No more red sleeves

[Barnacle]

And so much for Royal Mail's commitment to become "net zero". The increase in plastic waste these undurable white sleeves will end up producing is shocking. I bet they're not declaing that in their calculations of their green credentials.

… or their use of cloud storage, which is increasing year on year and is also not Green.

[ANDREW CROCOMBE]

If you put holes in the bottom i guess theyd come in handy on the allotment, growing spuds etc - or let the kids turn them into tents/camping units. Cant beat the white plastic shite and using a shovel to unload parcels - sums up RM, full of brainless ideas. Dragons Den anyone ?

[POSTMAN]

[Duesouth]

With the removal of red hoods completely and with working in a fairly big office it looks like we'll need over hundred new snow shovels.

The white hoods are so inconvenient and are a H&S problem.

[HTPostman]

Time to let them run things how they want - it is their business to run after all.

Just keep using their stupid new sleeves and as soon as they break, put them with the broken items. When they have york after york of white sleeves shoved in the corner, broken and awaiting repair (a bit like us!) maybe they’ll see what a stupid decision it was.

[gil]

Why can we not keep the red sleeves in our office for delivery use instead of keep having to bend over to empty the bloody stupid white sleeves whoever signed off on these things H/S wise need their heads looking at

[rogersh]

18th April - myroyalmail

White-sleeved yorks
Nesting white plastic sleeved yorks – are you getting it right?

Since the roll out of white plastic sleeve york inserts, we are seeing a number of instances where the gates are becoming damaged due to incorrect nesting.

It’s important that the gates are placed correctly when nested for storage or movement.

The whole gate must be opened fully and secured to the inside of the sleeve
The gate must not be folded down and left in the open position.
Please watch this film showing the simple steps to take when nesting white-sleeved yorks.

Getting this right will ensure that we keep the mail moving and reduce unnecessary repair costs for the business.
End

So nothing to do with the design then!!

[Barnacle]

18th April - myroyalmail

White-sleeved yorks
Nesting white plastic sleeved yorks – are you getting it right?

Since the roll out of white plastic sleeve york inserts, we are seeing a number of instances where the gates are becoming damaged due to incorrect nesting.

It’s important that the gates are placed correctly when nested for storage or movement.

The whole gate must be opened fully and secured to the inside of the sleeve
The gate must not be folded down and left in the open position.
Please watch this film showing the simple steps to take when nesting white-sleeved yorks.

Getting this right will ensure that we keep the mail moving and reduce unnecessary repair costs for the business.
End

So nothing to do with the design then!!

If a ‘simple’ design has to be explained too much, it’s crap.

[2chorizon]

Post is blank, is there an official brief on this "removal of red sleeves from the network?

[Barnacle]

Think the blank space signifies the end of red sleeves. The red sleeves are no more. Poetic

[Sean06]

Post is blank, is there an official brief on this "removal of red sleeves from the network?

Read postman's post above.

[rogersh]

I thought Postman had already posted this LTB in Union Room?
EDIT; POSTMAN has posted this LTB in the health & Safety forum Union Room.

LTB 140/24 – Introduction of ‘Correx’ York Container Sleeves – Serious Health, Safety & Ergonomic Concerns and Safety Management Failures
No: 140/2024

19 April 2024
Our Ref: C1/24
To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,
Introduction of ‘Correx’ York Container Sleeves – Serious Health, Safety & Ergonomic Concerns and Safety Management Failures:

This is an update for Branches, Safety Reps and members on the decision of Royal Mail senior Operational Directors and Management team to roll out nationally and universally across all operations – automation and manual functions, York Container white plastic Correx Sleeves (or liners) and to withdraw from service and scrap all red Auto-Levelling Parcel/Packet (ALP) sleeves.

Without any proper trials, proof of concept or meaningful consultation with the Union, senior Operational Management introduced the white plastic ‘Correx’ York Container Sleeves into the automation operation and the manual sortation operation.

Against strong health, safety and ergonomic objections from the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department, Royal Mail have continued to persevere with ‘Correx’ sleeves despite;

Firstly, the ‘Short and Long Term safety and wellbeing risks to the workforce.
Secondly, ignoring the frail, fragile, poor quality of the ‘Correx’ material and its inability to withstand the arduous use requirements of equipment in the Royal Mail network with thousands being damaged and going out of service every week, broken up, smashed, split, punctured etc., with many continuing in use in a poor hazardous condition with local hap-hazard and botched repairs. The material breaks up and tears easily.
Thirdly, apart from the musculoskeletal, manual handling risks of injury whilst manually sorting from the ‘Correx’ sleeves, the risks of ‘cumulative’ long-term musculoskeletal and back ill-health is a serious concern.
Finally, cuts, and abrasions caused by damaged, sharp, jagged, split edges of the ‘Correx’ has become an additional problem with mounting numbers of accidents to the workforce and recently a customer was injured this way.
We have made it clear to Royal Mail that the Safe System of Work is not fit for purpose and the so-called solution of providing ‘shovels’ to staff to unload ‘Correx’ sleeves is totally impractical and seen by the workforce as no more than a ‘joke’.

This week on 15 April Royal Mail announced in an ‘Ops Update’ circular signed off by the Head of Assets, the withdrawal from service of the remaining 250,000 ALP Sleeves to be ‘scrapped’ and re-cycled (but no information on how or what they are being recycled in to)! These ALP Sleeves at £40 each equates to £10 million being discarded and thrown away. (A copy of the circular is attached).

The Red Mk2A ALP Sleeves were jointly developed over many years with the involvement of Royal Mail Assets, the Royal Mail Ergonomist, CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department, ‘Jacon’ Sleeve Manufacturers and ‘Hartwall’ York Container Manufacturers. The result was an ‘Optimum’ performing Sleeve that was operationally tested, ergonomically safe for use in the manual operation and has been a great success. Having achieved that outcome which is a credit to all concerned the Red Alps are now being ditched as Royal Mail moves from its “Safety No1 Mantra” to a new era in which Royal Mail puts performance, efficiency and profit before the safety and health of the workers.

Following the decision of Royal Mail, meetings have taken place with the RMG Director Health and Safety, with the RMG Head of Safety for Programmes and with the RMG Head of Assets where at each meeting we again expressed our strong objections to the removal of ‘ALP sleeves’ and going over to a 100% ‘Correx’ sleeves for the above reasons.

Letters have been sent to:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Chief Operating Officer, lodging an official complaint and requesting intervention by the regulator.
The Royal Mail Group Director of Health and Safety.
The Royal Mail Group Head of Health.
(Copies of these three letters are attached).

The irony here is that ‘informally’, members of the Royal Mail Group SHE Team, Assets Team and Programmes Team have expressed the fact that they agree with the Union and the arguments, concerns and objections raised but they can’t raise their heads above the parapet for fear of consequences from above!

Further reports will be issued when there are further developments and responses received.

Due to the number of enquiries received on this issue, would ASRs, Branches and IR Reps please ensure that this LTB and attachments is disseminated to local Unit Reps and Members.

Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

[POSTMAN]

Post is blank, is there an official brief on this "removal of red sleeves from the network?

Screenshot 2024-04-25 224252.png

[2chorizon]

Post is blank, is there an official brief on this "removal of red sleeves from the network?

Screenshot 2024-04-25 224252.png

Ah, thank you.

[LouBarlow]

Screenshot 2024-04-25 224252.png

The key phrase is ‘they perform better in automation’. That is their priority, not your health and safety.