The truth is out there!

[flowerflump]

Can anyone help? In 2103 after 18 years service I was medically retired due to disc problems in my back. Prior to this I had no back problems. I started digging on this site alone and was amazed at the amount of people who were in the same position as me . Is this just coincidence? I think not. I bet there are thousands of ex postal workers in the country who feel let down by royal mails lack of health and safety in the past. I started as a casual and you were straight out onto the streets with a veteran postman showing you the ropes . We weren't sent for an induction course ,manual handling course or anything like that . We were straight out on delivery after two days trainings usually on the worst duties in the office. Carrying bags like a Mexican bandit one over each shoulder because you were new to the job and knew no better. Looking back now and the way we were treated by Royal Mail it was shocking and in those days it was a six day week.so over the years due to lack of training and manual handling the inevitable happened . My back couldn't take any more. I now have a disc that is worn on one side and that is because of me leaning to one side to compensate for the weight of the bag.so now when I stand up straight I have a bend in my spine. Royal Mail knew this was happening and that is why shared vans were brought in and trolleys. 10 years too late for me though . Now I am left with a dodgy back and employers won't touch me. It has been over two tears since I left so for a laugh I tried to apply for a job back at Royal Mail .what a surprise, as soon as I entered my national insurance my application was halted.strange. Anyway ,back to my main point. Is there anyway I can find out actuall figures on staff who have been ihr due to back problems and has anyone ever taken the to court and won.i think it's about time something was done about this as a19 k payout doesn't give me my health back.any feedback would be most helpful.

[ebbzie]

Why were you carrying pouches? We all had bikes , then bikes with panniers. Not sure why you were carrying 2 pouches sometimes.

[flowerflump]

One bike in the whole office! No safe drops and not enough pouch boxes.

[slinder123]

we all had bikes and panniers whos we all. you live in a land of nod never seen a bike or a bike with panniers. different areas have different terrain so dont give all this we all had rant over

[Rumple]

I agree with the original poster. I can say from experience that staff were I work were surreptitiously encouraged to carry pouches that were overweight. Rules (or where they guidelines) were in place but never followed, even so much so that our scales for weighing bags were removed from the office. Like fools we carried on regardless. A lot of my peers are now seeing detremental effects of this naivety.

[max power]

are you from the future LOL

but they do turn a blind eye when it comes to health and safety
we have meetings on correct weight etc etc but are not bothered by the posties going out with 132kg in his trolley

[DB1100]

I agree,we shouldn't come to work to get crippled,I'm sure there will come a time we will get some redress for this like the miners

[TrueBlueTerrier]

We all had bikes , then bikes with panniers.

Number of cycles in our office now 0 - Number before CDVs - None.

Wonder why - Wonder no more

3 different areas in the same town.

steephill1.PNG

steep2.PNG

steep3.PNG

[ebbzie]

Carrying bags like a Mexican bandit one over each shoulder because you were new to the job and knew no better


Ok maybe no bikes but this /\ come on common sense tells you no . New to the job is no excuse.

[mudmonster]

I was a postie for almost 29 years and in all that time ,I have Never, Never ,had any Manual Handling Training only in the past 5-7 years have they actually shown a video in WTL .Isn't it in H&S law that this has to be done once a year,face to face or is this RMs attitude of sticking it's head in the sand and hoping nothing happens and they will get away with it again, because let's face it,you tell them what the problems are and are duly ignored

[westham000]

I used a Royal Mail sack, with a rope tied to the end, for the first 15 years of my career. That stopped due to health and safety. Been in the job 24 years.