten more than that first occasion. If you are issued with a stick and didn't use it, the management will say tough, sometimes you have to use your own initiative to protect yourselves as they don't give a stuff otherwise they would have come up with something better than a tiny post peg. After all lads, a couple of inches makes all the difference!
I agree a couple of inches does make all the difference but did you use your stick all the time? I tried when we were first issued with it but it was taking me way past my finishing time, and made my wrist sore.
Decky Boy wrote:As Royal Mail have a Duty of Care over you I would suggest the company is partly to blame as the delivery point on your frame should have been ID'd with a Dog Warning Sticker and/or Special Warning Instruction Card. There should also be an up to date list of ALL hazards in the Walk Log which should also be on the frame ! ! !
Having said all that it's a NO NO putting fingers through letterboxes and it is not policy for posties to do this (I know it's difficult not to sometimes) Dog Pegs for known dogs are a good piece of kit. I've found most dogs don't like biting on the plastic
Cats can be more problematic than dogs as their long arms reach out of letterbox and get you ! ! ! Ask your manager why there was no Dog Hazard Warning on Frame. Good Luck.
Thank you I think I'm going to need all the luck I can get.
and in pain.
but did you use your stick all the time? I tried when we were first issued with it but it was taking me way past my finishing time, and made my wrist sore.