New Royal Mail Standard Issue Magnum Boots for Delivery Staf

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 22 Dec 2007, 13:44

LTB 1110/07 New Royal Mail Standard Issue Magnum Boots for Delivery Staff:

To: All Postal Branches

Dear Colleagues

New Royal Mail Standard Issue Magnum Boots for Delivery Staff:

Over recent weeks the Health, Safety & Environment Department has received a high number of complaints, reports and photographs from Safety Representatives regarding the new standard-issue "Magnum" footwear for Royal Mail Delivery Staff.

Complaints about the quality of the footwear and lack of 'grip' in wet weather and on smooth surfaces are consistent across the country in that the soles of the new footwear are slippery from new and as such have caused several minor injury accidents and at least one serious accident in which a Postman sustained compound fractures on two lower leg bones after a bad fall.

Cycle delivery staff have also reported that the slippery soles are causing feet to slide off the pedals when wet causing falls and loss of control of the cycles, as such causing a potential road risk.

Members are now apparently being told to "roughen" up the soles of their new issue footwear before use in order to hopefully improve their grip and reduce the slip factor.

Royal Mail Letters have been questioned as to whether it's acceptable to provide footwear in a condition that increases risk of slips, trips and falls and the issue has also been raised with the HSE in respect of the HSE Inspection programme that has found repeated breaches of health and safety risk assessment requirements which give rise to significant risk and persistent and significant poor compliance with health and safety law.

Reproduced below is a letter sent to Ian Stockdale Head of CSR Royal Mail Letters.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Joyce Bob Gibson
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer Outdoor Asst Secretary

councillor · Post by **councillor** » 22 Dec 2007, 19:25

HA HA I didn't get to take a single step in mine, because as soon as I zipped one up, the zip broke. I informed uniforms helpline, they said they would send me a new pair, but don't use the zips!!!

Obviously they got these crappy things on the cheap, without testing them properly,'cos that would have cost money!!!

eroader · Post by **eroader** » 22 Dec 2007, 20:31

Just like to add that you will find that the skin of the leather starts to peel off after a few weeks.
They are so crap it's unbelievable.

Post by **oldrope** » 22 Dec 2007, 21:05

hello. I work in a M C and have some boots, after 5/6 weeks the sole is coming away from the toe. My toes have hard skin on them witch i have never had with DR Ms. One thing to say!!! R M on the cheap

doveston · Post by **doveston** » 22 Dec 2007, 22:45

lmao i see after all the complaints there not recalling/replacing all footware.be careful out there, theres a chance you could slip in the winter weather we havn't had yet. i take it if i slip in these crap shoes it's classed as an industrial accident and theres no stage involved?

axeman · Post by **axeman** » 23 Dec 2007, 11:29

It's about the union h & s guys took on r.m about this crap footwear they are supplying us with ...give us back dm's yes a pain to break in but good on your feet. Have they not realised we do walk a bit of distance over a week etc.. these jumped up jerks sitting behind desks ordering the cheepest they can obtain from any supplier as they don't have to wear them. once again no care/consideration for the people who do the donkey work for r.m.

pickaname · Post by **pickaname** » 23 Dec 2007, 11:41

You cant get the things on your feet without using the zips...just keep getting uniforms to send you new pairs. The sliver clip on my trousers came away after 2 days and all my 15 1/5" neck shirts are deformed as the cuffs dont fit round my wrists...and no im not a fat bastard...i have a 30" waist

I despair - this company can get any worse can it?

Post by **rhino49** » 23 Dec 2007, 12:04

I am now wearing my own DM's - no slip - comfortable and very unlikely to fall apart - but I shouldn't have to wear my own. Supply by tender instead of quality and fitness for purpose is all wrong and in the long run is more expensive.

DirtyHarry · Post by **DirtyHarry** » 23 Dec 2007, 12:39

rhino49 wrote: Supply by tender instead of quality and fitness for purpose is all wrong and in the long run is more expensive.

These midgets of the business world, Leighton & Crozier, who else?, can only think in the short term, long term implications of their many ludicrous
plans / ideas / wishful thinking, are a foreign land to them. Besides, what doesn't affect those two buffoons, won't hurt 'em, a philosophy they obviously
live by, and if they can save a few pence, all the better still.
That business ethic, isn't solely the preserve of Royal Fail, it blights every company, bank, government dept. in the land, whether the repercussions of such
miserliness are damaging or not.

greynut · Post by **greynut** » 23 Dec 2007, 13:03

I am in total agreement.

I stepped out of my van last Monday, wearing the new shoes not boots, and badly sprained my ankle. I slipped on my right foot and then turned my ankle over on my left foot. I am sure the height of the soles was also to blame.
Evey time I put them on I want to sing a shawaddywaddy song.

But to be serious I am glad this has come up because I was positive it was the shoes.

There is no grip and the sole is too high. It is obvious that there will be injurys.

Also I was not too happy with the fact that my manager made me come in , sent me to A&E, then asked me to come back to fill in the accident report. Why can t this be filled in retrospectively? I was made to walk all over the place to find him, even though he knew I was in trouble with the ankle. Then drive myself to A&E, drive back, walk to his office to fill out the poxy report, then drive myself home. All adding to the pain of the injury.

pickaname · Post by **pickaname** » 23 Dec 2007, 13:54

if the shoes are to blame and RM know they are defective surely this is a direct contravention of H&E legislation?

norbet colon · Post by **norbet colon** » 23 Dec 2007, 15:42

pickaname wrote:if the shoes are to blame and RM know they are defective surely this is a direct contravention of H&E legislation?

" every time I put them on , I want to sing a Showaddywaddy song"

- it's what Royal Mail do best , issue safety boots that will put you in Hospital !

LDV 350 · Post by **LDV 350** » 23 Dec 2007, 15:47

geynut wrote,
stepped out of my van last Monday, wearing the new shoes not boots, and badly sprained my ankle
done the exact same thing last week myself, not funny trying to drive with a sprained ankle

pickaname · Post by **pickaname** » 24 Dec 2007, 15:10

Ricky Bruch wrote:Well I like the sole as it has support for your arches and they are quite soft/cushioning to walk in on delivery...

BUT................

I do agree that the slip issue needs sorting out before somebody really does slip and hurt themselves badly...

And the fact that the *leather* peels off so quickly makes you feel a right scrubber walking about in such shoddy looking shoes, you have to wonder what the public think when they see such scruffy shoes on a postie..

That the service is a shambles most likely...

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 24 Dec 2007, 15:17

pickaname wrote:if the shoes are to blame and RM know they are defective surely this is a direct contravention of H&E legislation?

Sounds like a case for MAGNUM PI for this deserves further investigation.

ROYALMAILCHAT

New Royal Mail Standard Issue Magnum Boots for Delivery Staf

New Royal Mail Standard Issue Magnum Boots for Delivery Staf

new boots

RM are at least consistent if nothing else