Heavy customer collections on delivery? Any limit?

[Clappedoutpostie]

Get them to carry them to the van. If they refuse leave.

Can't do.

When they see us on delivery they always seem to treat it as if we're late, scowl and drive off. They usually leave the parcels in the porch or in front of their ring doorbell.

I really don't want to do my back in lifting heavy parcels, but I especially don't want to do it in for people I've never seen smile.

If I recall correctly, anything over 11Kg is a lifting job for two.

I'm not sure if my partner will be able to help with heavy lifting, she's quite petite and short, while I'm tall and broad. Quite often when one of us goes on holiday the other has to work solo, I'm not sure she'd even be able to lift a 20kg parcel.

I'm assuming RM rules aren't in my favour? I've just got to collect from them until my back goes? And if they start sending more parcels or heavier parcels I've got no option other than quit the walk I've had for years or leave RM?

You can do it. If you have mentioned it to your manager several times then just click unable to collect on the pda. No doubt they will complain so hopefully that will prompt your manager to finally do something about it. Be a good idea to brief your rep as well.

[yellowbelly]

If the customer is just using a service RM offer correctly, then I'm not sure what my manager can do, some poor sod is going to have to collect it. I'm hoping there is something. Maybe if they get classified as a business and get charged for collection they'll go elsewhere.

If they're a business then they're probably mis-using the personal customer collection service as it's still free pick up (is it? Not sure).
What your manager or RM will do about it? Sweet FA is my guess.

Keep dynamically risk assessing, let your manager and H&S rep know what's happening, document it etc.

You can search companies house through their adavanced search to see if there is a business registered to that address - it's publicly available information, but whether you could use that info for your case that the address is acting as a business is another thing.

[Constance]

Royal Mail is subject to weight restrictions outlined by the Health and Safety Executive. Every case for personal injury as a result of ignoring these manual handling rules is a winner in the UK courts. These restrictions provide that a 25 kg load being manually handled is considered to be a safe upper limit for the average man and 16 kg for the average woman. It's important to note, however, that this is only if the person carrying the load can keep it at knuckle height AND close to their body. As you're taking the parcel off the ground for one, these limits are substantially reduced and you shouldn't be lifting them. Certainly 20kg off the ground is waaay more than is safe. Put all what I've said and what you've said in writing and tell them if they want you to continue collecting illegal weights off the ground or wherever they may be, tell them that you will only do it if they put the instruction in writing. They won't put it in writing.

[twoloops]

We get a regular pick up of between 30 & 40 same size quite large heavy boxes (told its car parts) when I asked for some help & advice from our manager he said “Bend your knees”

[eggraidonmojo]

Where does it say tracked limit is 30kg?

On the app and on the Royal Mail link provided above, it says max weight is 20kg, anything larger goes to Parcelforce.

Also, I'm sure there was some Royal Mail internal communication saying that if you've got a regular collection customer then they could be better served (and presumably cheaper for them?) by doing PPI mail, where a collections van or 7.5 tonne will get the packets, not you. You could try talking to them, or get your manager to forward their details to the business mail side of things?

[SpacePhoenix]

Where does it say tracked limit is 30kg?

On the app and on the Royal Mail link provided above, it says max weight is 20kg, anything larger goes to Parcelforce.

It has been a 30Kg max limit for Tracked for a good few years now. If they have changed it then no one has told us about any downgrade from 30Kg

[pieoftheday]

Where does it say tracked limit is 30kg?

On the app and on the Royal Mail link provided above, it says max weight is 20kg, anything larger goes to Parcelforce.

It has been a 30Kg max limit for Tracked for a good few years now. If they have changed it then no one has told us about any downgrade from 30Kg

RM website states 20kg maximum via RM, 30kg parcelforce

[Constance]

Just to add to what I said before These manual handling regulations from the HSE are guideline weights but the lawyers expect employers to adhere to them and devise a system of work for 'this' worker. I know Royal Mail ignore this but take them to a UK court and I can assure you as a former personal injury lawyer who's done heaps of manual handling trials, they don't get things to go according to their way of thinking in court.

I'd be telling your delivery managers to devise a safe system of work for collection/ moving items over your weight limit and say until this is implemented, unfortunately due to h&s concerns, you can't collect items left on the floor over 10kg alone. Would they start the victimisation of you and move you off the round? Probably, but if you've sensibly put your requests in an email and you can also then use those emails for making a grievance and subsequent Industrial Tribunal claim for being treat to your detriment for raising HAndS concerns. This might seem extreme but either you work unsafely and damage your body for a pittance and give up your entitlement for industrial injury benefits and other financial redress. Or you leave. Either way , I would not keep letting someone make me do something harmful without letting them know they were essentially going to pay alot for it, somehow.

[cheerful]

You've got some interesting info there, thank you.

From the Health and Safety Executive, it does make it absolutely clear that men shouldn't be lifting anything over 10kg from the floor (7kg for women).

With more restrictions if you're lifting repeatedly, carrying the items far or twisting.

weight-limits.jpg

If the worker’s hands enter more than one zone during the operation, use the smallest weight. Use an in-between weight if the hands are close to a boundary between zone

Lifting boxes from the floor clearly puts it at the lowest zone.

The full leaflet is here:
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.pdf

I can understand why the Evri / Yodel have lower weight limits. I'm not sure how 20kg+ courier companies can operate with those restrictions. I'm assuming anyone who leaves parcelforce (who've been taking much heavier parcels for decades) with a bad back have a very good case against their employer.

If I'm understanding this correctly, the customer wanting the 150kg collection is (probably) following the rules set out by RM, so I can't see my manager telling the customer they can't use the service, but the RM rules are in breach of the Health & Safety Executive.

The decision to play fast and loose with the laws was made by people way above my manager's paygrade. I need a word with our H&S rep.

Thanks again, I appreciate the detailed response.

[eggraidonmojo]

I was sent this the other day. So limit is 30kg, though I think this is for business customers sending stuff, not consumer collections.

Anyway, looks like you should either have a 'sack trolley' if you're a singleton duty, or two of you should share the load if you're in a shared van.

JS - Increase of Maximum RM Tracked 24-48 Domestic Weight Limit from 20kg to 30 kg.pdf

[LouBarlow]

It is one of the most ridiculous parts of this job, that they (rightly) have kept a limit for bag weight then expect you to deal with 30KG parcels.

[SpacePhoenix]

I was sent this the other day. So limit is 30kg, though I think this is for business customers sending stuff, not consumer collections.

Anyway, looks like you should either have a 'sack trolley' if you're a singleton duty, or two of you should share the load if you're in a shared van.

JS - Increase of Maximum RM Tracked 24-48 Domestic Weight Limit from 20kg to 30 kg.pdf

One thing missing from that it doesn't say if it's just for shops, warehouses and factories or if it also includes people working from home