Cost Cutting

JUNIOR

Hi all

Can anyone give me a bit of advice please.

My job involves a lot of manual handling work , which i used to get agency worker to help with the lifting,i only used agency when a 20/40ft (200-500 cartons)container is due .I've been told that no agency help is to be hired , due to cost cutting . Now i'm in the situation where i fear for my health at work ,as this was risk assessed( Due to an injury) and deemed that help was needed how do i stand if i get injured ? I dont mind doing the job myself as i'm not scared of hard work.

Thanks J

Liz_the_Whizz

Junior,

Be very careful here. My cousin went ahead with a two man lifting job, crushed three vertebrae in his back and hasn't been able to work for several years as a result.

Because he went ahead against the risk assessment, he had no comeback on his employer for compensation.

Ask your supervisor what new arrangements have been put in place following the decision not to use agency workers. It is up to them to provide a workable and safe alternative.

Don't be tempted to go it alone.

Conor_3

Second Liz's posts.

I did two discs in my lower spine from heavy lifting when I was young and stupid and thought I was invincible. Had nothing but grief for the last decade and a half, despite it being operated on. Disc above those failed in 2002 and I had 10 months off work because I couldn't walk. Have to do agency work now as I can't work fulltime every week.

It's been risk assessed. They cannot go against that. You can refuse to do it. If you do do it because they threaten you and you injure yourself, you can sue them to living hell and back BUT all the money in the world won't repair a knackered back. It's not worth it.

pinkshoes

If it's been risk assessed as being a two person job, then don't do it alone.



I wasn't even allowed to lift the 18kg water barrels in my last job as it went against the lifting regulations, as shown in picture!

JUNIOR

Hi all

Thanks for the replies .

I think if i refuse to do the task they might say i'm not suitable for the job ,therefor make me redundant:o although i have done this job for 5 years.

A new risk assessment has been produced and there is a high risk that injury wiil occur:eek:

Thanks again

mymatebob

JUNIOR wrote: »

Hi all

Thanks for the replies .

I think if i refuse to do the task they might say i'm not suitable for the job ,therefor make me redundant:o although i have done this job for 5 years.

A new risk assessment has been produced and there is a high risk that injury wiil occur:eek:

Thanks again

Good that there is a risk assessment - what control measures have they put in place to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

I know of a job where one man was dropped off as a cost cutting exercise.
In the first week there was an accident when the other guys were lifting something.
Fortunately it was not a serious accident but the other person was reinstated from then on in.

JUNIOR

mymatebob wrote: »

Good that there is a risk assessment - what control measures have they put in place to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

The new assessment is being reviewed now ,no control measures as yet , hopefully they will see sense and provide the help

:rolleyes:

marksoton

JUNIOR wrote: »

Hi all

Thanks for the replies .

I think if i refuse to do the task they might say i'm not suitable for the job ,therefor make me redundant:o although i have done this job for 5 years.

A new risk assessment has been produced and there is a high risk that injury wiil occur:eek:

Thanks again

In which case your employer is required to reduce or ideally eliminate that risk completely not just leave it as high risk !

The HSE publish mountains of guidance on this sort of thing,have a look at their website.

Your employer is behaving in a totally unacceptable way.

JUNIOR

Hi everyone (Happy New Year)

Not a good start for me i'm afraid , i have injured my back doing this task and have been on the box , went back to work monday and still they expect me to this task on my own :eek: i asked about help and was refused.
The risk assessment has not been actioned by management, nor has my injury at work been reported(RIDDOR)

So my question is ; can i refuse to do this job ?

I think they may be trying to get to resign by making the job harder

jacklink

nanny state

ceridwen

I'm not that up on this - but it sounds to me like your first step would be to write your employer a letter (keeping a copy yourself of course) stating that it is not possible for one person to do this job in a safe way/that the job has been risk-assessed and the result was that there was deemed to be a high risk of injury if one person tried to do this on their own/that you have tried to do this on your own and have suffered an injury because of this (specify the details of this!) - which you have noted in the work Accident Book - and that you wish to "use my best endeavours" or words to this effect to continue doing the job but are "very concerned" about the risks involved and officially request them to make appropriate safety arrangements (i.e. take on another member of staff to help you).

You also need to put an entry in the work Accident Book right away - time/date/what happened/any witnesses/etc (and take a photocopy of this - just in case this Book mysteriously gets lost).

Basically - as Conor says - look after your health. Your health MUST come first. You need to look after your back first - and money secondly. You DO NOT want a long-term back injury believe me.

By telling your employer in writing about your concerns and that you have done an Accident Book entry you have told them they are at risk of being sued if they injure your health again. An Accident Book entry is the first necessary thing in bringing a claim for work-related ill health. The fact that you have made that entry in the Accident Book doesnt commit you to anything - it just covers your back just in case you feel the need to bring such a claim at any point. They will be WELL aware of this.