Manual training course for Parcelforce parcels?

[luddite]

Should we have had training on heavy parcels before we were expected to collect and deliver them? Some of them were 30kg+ today! If you put your back out without being trained surely you couldn't be blamed? Is there a limit to what you would be expected to lift?

[Pat Ostman]

30kg must be a two person job.

[luddite]

But where does it say that 30kg is a 2 person job?

[eric the viking]

Parcelforce deliver parcels up to 30kg. Over that weight you should get help at the delivery end or bring it back. There is a Pristine handling talk that you should receive sometime but common sense is the best approach.

[bograt]

At our depot we get parcels (radiators) with weights of around 79 kg we have always had parcels up to 50 kg 30kg is only a one person lift. We watched an ex olympic weightlifter in a video showing us how easy it is to handle heavy parcels in perfect staged conditions with no time or space limitations. Spinach anyone?

[DGP1]

The problem with us getting very large packets is we don't have the room to store them in our little vans, of course I'm sure RM have already thought this

[RedBagMan]

Obviously not a manual training course manual ...

[chickenwittle]

The problem with us getting very large packets is we don't have the room to store them in our little vans, of course I'm sure RM have already thought this

roof rack

[DGP1]

The problem with us getting very large packets is we don't have the room to store them in our little vans, of course I'm sure RM have already thought this

roof rack

Better having a trailer......that way we can drag it around with us to prevent any security issues............just like a giant HCT

[Pat Ostman]

The problem with us getting very large packets is we don't have the room to store them in our little vans, of course I'm sure RM have already thought this

roof rack

Better having a trailer......that way we can drag it around with us to prevent any security issues............just like a giant HCT

[cdpete2004]

Hello. I'm trespassing here, crossing the border from the Post Office board. How come the maximum weight of a rm sack is 11kg, yet you guys will now be delivering parcels to 20kg on your walks ? (I'm assuming rm is planning on doing away with all van packet deliveries given the maximum item length is now 61 cm and everything posted 1st and 2nd class, SD, etc, will be delivered on the walks).

Asked our collection officer about this today, and shouldn't cwu be taking the matter up. They said cwu had agreed the new arrangements.

[dvbuk55]

Asked our collection officer about this today, and shouldn't cwu be taking the matter up. They said cwu had agreed the new arrangements.

Naturally - it is so easy to agree to measures when you aren't actually doing it.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

How come the maximum weight of a rm sack is 11kg, yet you guys will now be delivering parcels to 20kg on your walks ?

At a guess is because the sack has no support as in the contents will move to some degree and therefore to prevent accident they decided on a limit of 11kg. Whereas a single item weighing 30kg will normally be sturdily packaged and not as likely for its contents to shift. Also a heavy box is much easy to lift that a bag of the same weight just because of its shape.

I'm assuming rm is planning on doing away with all van packet deliveries given the maximum item length is now 61 cm and everything posted 1st and 2nd class, SD, etc, will be delivered on the walks.

Already in the process of doing so - the idea behind CVD (2 in a van) is for 2 people to deliver everything within their catchment area, rather than having a walker, a replenishment driver and a packet man all in the same area at the same time. Its more efficient apparently, though to those actually working in Deliveries the kindest thing to say would be the Jury's still out.

[UnhappyGremlin]

Hello. I'm trespassing here, crossing the border from the Post Office board. How come the maximum weight of a rm sack is 11kg, yet you guys will now be delivering parcels to 20kg on your walks ? (I'm assuming rm is planning on doing away with all van packet deliveries given the maximum item length is now 61 cm and everything posted 1st and 2nd class, SD, etc, will be delivered on the walks).

Asked our collection officer about this today, and shouldn't cwu be taking the matter up. They said cwu had agreed the new arrangements.

The maximum weight we can lift is still 11kg. The vast majority of parcels weighing over 2kg should now be going via PF, or with another courier due to the recent price increases .

If there is a parcel for the collection driver weighing more than 11kg then it is up to them whether they lift it or not, but they should be aware that if injured in doing so, they will be blamed and disciplined. The advice is that, if a PO counter has such a parcel, they should ring their local collection hub to apprise them of this fact and afford them the chance to make appropriate arrangements, , but more likely it will fall on the PO staff to assist with carrying the parcel out to the van.

As for delivering parcels up to 20kg on walks, this isn't a problem where Park & Loop is in use, as there are 2 people on hand to do so. Where there is just one postie, I would advise they tell their manager they have an overweight parcel and ask that they arrange for a 2nd postie to go with them, , or that the parcel is left to one side and 2 posties take it on a one off drop. All conversations should be witnessed naturally, to avoid any 'misunderstanding' taking place.

If the manager insists that 1 postie takes a parcel on their own, the Rep needs to be involved, ask for the instruction in writing, , point out H&S, manual handling etc. If they say it has changed, ask to see a copy the new agreement and confirm it with Rep. I have heard nothing on changes to any of this so I'm pretty certain over 11kg is still a 2 person lift. MC's even Green Cross overweight parcels now to make staff aware that they are over 11kg.

Another point, 11kg is the limit for all, but you don't actually have to lift any more than you are comfortable with. If forced, make sure you can prove the instruction so if you injure yourself, the responsibility can be traced back to a managers instruction. Though, no matter what, it will still be your fault, as the blame always stops with the postie.

[barrowc]

RM have accepted 20kg packets/parcels for years. I'm pretty sure the manual handling training video covers one person lifting a 20kg parcel but it does say seek assistance with any load you can't manage.

However, it's very different lifting a heavy parcel inside a Mail Centre in dry conditions on a level surface than it is trying to haul it in and out of a van or up a flight of stairs in the pouring rain