Broken Achilles tendon

[Grigori Y]

So here's the tale.

I'm on a 20 hour temporary contract, 5 day week. It's a delivery only duty. In theory, I come in at 9.00, pick up prepared bags and D2Ds, and go out on (cycle) delivery. In practice, only the drop bags have disappeared from the frame and I have to prep my own D2Ds.

There are about 420 delivery points on my round.

A typical week comes in at about 24 hours. I can live with this. I'm not interested in a full time job.

There has never been any problem about being paid overtime. They know how long the job takes.

I've been on this round for about a year. My record is completely clean.

However, along comes Summer working. We don't have a resident DOM, as we're a small SPDO. Visiting SPDO manager appears and announces that my round will be absorbed between the 6 town deliveries. I am therefore required to take on a new round (around 520 delivery points), plus 60-odd from my old round.

I point out that I already go over my contracted hours, that this extra workload will probably take over 30 hours, and I am not very happy about this. Manager's response is that he doesn't think it's that bad and he wants me to do it. It can always be revisited later if I have problems, he says. I have witnesses to this.

OK. I'm looking at two weeks of this and then I'm due for two weeks holiday. So I reluctantly agree to give it a go. How bad can it be?

It's not good. As before, I still have to bag up the majority of the round and prep my own D2Ds. Also, this round is quite spread out, which makes getting Special Deliveries delivered on time tricky, especially as I may be out of the office an hour after everybody else.

At the end of the first week, my feet and ankles are really hurting. I'm limping quite noticeably. Other people comment on this. But what the hell. Nobody gives up after just one week, do they?

First week comes in at around 33 hours.

Half way through the second week, out on delivery, my left ankle blows. I can walk (just) and I get back on the bike and pedal pretty much one-legged back to the office. At this stage I think (hope) it's just a severe sprain.

It doesn't get any better. Eventually I take it to A&E.

It's an Achilles tendon rupture, described by the doctor as 'very abnormal'. A complete rupture. The thing is in two pieces.

I'm now looking at nine weeks of casts at varying angles, followed by a month in a surgical boot. Then I have to learn to walk again. That's if things go well.

At this stage, nobody knows what the final damage will be. Might be fine for normal walking. Might never be the same again. What's it going to be like in a few years? And a ruptured Achilles, unlike a broken bone, is always weaker than original, with a significant chance of breaking again.

I've sent off the form to register this as an industrial injury with the DWP. Not that my manager suggested to me the wisdom or necessity of that. I had to find that out for myself.

Now I'm seriously thinking of putting in a Personal Injury claim against RM (and my manager in particular), because I'm absolutely convinced it was the increased workload which caused all this, and I felt pressured into taking it on. I have to protect my own interests, after all. RM isn't going to.

Thoughts? Advice?

[Patrick Clifton]

Now I'm seriously thinking of putting in a Personal Injury claim against RM (and my manager in particular), because I'm absolutely convinced it was the increased workload which caused all this, and I felt pressured into taking it on. I have to protect my own interests, after all. RM isn't going to.

Pressured or not, your contract is 20 hours, you agreed to do the extra. If you didnt think you were physically capable of doing extra, you should have only worked your 20.

[Darren Bent]

I can see lot more injuries from lot of postal workers due to increasing work load with absorbing. I predicts there will be so many sick postmen and paying off sick people to leave on medical grounds. It will cost Royal Mail more money in long term.

[steven100]

Does it save rm pension scheme in the long run, yes result.

[theboropostie]

I'm afraid I can't see how RM are in the wrong here - sorry!

If doing a few extra hours led to rupturing tendons there would be no one left walking.

Mind you I'm no doctor or expert on these things and maybe someone knows better but I just can't see it.

Sounds like a painful injury though and good luck with your recovery!!

[demon]

get a no win no fee solicitor and tell them looks like you were pushed beyond what your body can take a lot of other type of workers are now winning these type of cases

[fishtank]

You are unlikely to get anywhere arguing that a 33hr working week is beyond what would be considered reasonable.
You are unlikely to get anywhere arguing that a 580 call delivery is in any way unusually hazardous to your health.
Since you admitted that you agreed to the extra workload,albeit reluctantly,didn't contact the union and signed for and accepted the overtime you are unlikely to be able to show that you were under duress at the time.
Concentrate on getting better,not getting even.

[flaminmoses]

did you have a lot of stairs on the round?

[Judgee]

To be fair it doesn't sound like you have been given an exceptionally large workload?

Good luck if you decide to claim, but bear in mind 50% of posties do that amount and more in a day with no more ill effects than to be completely knackered at the end of thier shift!

Do you have any history of health problems that could be related to this injury?

[DGP1]

600 dps, 5 hours, lots of steps and I'm ok these days, I wouldn't think that you had too much work to cause your injury.............as FT says, concentrate on getting better.

[engineerdave]

Just as a bit of health reassurance - i snapped my Achilles Tendon slipping on ice a couple of years ago, pretty painful for a while and 3 months on sick but 100% fit afterwards with just the occasional ache and me an over 60!