is it dangerous to work in this heat?

[first_class_stamp]

sent this letter to our area rep.

I have serious concerns on a health and safety matter.

As you may have heard Graham Bennett, 47, died on delivery in 27C heat on Monday.

Here is a link to a newspaper article describing his tragic death.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/415744" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ue-to-soar

R.I.P. Graham.

My concern is that we will soon be entering a third week of extreme heat. At ******** we have not been given any time to take heat breaks. In fact management have adopted the exact opposite policy. We are expected to do extra work. We are "utilizing" two rounds which results in pressure overtime. I say pressure overtime because we are put under immense pressure to do overtime.

The government’s health and safety website (at present I believe the government own Royal Mail) provides guidelines for working outside in the heat.

Please find link underneath.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/outdoor.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would like to draw your attention to the following paragraph from that website.



I have underlined the areas of most concern to me.



Hot environments

Reschedule work to cooler times of the day
Provide more frequent rest breaks and introduce shading to rest areas
Provide free access to cool drinking water
Introduce shading in areas where individuals are working
Encourage the removal of personal protective equipment when resting to help encourage heat loss.
Educate workers about recognising the early symptoms of heat stress








Provide more frequent rest breaks

Due to the fact we have been given extra work and most people at ******are booking overtime to complete our deliveries we have not been allocated time for heat breaks. Imagine working four and a half hours outside in this heat without a heat break. No wonder we are dying.



Provide free access to cool drinking water

Up until Tuesday 16th July one full week into the present heat wave we were not informed we had water bottles to take out on delivery with us. The bottles were locked in a cupboard until I requested water to take on delivery at work time learning. I repeat we were not informed water bottles were available until one full week into the hottest heat wave we have had for many years. The bottles were locked in a cupboard.



One small water bottle is not enough water to last 4 hours. The water soon warms up. This is not an acceptable solution to keep us hydrated sufficiently.



Educate workers about recognising the early symptoms of heat stress

We have had no training regarding recognising heat stress.



Mark my words it is only a matter of time before another postman dies in this heat, unless Royal Mail take their duty of care to their employees seriously.



Royal mail is responsible for our health and safety at work. If nothing is done soon and someone dies at ****** due to the heat wave Royal Mail will be guilty of corporate manslaughter.



Please find link describing corporate manslaughter below.



http://www.hse.gov.uk/corpmanslaughter/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 is a landmark in law. For the first time, companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of serious management failures resulting in a gross breach of a duty of care.







My question to you is, what does the CWU intend to do to improve our working conditions at ****** during this heat wave?

[Thehair]

Yes or maybe No

[Lincox]

A well constructed letter First-Class. I hope you manage to get a reply, but now the rains have arrived I suspect it will be all forgotten.

[monkeymutha]

Nearly passed out today in the heat. Got back 15 minutes early and was handed three more bundles of mail and told to go and deliver 'only take ten minutes' the lino said. Did 1/3rd of it brought the rest back. Since it got hot our office seems to be pushing more and more mail onto people.

[first_class_stamp]

still waiting a reply, it's been 6 days since i sent it. Over 1000 people have died in the heat wave so far, google it!!
I have experienced headaches and felt sick on 2 occasions.

glad you took mail back monkey, wish there was more people like you where I work.

nobody seams as bothered as I am about the heat, thought I would get more replies.

[monkeymutha]

A lot of people in my office moaning about the heat, but individually. But, I think, unless people group up and complain nothing will happen. Takes a strong rep for any action I think, and we don't have a strong one. On a good day in the heat I am fine, but on a bad day I can almost die. Went back to office a while ago because I forgot any suncream, asked for some but was told about allergic reactions. Then got sent out to burn for 4 hours. Lack of care for staff. Disgusting. Worst company I have ever worked for. Still due a pay rise since April, really affecting me financially as well, especially when every penny counts.

[first_class_stamp]

Monkey, I hear every word you say. Top of my head is still burnt, my arms face and neck. I aint got no money for sun cream :(

The letter I wrote to my branch secretary with which I opened this thread with, he only went and forwarded it to my area manager, with my name and my e-mail address.

I am ducking fuming about it. I wrote that e-mail to him, for his eyes only. If I was to write an e-mail to my area manager I would have worded it sooo very differently. I write letters with the intended audience in mind, I wrote that e-mail to a CWU official with the intent to convince him I had a valid point, I did not want my area manager to read it.
Who’s side are the CWU on? They can not have two masters, it’s members and management!!

I am so depressed and stressed my area manager has now ear marked me for the sack, I am sure of it. They are sacking people as quick as they can for the smallest of things in our area.

My branch secretary said I had not marked the e-mail as private and confidential so he had the right to forward it. He said I am the only person out of 1000 in his area that has complained about the heat.

I phoned CWU headquarters to find out what the CWU e-mail etiquette policy is and they said they don't have one and said they have had allot of complaints about working in the heat, and that I was not the only one. If headquarters have had allot of complaints how is it possible our branch secretary thinks nobody has made any complaints.

The company and the union are simply a ducking joke.

Kinda hope I do get the sack and get out of the place, will force me to get another job

[dvbuk55]

Who’s side are the CWU on? They can not have two masters, it’s members and management!!
My branch secretary said I had not marked the e-mail as private and confidential so he had the right to forward it. He said I am the only person out of 1000 in his area that has complained about the heat.The company and the union are simply a ducking joke.

Kinda hope I do get the sack and get out of the place, will force me to get another job

Don't wish to get the sack 1stclass. What was his reason for forwarding the email? Did he forward any suggestions at the same time, if not he was blatantly putting your head on the block. I would report the incident to HQ with a copy to your Branch and ask for an explanation not least of all an apology.

[first_class_stamp]

Thank you dvbuk.

His reason was I mentioned dying in the e-mail and if he did nothing about it how would he feel if someone did die. I explained that my language was intentionally emotive. The intent was to use emotion as leverage to get the issue dealt with. I said I would not expect him to forward an e-mail I wrote to anyone he felt appropriate to contact. If he wants to express my concerns to anybody then he should write his own letter as he is meant to act on my behalf when approaching management with my concerns. He said I did not put private and confidential on the e-mail so it was ok to forward it. I said I did not realise it was necessary to put strictly private and confidential on every e-mail I send to the CWU. I took this as a given.

I did phone HQ they also said I didn't put private and confidential on the e-mail when I asked what their e-mail etiquette policy was they said they didn’t have one. They said they could see why I was upset about it and they gave an e-mail address to complain to.

Not sure if I am going to complain, to what end would a complaint be? It's done now.

[dvbuk55]

Thank you dvbuk.

His reason was I mentioned dying in the e-mail and if he did nothing about it how would he feel if someone did die. I explained that my language was intentionally emotive. The intent was to use emotion as leverage to get the issue dealt with. I said I would not expect him to forward an e-mail I wrote to anyone he felt appropriate to contact. If he wants to express my concerns to anybody then he should write his own letter as he is meant to act on my behalf when approaching management with my concerns. He said I did not put private and confidential on the e-mail so it was ok to forward it. I said I did not realise it was necessary to put strictly private and confidential on every e-mail I send to the CWU. I took this as a given.

I did phone HQ they also said I didn't put private and confidential on the e-mail when I asked what their e-mail etiquette policy was they said they didn’t have one. They said they could see why I was upset about it and they gave an e-mail address to complain to.

Not sure if I am going to complain, to what end would a complaint be? It's done now.

I'd certainly complain not least of all because any right minded person would see it was wrong to do what he did. The very least he should have done was paraphrase your query/complaint but he should certainly not have disclosed your identity. As for HQ, I mean, how many people mark an email Private and Confidential - personally I have never marked an email in that way and have never received one marked thus. It certainly sends the wrong kind of message if a member wants to complain and is uncertain as to who the message is going to be forwarded to. As for ousting him, good luck with that but you know how these things are organised on the ground, it's practically a job for life these days despite a so called democratic process.

[matthew68]

[quote][/quote][quote="first_class_stamp"]Monkey, I hear every word you say. Top of my head is still burnt, my arms face and neck. I aint got no money for sun cream :(

The letter I wrote to my branch secretary with which I opened this thread with, he only went and forwarded it to my area manager, with my name and my e-mail address.

I am ducking fuming about it. I wrote that e-mail to him, for his eyes only. If I was to write an e-mail to my area manager I would have worded it sooo very differently. I write letters with the intended audience in mind, I wrote that e-mail to a CWU official with the intent to convince him I had a valid point, I did not want my area manager to read it.
Who’s side are the CWU on? They can not have two masters, it’s members and management!!

I am so depressed and stressed my area manager has now ear marked me for the sack, I am sure of it. They are sacking people as quick as they can for the smallest of things in our area.

My branch secretary said I had not marked the e-mail as private and confidential so he had the right to forward it. He said I am the only person out of 1000 in his area that has complained about the heat.
have complained but no-one else seems bothered we have had no advice from rm also i have asked if we can start earlier at moment ft start at 7 i was simply told no! yet all the mail is in earlier so i do not see why we can not start at 6 and get out b49am they simply do not care about staff! btw you can get suncream at poundland fo a pound! i did and it does work!