OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

BookWorm

Evening all !

JKS - I'm afraid it's mainly B for me at the moment - although there are odd bits of A being mixed in here and there!

Funny enough I was just popping in anyway tonight to say hi and that I'm still around. It's just been a busy few weeks for me.

Hugs to all that want/need them

BW

Horace

JKS If folks are getting injured a lot at work contact the HSE who should be able to give the employer a kick up the proverbials. Start looking for another job.

Well, I waited in all day and no call from M&S as promised, I am hoping that they were too busy and hadn't forgotten me at all. I am due to sign on at the sausage factory tomorrow so I will be telling them I am still looking yet awaiting a start date so I don't sign off. As soon as I start work I will sign off.

I have been doing a bit of housework today and a load of washing which is drying in my bedroom in front of the radiator. I had a visitor too - one of the artists from the art project, she came to drop off some certificates and bought her new puppy with her. The puppy was cute and its hair was quite soft - it is a cross between a spaniel and a poodle.

Mum rang me and told me to book myself in for a hair cut (she will pay) so I have booked in for Saturday. Dad is worried about me catching the bus if I have to start work at 6am so I said that I would be walking down to the stop by Morrisons to pick up the bus which will take me direct to Shirley so there is no need to worry I won't be getting the bus up on the road that is eerily quiet. My cousin's new baby now has a name - Thomas Owen - I am a bit disappointed that he wasn't called David but apparently this name comes from his father's Welsh side.

One of my friends emailed me to say that she was putting my name forward for a community award via the Halifax bank and did I mind? I have sent her a few words and have added figures because since I started up the free exercise activities in the park nearly a thousand people have got fitter and made new friends (May to October) - the winter programme will probably see the same amount (October to February).

BW - hugs to you too.

JustKeepSwimming_2

BookWorm wrote: »

Evening all !

JKS - I'm afraid it's mainly B for me at the moment - although there are odd bits of A being mixed in here and there!

Funny enough I was just popping in anyway tonight to say hi and that I'm still around. It's just been a busy few weeks for me.

Hugs to all that want/need them

BW

BW - glad to hear it isn't c) & great that you're still around :wave:

Horace wrote: »

JKS If folks are getting injured a lot at work contact the HSE who should be able to give the employer a kick up the proverbials. Start looking for another job...

Fingers crossed for the 'phone call today Horace & I love the term sausage factory :rotfl:

We had called in an independent H&S person but management are reluctant to call him in again to deal with our latest problem as they'll need to pay for another visit Part of the problem is that management don't know what they don't know (IYSWIM) so they don't understand the severity of H&S issues to us - but they don't seem to be in a rush to find out how procedures have changed over the years.

There is a culture of "Well, we've always done it this way & will continue this way" but they don't seem to have any mechanism in place to check if things have changed. My last accident shouldn't have happened - if the particular procedure had been checked it would have been seen that there was a much safer way to do it & I'd never have had the injury

We're in a difficult position - management are all genuinely nice people but we feel we have now got a reputation for mithering about every little thing (as we've had issues with the maintenance of equipment & resources on almost a daily basis for months).

We feel we don't want to go straight over their heads & go to HSE without giving them some time to sort out what are a catalogue of problems that weren't sorted out over the years - but how long do you give someone to improve things? Can't imagine going to HSE will improve relations between them & us either

Interesting times :rotfl:

Horace

JKS I could give your employers a kick up the proverbials because it is their duty as responsible employers to keep up to date with current H&S legislation and practices. Will they sit up and take notice when someone dies because of their bad practice? I know that it is difficult for you but I think all the staff affected should join together and write a joint letter to management giving them 6 months to sort out their Health & Safety or you will all report them directly to the Health & Safety Executive. Just because something has always been done one particular way does not mean that it is a safe way. Makes you wonder if they are adequately insured should something go wrong and they are sued. Sorry for jumping onto my soapbox.

I took the bus to the sausage factory today as I had to sign on (I used my scratchy bus ticket given to me by the work programme - guess I will be walking to that appointment next week). It was lashing down with rain today and the roads I use are often flooded hence using the bus. I asked the nice advisor (I saw him on my way out) about the amount of hours I can work without losing benefits - he said up to 16 but 16 and over I would have to sign off. I said thanks and that I would sign off when I start the job because I am not signing off sooner and leaving myself without money.

Walked to Sainsbugs and bought a new baby card and a congratulations card for my uncle to celebrate being a grandfather at last (I think he should call himself Poppa because his dad was my Poppa). Didn't have much cash on me so used the points on my Nectar card and was told that I could only spend £2.50 off it so ended up using the card and £1.49 in cash. The Nectar card is not much use these days. Used my free bus ticket to get home.

mum2one

Not the best of days - hospital to c oncologist, he's pleased with how the chemo is, we asked about the ct scan he wasn't sure if it was back - checked and yes looked at it, all went quiet then he phoned radiology - he then had to go and find them- they'd missed - how - he found a series of blood clots in his lungs and a couple floating around - one was border line to an enberlisim all hell has broke lose - I had to leave as had appointment at dds school - there arranging for him to have an injection today hoping to get district nurse out ova weekend - got to have daily jabs for 6 months.

Found out the furneral went to on Tuesday - the bloke had died from a blood clot that turned into an embeisim...


Bit of a worry here.

We were meant to be going away for weekend only 15miles away but decided against it xx

LavenderBees

Horace wrote: »

JKS I could give your employers a kick up the proverbials because it is their duty as responsible employers to keep up to date with current H&S legislation and practices. Will they sit up and take notice when someone dies because of their bad practice? I know that it is difficult for you but I think all the staff affected should join together and write a joint letter to management giving them 6 months to sort out their Health & Safety or you will all report them directly to the Health & Safety Executive. Just because something has always been done one particular way does not mean that it is a safe way. Makes you wonder if they are adequately insured should something go wrong and they are sued. Sorry for jumping onto my soapbox.

I agree Horace, but I wouldn't even give 6 months - tell them you expect immediate action. Accidents at work can and should be avoidable.

I'd hate you, JKS, to be in a position where you could see something might happen, it does happen, and then you have to live with that, either as the person who has an accident or who sees it could have been prevented. Neither are good places to be.

Health & safety is up there as the most important thing an employer needs to do for staff, but it is a joint responsibility. Give them a kick (you can do it nicely without being judgemental), and tell them you need to see immediate results. If the others won't join you, just do it for yourself. Don't be a sheep.

And yes, ultimately, maybe you do need to get a job with an employer who actually cares for the well being of their staff.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

LB xx

LavenderBees

mum2one wrote: »

Bit of a worry here.

Understatement, I'm sure . Take care of you all. I hope things improve.

LB

xx

Winter_Phoenix

JustKeepSwimming wrote: »

We're in a difficult position - management are all genuinely nice people but we feel we have now got a reputation for mithering about every little thing (as we've had issues with the maintenance of equipment & resources on almost a daily basis for months).

We feel we don't want to go straight over their heads & go to HSE without giving them some time to sort out what are a catalogue of problems that weren't sorted out over the years - but how long do you give someone to improve things? Can't imagine going to HSE will improve relations between them & us either

JKS, would it be possible to have a quiet word with one of the more sympathetic managers, and explain that - although you appreciate that they really are doing their best to address the issues, and you are truly appreciative of that - nevertheless the H&S Regs have changed over time, and if a whistleblower ever went to the H&S Executive (or to the media) all Hades would be let loose in your organisation?
If you made a note of the date and time, and what you said, at least then your conscience would be clear if some major disaster happened later. And your colleagues might consider doing something similar?

Mum2one, thank goodness the problem was picked up when it was - let's hope the medication puts things right quickly. What a worry for you.

Horace, congratulations on your successful interview :T and I hope you enjoy your new job.

MITSTM, homesickness is just plain miserable. Fingers crossed that it passes swiftly and you begin to enjoy your present location once more.

moneyistooshorttomention

Homesickness boils down to "It is what it is" re my reasons for having to move here I guess.

On a very pragmatic level, the money situation is still the same - ie I couldn't afford a "this stage of my life" house in my home area, but I could here and I had to sell that last house one way and another.

Now if I could get someone to "fall in love" with my house with a bit of spare money so much that they would be prepared to pay £250,000 for a house that would actually be due to go on the market for £160,000-£170,000 in this area, then I might/just maybe/conceivably/probably would seriously consider their offer and ring up estate agents back in my home area.

It is what it is though, as I said, and there would still be the huge rate of knots at which the number of people is increasing:( in my home area to contend with.

This place I'm in here has had a pretty static population level here for over 100 years!!!! Sublime to ridiculous isn't it?

The daft thing is that my house is really not at all a bad house (now I've modernised it) and is in one of the best areas here so, if it weren't for Madam Neighbour trying to steal part of my garden then it would, of itself, be pretty satisfactory and indeed a bit of a little find. Was much amused by a builder I have in and his "thinking 2 steps ahead"/sussing me out and grinning broadly because he obviously thinks I've bought myself a good deal (apart from aforementioned MN).

Horace

JKS - what concerns me about your workplace is the number of accidents. Do you have an accident book in which to record the accidents that you and your colleagues have at work? If not then the company should have because it is a legal requirement. Depending on the severity some accidents are reportable to the HSE under RIDDOR.

WinterPhoenix - thanks for your good wishes about my new job. I am now waiting for a start date and time. I do know that I will be on the Sears Retail Park. I see this temporary job as a springboard for a job in the local store when it opens - all I would have to do is roll down the hill and I would be in work.

Money - homesickness is awful. Maybe it is compounded by the garden thief next door. Don't know what to suggest with that one other than trying to take your garden back.