Health Risk from dirty shared vehicles?

[leighv]

With vehicles being constantly swapped between drivers and no apparent policy regarding responsibility for keeping the interiors clean, surely this is a potential health hazard?

Harmful virus' such as hepatitis and colds and flu can live on surfaces for hours and days. C Dificile the scourge of infection control in hospitals impregnates surfaces and is very easy to catch, and is potentially very nasty.

A person carrying a virus or a bacterial infection will leave virus or bacteria on any surface they touch, and if they are sitting for hours in a small enclosed environment such as a lorry cab, they will deposit a LOT of virus or bacteria on steering wheels, door handless, seats etc.

If no one cleans the vehicle between drivers, the next person to use the vehicle, will be exposing themselves to a considerable risk of picking up whatever the previous person had.

Royal Mail need to protect drivers and make arrangements for vehicles to be cleaned. Who knows how many days are lost to sickness from cross contamination from driver to driver because of dirty cabs?

[POSTMAN]

Moved to 2010 Forum.

[Himaggen]

What happens if the person you wish to be allocated the work of cleaning the vehicle for you contracts an infection from performing that work?

What happens if the person you wish to be allocated the work of cleaning the vehicle for you is the one with the infection?

[Almighty1]

With vehicles being constantly swapped between drivers and no apparent policy regarding responsibility for keeping the interiors clean, surely this is a potential health hazard?

Harmful virus' such as hepatitis and colds and flu can live on surfaces for hours and days. C Dificile the scourge of infection control in hospitals impregnates surfaces and is very easy to catch, and is potentially very nasty.

A person carrying a virus or a bacterial infection will leave virus or bacteria on any surface they touch, and if they are sitting for hours in a small enclosed environment such as a lorry cab, they will deposit a LOT of virus or bacteria on steering wheels, door handless, seats etc.

If no one cleans the vehicle between drivers, the next person to use the vehicle, will be exposing themselves to a considerable risk of picking up whatever the previous person had.

Royal Mail need to protect drivers and make arrangements for vehicles to be cleaned. Who knows how many days are lost to sickness from cross contamination from driver to driver because of dirty cabs?

Good question, but it's definitely irresponsible of the RM not to provide us with any cleaning materials, even if they were just antibacterial wipes it would be a good start. Our CDV's are filthy both inside and out. There's no daily or duty checks done by OPG"s or weekly checks done by the management team

[dvbuk55]

Hope you never need to use the loo

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Just saying

http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine ... ne-system/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Being too clean harms immune system

[Himaggen]

it's definitely irresponsible of the RM not to provide us with any cleaning materials, even if they were just antibacterial wipes it would be a good start. Our CDV's are filthy both inside and out. There's no daily or duty checks done by OPG"s or weekly checks done by the management team

First of all its definitely irresponsible for you and your colleagues to leave the CDV's filthy. It is also your responsibility as an OPG to perform daily/duty vehicle checks prior to using that vehicle.

Before you start holding other to account for what you believe is their responsibility ensure that you have fulfilled your own remit to the expected standard first. (Let he who is without sin cast the first stone).

[Lounge Lizard]

You're only sharing vans, not needles.

[leighv]

In hospitals they also have people with potential virus etc cleaning. But if you use the proper cleaning materials then you can minimise the risk. As for using the loo! I wash my hands, which unfortunately I can't be sure the previous person holding the steering wheel has done.As for being too clean well you cant be and you can catch all sorts of horrible things like MRSA for example.

I also buy my own cleaning materials and have to clean other peoples mess every working day, and that is not just for bugs, its because in honesty some people are inconsiderate. I do believe it is Royal Mails duty to protect employees from risk, what ever that is. Providing information, instruction and cleaning materials would help, but the most important thing would be to make people responsible for the condition they leave their work tools in, as in all other jobs.

Would a line manager be expected to share a desk covered in coffee stains, rubbish, rotting food and packaging, and sometimes bottles of pee! Royal MAil expect a certain level of behaviour from inside staff, and also provide cleaners, for offices and the shop floor. Why is that? Because it is a legal requirement.

[dvbuk55]

In hospitals they also have people with potential virus etc cleaning. But if you use the proper cleaning materials then you can minimise the risk. As for using the loo! I wash my hands, which unfortunately I can't be sure the previous person holding the steering wheel has done.As for being too clean well you cant be and you can catch all sorts of horrible things like MRSA for example.

I also buy my own cleaning materials and have to clean other peoples mess every working day, and that is not just for bugs, its because in honesty some people are inconsiderate. I do believe it is Royal Mails duty to protect employees from risk, what ever that is. Providing information, instruction and cleaning materials would help, but the most important thing would be to make people responsible for the condition they leave their work tools in, as in all other jobs.

Would a line manager be expected to share a desk covered in coffee stains, rubbish, rotting food and packaging, and sometimes bottles of pee! Royal MAil expect a certain level of behaviour from inside staff, and also provide cleaners, for offices and the shop floor. Why is that? Because it is a legal requirement.

Sounds a bit OCD to me

[fishtank]

If you're talking about general cleanliness i'm with you,my van is very tidy,if you're on about killing germs and deep cleansing...you're having a laugh.

[bensonhedge]

must say...the space above the dash makes a handy place to discard all your shite

[Lounge Lizard]

In hospitals they also have people with potential virus etc cleaning. But if you use the proper cleaning materials then you can minimise the risk. As for using the loo! I wash my hands, which unfortunately I can't be sure the previous person holding the steering wheel has done.As for being too clean well you cant be and you can catch all sorts of horrible things like MRSA for example.

I also buy my own cleaning materials and have to clean other peoples mess every working day, and that is not just for bugs, its because in honesty some people are inconsiderate. I do believe it is Royal Mails duty to protect employees from risk, what ever that is. Providing information, instruction and cleaning materials would help, but the most important thing would be to make people responsible for the condition they leave their work tools in, as in all other jobs.

Would a line manager be expected to share a desk covered in coffee stains, rubbish, rotting food and packaging, and sometimes bottles of pee! Royal MAil expect a certain level of behaviour from inside staff, and also provide cleaners, for offices and the shop floor. Why is that? Because it is a legal requirement.

If you delivered to farms ankle deep in cow s.h.i.t like I do I don't think you would be too worried about coffee stains.

[mccoop]

vans today are much better than 20years ago.To get on our delivery rounds,We went out in the back off a big van (400),with a plank of wood each side with no windows.

[leighv]

Fair enough. I understand now why Royal Mail doesn't bother either.