YorkCapacity Review

[POSTMAN]

25 August 2011
LTB 743/11 York Capacity Review

No. 743/2011
Ref. L18.01(b)
Date: 25th August 2011





TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS & POSTAL DIVISIONAL REPS
For immediate circulation to all appropriate Area/Unit Representatives including
Health and Safety.



Dear Colleague



YorkCapacity Review



A meeting took place with the business in January 2011 where the Union were advised that an initiative to review the amount of trays contained within a York would be carried out within the Mail Centre Network on Outward and Inward traffic streams. It had been identified that the number of trays currently transported in Yorks varied between 16 and 28.



The objective of the review was to develop a generic standard for the maximum number of trays that could be transported in a York container, taking into account the safe working weight restrictions and associated operational and safety issues.



In order to facilitate the Union's involvement in the proposed review, Area Processing and Distribution Representatives were contacted in January to ascertain the current standards being applied across the Mail Centre Network and we would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the invaluable support we received from representatives to this request.



Subsequently 11 Mail Centre sites were identified to take part in the review and they reflected the different variances of the amount of trays being transported in York containers within the Mail Centre Network. A Terms of Reference in respect to the review was agreed which ensured the full involvement of CWU Divisional, Area Processing/Distribution and Health & Safety Representatives.



The results of the initial Study were jointly reviewed and a further Study undertaken to assess the accuracy of the information that had been gathered. Representatives from the trial sites were invited to submit Reports to CWU Headquarters which were included in the subsequent joint evaluation meetings.



A meeting took place on the 19th May 2011 which was attended by Representatives from the three Operational Departments: Indoor, Outdoor, Network and Health & Safety. At this meeting an in-depth analysis of the sampling activity was carried out to establish the standard number of trays being transported within a York container. The standard fill was established as 28 trays per York on Outward traffic and 24 on Inward.



In applying/deploying the revised standards across the Mail Centre Network in respect to materials handling and vehicle weight restrictions, a further in-depth Study of the working and safety arrangements were undertaken at both Leicester and Chelmsford Mail Centres under the direction of Dave Joyce.
As a consequence of the reviews at Leicester and Chelmsford, further consultation took place nationally involving our Area Health & Safety Representatives and a Safe Systems of Work have been agreed and are attached. The Safe Systems of Work are subject to review at 3 and 6 month intervals.



Following further consultation across the various Operational Departments a Joint Statement has now been agreed with the business which is attached for your information, the main points of which are summarised below:



The deployment of the New Standard will be undertaken with the full involvement of the CWU via the IR Framework.

Additional training on operational/safety elements of the change will be provided should this be required.

A local programme will be agreed to monitor the introduction of the Revised Standard and to provide feedback to the National signatories.

An annual audit/sampling exercise will be undertaken to ensure that operational and safety standards are not compromised.

Confirmation that the driver is at all times responsible for the ensuring that the maximum load weight of their vehicle is not exceeded.



It would be remiss of us not to record our appreciation to Joe Malone, Bobby Weatherall and Mick Kavanagh from the Postal Executive and to the Divisional, Area and Local Representatives from the original trial sites as well as the work Dave Joyce and his team have done to support the Operational Departments with this project.



All enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed as appropriate to Phil Browne, Acting Assistant Secretary, Indoor Department quoting reference number L18.01(b), Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, Parcels, Network and Quadrant, Bob Gibson, Assistant Secretary, Outdoor Department or Dave Joyce, Health & Safety Department.




Yours sincerely



PHIL BROWNE TERRY PULLINGER
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY ASSISTANT SECRETARY



NOEL MCCLEAN DAVE JOYCE
ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY NATIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY &


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JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL AND CWU ON
INCREASING THE STANDARD VOLUME OF TRAYED MAIL
DESPATCHED ON YORK CONTAINERS

Introduction
Following a large scale sampling operation and industrial study at 11 Mail Centres to prove the average weight of trayed mail for each traffic stream and product and following detailed discussions between Royal Mail and the National CWU regarding all aspects of safety it is intended to increase the standard volume of trays despatched on York containers.

Background
Currently the majority of Letter and Large Letter mail is received, transferred between work areas and despatched in trays in Yorks. The Safe System of Work for a York container volume and fill states that ‘No container to be filled above the top of the container and must be loaded within the weight limit’.

It was identified that the current method of operation for the number of full trays carried in York Containers varied from 20 or less up to 28. The object of the review was to establish via an industrial study and practicable application a generic standard for the number of trays that can be safely accommodated in a York taking into account the safe working weight of 250 kgs per container.

This adopted fill, whilst most certainly meeting the fill and volume criteria, does however under utilise our asset and increases our required capital expenditure, as well as creating additional Yorks to be needlessly transported through our network. Additionally by under filling the York containers time is wasted within Mail Centres and Delivery Offices needlessly moving equipment from one point to another.

Operational Change
The new standards to adopted by all Mail Centres will be:
28 trays for all York’s despatched at Outward from Mail Centres, Transported and
Processed within the Logistics network and received at Inward by Mail Centres
and
24 trays for all York’s despatched at Inward by Mail Centres and by Mails Processing
Units for distribution to Delivery Offices.

The sampling exercise has shown that for the vast majority of Yorks despatched the gross weight for a York will not be exceeded. There will, as always be times and mail types, that will force the gross weight to be exceeded if the standard fill is rigidly adhered to. The maximum weight of a York container MUST NEVER be exceeded in any circumstances.

If a York is believed to be overweight it should be weighed using scales available in each mail centre (regardless of how far these are away from the despatch point) and where necessary have its contents broken down into another York until the weight is within the maximum allowable level THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS PERMISSABLE TO THIS WEIGHT STANDARD AND OFFICES FAILING TO COMPLY WILL BE PUTTING ALL STAFF AT RISK FROM OVERWEIGHT CONTAINERS.

Safe Systems of Work (SSOW)
As part of the in depth safety review around increasing the trayed volumes on Yorks a review of the Safe System of Work (SSOW) has been undertaken jointly between Royal Mail and CWU Health and Safety experts. A copy of this updated SSOW document is attached. This should be shared with all staff and a record of them having received and understood its contents should be kept on file for audit purposes.
This updated Safe System of Work also includes the movement of a York container by individuals who cannot see over the top of the equipment due to the increase in trayed mail. This way of moving the York has been evaluated and agreed as safe by Royal Mails Ergonomists, Safety Experts and the National CWU Health and Safety Representatives.



Traffic Recording (MIST)
Detailed instructions regarding the recording of traffic based on these revised York fills are attached. All offices will introduce the new traffic recording instructions at the same time regardless of where they sit in the deployment programme.


Timescales
The new standard will be able to be deployed from the 30th August 2011.
Local discussions will take place in line with the IR Framework to introduce any adjustments that may/will be required including, where necessary, any supplementary operational/safety training.
It is acknowledged that all locations should aspire to introduce the new standard with in a reasonable timeframe however where specific local issues may delay/defer the introduction of the new standard this these should be flagged up to the respective Departments at Royal Mail and CWU Headquarters.

In addition to the above, the deployment of the new standard will be monitored locally and reviews involving all relevant local partiers should be time scaled to support the deployment activity. The output from these Local Reviews will be fed into a Formal Review that will be scheduled no later than four weeks after the 30th August 2011.


Vehicle Loads
Analysis has shown that the increased York fills reduces the number of Yorks that can be loaded on to a 7.5t vehicle by on average one York i.e. if you currently load 13 Yorks then after the increase this will reduce to 12. The Driver is at all times responsible for ensuring the maximum load weight of their vehicle is not exceeded. Vehicles should, where possible, always be loaded as full as possible PROVIDING THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT ALLOWABLE FOR THE VEHICLE IS NOT EXCEEDED

Base data Annual Review
The data used to increase the York fills will be subject to validation on an annual basis. Annual sampling exercises will be undertaken to ensure operation and safety criteria are not compromised.




…………………………… ……………………………
Francis Williams Phil Browne
Royal Mail CWU

Date……………………… Date..24th August 2011……




……………………………
Terry Pullinger
CWU

Date..24th August 2011……




……………………………
Bob Gibson
CWU

Date..24th August 2011……