help please!!

humptynumpter

I have been hauled up on a serious misconduct issue withwork where they say the offence is deliberate falsification of company records.One side of this being that I was alleged to have took deliveries in and signedother peoples names on the forms and these people have stated that it was nottheir signature and the other is, when I have filled out temperatures on otherforms, because they are the same all the way through I wasn't checking thetemp. and just putting in a number.

After I had a phone call with them today I explainedthat if they checked the times on the forms for the signatures they would findI had gone home from work but didnt really have an answer for the probe as Idid it as it should be done. I now have a meeting on monday for the disciplinarybut not sure what, if any thing I could take with me as proof of my innocence.
Is it possible for a probe to give the same reading when I check the deliveries straight out of the wagons, bit stupid question as I know it is but, would I find any proof written anywhere that can be??

they also had a chat with my other half tonight saying thefirst bit with the signatures had now been dropped so to forget that. This isvery confusing. can they throw these allegations at me then just drop it?
Any help or advice would be gratefully received. thankyou

patman99

humptynumpter wrote: »

I have been hauled up on a serious misconduct issue with work where they say the offence is deliberate falsification of company records. One side of this being that I was alleged to have [STRIKE]took[/STRIKE] taken deliveries in and signed other peoples names on the forms and these people have stated that it was not their signature and the other is, when I have filled out temperatures on other forms, because they are the same all the way through I wasn't checking the temp. and just putting in a number.

After I had a phone call with them today I explained that if they checked the times on the forms for the signatures they would find I had gone home from work but didn't really have an answer for the probe as I did it as it should be done. I now have a meeting on Monday for the disciplinary but not sure what, if any thing I could take with me as proof of my innocence.
Is it possible for a probe to give the same reading when I check the deliveries straight out of the wagons, bit stupid question as I know it is but, would I find any proof written anywhere that can be??

they also had a chat with my other half tonight saying the first bit with the signatures had now been dropped so to forget that. This is very confusing. can they throw these allegations at me then just drop it?
Any help or advice would be gratefully received. thank you

First off, as you are obviously working in an environment where deliveries should be inside a particular temperature range, does the company have a set procedure that you have to follow. By a set procedure, I mean something that is written-down either on a computer or printed within a guide to the job ?.

If not, then you can argue that they way you are carrying-out the task is the way you were trained. If there is a procedure in place, have you read it ?, and have you followed it ?.

I work as a Quality Assurance Inspector and one of the items I have to deal with has a temperature logger in each crate which needs off-loading onto a PC and processing to a set procedure.

Given that you are using a probe, has it been calibrated for accuracy ?. If all the readings are identical, can I assume that the delivery truck is a temperature-controlled chiller type ?. If so, then there is a high probability that the readings will be the same due to the temperature being highly-controlled.
If, however, the deliveries are in a standard trailer and the items are in a 'coolbox' type container, then there is a massive chance that there will be a difference in readings if the goods come from a long way away and have been in transit for a couple of days.

humptynumpter

thank you for replying. There is a set procedure which I have never actually been shown in writing but only shown what to do.
The deliveries do come in temperature controlled vehicles but from only miles away on the same day not days away.
from what i know the probe has never been calibrated or checked in my presence but they will probably argue that it has the same as they are saying that when other staff use the probe they get different readings to me even though I do it straight of the wagon and they could have left it 5 or ten minutes before checking it.

Judith_W

If you are genuinely doing it by the book, would it be worth requesting that someone witnesses your temperature readings for the next week to prove that the temp you get is always the same. Obv, this could work against you if the end up being different one day, but if you done it like this for a long time might be worth asking?

Sambucus_Nigra

I spent 14 years working in and out of laboratories and even within the realms of calibrated equipment it was very very rare that even 3 readings in a row would be exactly the same.

If they are part of any quality control system [which seems to have picked up consistent readings so you would think that there would be] - there should be calibration of the equipment and a procedure that you should have been shown.

So the questions would be
a - did you sign other people's names?
b - did you just write down readings rather than what was on the probe/actually measure the temperature?
c - why is your other half being informed as to what is going on?
d - if it is serious enough to warrant a disciplinary, then why have you not been trained properly in this process?
e - what are you supposed to do if the temp reading is outside some limits? Do you know what these limits are and what to do if they are outside of them?

In your favour, if you were faking readings, then surely you would not have put the same temperature down several times - you would have put slightly different ones - so you can argue that point.

patman99

As there is a procedure, then the company has failed big-time by not giving you a printed copy (or if you have computer access, emailed you a copy).

Have a look on the probe to see if it has a calibration sticker stating the date it was/needs calibration.
Bear in mind that they may simply have a sticker on the probe denoting an equipment serial number which will be used on a database to keep track of any calibrations or repairs, so you need to poke around the computer system to find-out if such a calibration recording record exists.

paddedjohn

patman99 wrote: »

First off, as you are obviously working in an environment where deliveries should be inside a particular temperature range, does the company have a set procedure that you have to follow. By a set procedure, I mean something that is written-down either on a computer or printed within a guide to the job ?.

If not, then you can argue that they way you are carrying-out the task is the way you were trained. If there is a procedure in place, have you read it ?, and have you followed it ?.

I work as a Quality Assurance Inspector and one of the items I have to deal with has a temperature logger in each crate which needs off-loading onto a PC and processing to a set procedure.

Given that you are using a probe, has it been calibrated for accuracy ?. If all the readings are identical, can I assume that the delivery truck is a temperature-controlled chiller type ?. If so, then there is a high probability that the readings will be the same due to the temperature being highly-controlled.
If, however, the deliveries are in a standard trailer and the items are in a 'coolbox' type container, then there is a massive chance that there will be a difference in readings if the goods come from a long way away and have been in transit for a couple of days.

You might want to check your own post for mistakes before you go round correcting others.

theoretica

Either:
a) the temperature is indeed always the same (which is rather unlikely) or
b) the probe you are using is broken (but it gives different readings for other people) or
c)the allegation that you are just writing the same number down is true (I believe you when you say you aren't and surely anyone making up readings would make up a different one each time?!) which leaves
d) that you are unfortunately making a genuine mistake and not using the probe correctly.

Could you ask to do duplicate readings with a supervisor to see if you get the same result?

humptynumpter

thankyou for the replies
Judith_W

]would it be worth requesting that someone witnesses your temperature readings for the next week to prove that the temp you get is always the same.[/COLOR]

my other half did suggest if they could this but being as I am suspended this is not an option.

sambucus negra

So the questions would be
a - did you sign other people's names?
b - did you just write down readings rather than what was on the probe/actually measure the temperature?
c - why is your other half being informed as to what is going on?
d - if it is serious enough to warrant a disciplinary, then why have you not been trained properly in this process?
e - what are you supposed to do if the temp reading is outside some limits? Do you know what these limits are and what to do if they are outside of them?

a, no I didn't and they have now decided that I didn't
b, no, I did check they did just seem to be the same.
c,I would also like to know this
d, I was shown how to do it but, no official paperwork to state I was fully trained in the procedure or any training on how temperature control works in this workplace.
e, If it is outside the limits I would inform a manager.

Patman99

Have a look on the probe to see if it has a calibration sticker stating the date it was/needs calibration.
Bear in mind that they may simply have a sticker on the probe denoting an equipment serial number which will be used on a database to keep track of any calibrations or repairs, so you need to poke around the computer system to find-out if such a calibration recording record exists.


I was escorted off the premises and have not been in since. the decision to have a phone conversation and not an actual meeting with someone on my side was also taken out of my hands and put down as it was my decision to conduct it over the phone. To the best of my knowledge there has never been any calibration done on that probe since I have worked there but, proving this now will be impossible.

theoretica



Either:
a) the temperature is indeed always the same (which is rather unlikely) or
b) the probe you are using is broken (but it gives different readings for other people) or
c)the allegation that you are just writing the same number down is true (I believe you when you say you aren't and surely anyone making up readings would make up a different one each time?!) which leaves
d) that you are unfortunately making a genuine mistake and not using the probe correctly.

Could you ask to do duplicate readings with a supervisor to see if you get the same result?



I would have been lying definately had I realised that the readings were coming up the same and I then changed them to look different and I'm not even in work now to prove to them that anything could be the same as I am suspended until the disciplinary.

denla

paddedjohn wrote: »

You might want to check your own post for mistakes before you go round correcting others.

And what mistakes might those be...?