Could i get the sack? RTA

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 29 Apr 2017, 18:52

We watched a video with one postwoman who forgot to put the handbrake on and she then got trapped by her own van and the customers wall. Im assuming she still works for Royal Mail - otherwise they wouldn't have made the video.

I think honesty is the best policy

Chitchat · Post by **Chitchat** » 29 Apr 2017, 19:17

Royal mail procedure when parking the van is handbrake up and in gear! You did this what more could you do?

Deadly · Post by **Deadly** » 29 Apr 2017, 21:14

Regarding the possible previous fault, I get sick to the back teeth of picking up vans with bulbs out, illegal tyres etc that have either been ignored by the driver before me or more likely that the van checks haven't been done

nickbsmooth · Post by **nickbsmooth** » 29 Apr 2017, 21:46

You could do all necessary checks ,and a fault could still arise after all these are just machines,and poorly maintained ones at that.
How do you even check a handbrake work sufficiently in your daily checks and what's deemed as acceptable?

datasaint · Post by **datasaint** » 29 Apr 2017, 23:22

nickbsmooth wrote:You could do all necessary checks ,and a fault could still arise after all these are just machines,and poorly maintained ones at that.
How do you even check a handbrake work sufficiently in your daily checks and what's deemed as acceptable?

Well if the travel on the handbrake is excessively high and you can't get enough tension in the cable that's a warning sign.

19times · Post by **19times** » 29 Apr 2017, 23:40

Does anyone know If you are more or less likely to be dismissed If you accidentally scrape a parked car? would this be classed as the same as leaving/failed handbrake?

I'm just wondering

I know a few people prang the vans and are still with us!

Newbie001 · Post by **Newbie001** » 29 Apr 2017, 23:55

Funny thing is, we've become so programmed into leaving vehicle in gear, turned towards kerb etc. We barely notice if the handbrake even works.

Wednesday · Post by **Wednesday** » 30 Apr 2017, 06:50

norm wrote:
nickbsmooth wrote:You could do all necessary checks ,and a fault could still arise after all these are just machines,and poorly maintained ones at that.
How do you even check a handbrake work sufficiently in your daily checks and what's deemed as acceptable?
Well if the travel on the handbrake is excessively high and you can't get enough tension in the cable that's a warning sign.

All the checks to be done to the van are listed in the front of the log book.If my memory is correct checking the handbrake is not one of them.

robbertwhitton · Post by **robbertwhitton** » 30 Apr 2017, 06:50

Typical a previous driver would say oh yes it did that the other day??!! Put it in the book and defect it then!! It's probably a wreck of a van barely road worthy! As workshops too busy doing other people's vans,?!!,but be prepared for someone to make a big thing of it to justify there position and fill there day?,or it could be manager backs postman shocker!!!! Mmmmm

Mrunity · Post by **Mrunity** » 30 Apr 2017, 09:40

Somebody in my office was dismissed for a handbrake failure she won her appeal and got her job back.

She didn't leave the van in gear as she was never told too although you are saying you did but management will say how did it role if it was in gear?

Hopefully you won't get dismissed but it is possible but the union will be able to bring up previous handbrake incidents where posties kept their jobs into your appeal.

nickbsmooth · Post by **nickbsmooth** » 30 Apr 2017, 11:11

If it rolled in gear who moved the van afterwards? The recovery driver may have noticed it was in gear?

Newbie001 · Post by **Newbie001** » 30 Apr 2017, 12:09

If hill is steep enough, vehicle can still roll even when in gear. It's not always enough just to turn the wheel. Ideally you want to after you've turned wheel, roll slightly to make sure tyre is touching kerb.
If there is no kerb, I wouldn't even take the risk.

datasaint · Post by **datasaint** » 30 Apr 2017, 14:04

Wednesday wrote:
norm wrote:
nickbsmooth wrote:You could do all necessary checks ,and a fault could still arise after all these are just machines,and poorly maintained ones at that.
How do you even check a handbrake work sufficiently in your daily checks and what's deemed as acceptable?
Well if the travel on the handbrake is excessively high and you can't get enough tension in the cable that's a warning sign.
All the checks to be done to the van are listed in the front of the log book.If my memory is correct checking the handbrake is not one of them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ound-check" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

First thing in VOSA's checklist.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 30 Apr 2017, 15:00

19times wrote:Does anyone know If you are more or less likely to be dismissed If you accidentally scrape a parked car? would this be classed as the same as leaving/failed handbrake?

I'm just wondering

I know a few people prang the vans and are still with us!

No hard and fast rule in either case. It's all down to the circumstances and context of the incident, and in some part as to how honest the driver appears to be.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 01 May 2017, 08:07

Makes you wonder why anyone would do driving unless they're on the newer contracts which require it. To the OP - you did everything by the book and had no reason to suspect handbrake would fail ( if that was the cause)