VDU Health and Safety

[SAS]

By doing what they did, they will think you'll walk away and let them get away with it.

Send a copy of what you've written to the H&S excusitive and to the company's CEO, or even better if you have an injury like RSI from working there sue the crap out of them any of those personal claim companies would be falling over themselves to have you as a client.

If you do leave fire off a few letters, do as much as you can and who knows the managers might find they will regret not listening to you

 

[Vae]

As much as I hate certain trade unions there are times like this when they serve a justifiable and useful purpose and having a union representative along to meetings like this is the best thing you can do. That is if there's a union at your workplace or not.

 

[dr_jo]

Hey,
Thanks for all the support.
I was lead to believe that the meeting would be occuring with someone else present, so I didn't take anyone with me, because I thought it would be someone from HR. My Manager is Female, but a nasty piece of work. I think I said everything I wanted to say, but the attitude of both my Manager and Supervisor made me so uncomfortable that I just couldn't deal with it.
It's quite a small company, so my letter should actually be passed onto HR and the MD - it's all in the same building. I might send them copies direct to make sure they get them...
I'm supposed to be getting a written response to my meeting within 5 days (from Monday) so the current plan is to enjoy my time off, sleep lots, relax, and then worry about it when the letter comes through. I will then go to the H&S Executive with the letter, which will probably say something like "We comply fully with all H&S directives" and have a word with them about what they're actually doing.

They haven't been stupid enough to sack me, but hopefully they'll put something stupid in the letter. If no letter materialises, I'll probably set my mum on them. And she really is scary!

My desire for revenge is growing...

 

[tris-]

hmm revenge.

take in a blank firing gun and shout "dance, bitch, dance!"
find their cars and pour sugar in the petrol tank
cut the break lines
find their dinner in the fridge and put in a cows heart

etc

 

[Chilly]

cows hearts are nice!

brussel sprouts to really make em regret fucking with you!

 

[venus]

Whatever you do dont back down now! your manager sound like a bit of a bully and as with all bullies she will get whats coming to her. Bug everyone you can eventually someone will have to take action,

 

[tris-]

i made my complaint today (through mediums cos the the managers are bunch of pussy, colon licking monkey nuts who dont like to talk to you). their responses -

TFT monitors dont require a screen filter as the lighiting used in the room is naturally diffused lighting (wtf, someone who can decipher riddles explain this please).

you dont require a foot rest unless you have a medical note, same with arm rests.

if you have a bad back, try sitting on your chair propley (which i do as far as the 'chair manual' is conserned)

and work station assesments, well that seemed to have been missed off the list altogether so tomorrow it shall be going back to them. the list wiill contain only queries on work station assesments and each query will be worded slightly different so they wont be able to miss it out.

and today i left them some feedback on some shitty knowledge base thing they are trying to make, i suggested they check out other websites that are good and have all the information. or instead, make the knowledge base just automatically re-direct to that site.

their reply was "we dont require feedback such as yours".

lol.

 

[Chilly]

What a load of wankers.

 

[Ch3tan]

I've not heard of using screen filters for tft screens to be honest though tris. They don't emit as much glare and are better for your eyes.

 

[tris-]

what about -

the lighiting used in the room is naturally diffused lighting

and why would that negate the need for a filter?

 

[inactionman]

No-one uses filters anymore, unless the monitors are very old. Most have them built in, or, as is the case with TFT, don't need them.

As for the rest, it's things that should show up in the DSE assessment, including things like the posture, lighting, and glare from both natural and artificial sources.

 

[dr_jo]

The health and safety DSE regulations 1992 state that "A footrest shall be made available to any operator or user who wishes one." So if you're in the UK, they're lying.
The full regulation can be found at www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1992/Uksi_19922792_en_1.htm which points to a document called the "Schedule" at www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1992/Uksi_19922792_en_2.htm
The second one is more helpful, as it lays out what's required in very simple language. Print off a copy, and take it in with you. They really don't have a leg to stand on.

As to my on going problem with work, I recieved a letter today which said that they're not going to send me the letter about our meeting, because my doctor "has seen fit to sign me off". And that the letter would be held on file for my return. I've got another sick note for 2 weeks, so I don't have to make any decisions just yet, but I think the most likely course of action will be to hand in my notice, and call in a Health and Safety inspector on them.

We think part of the reason I'm finding it so hard to cope is because of a medication interaction making me very anxious, so maybe if we can sort that out, I might feel up to fighting them.

edit: typos

 

[Shovel]

As to my on going problem with work, I recieved a letter today which said that they're not going to send me the letter about our meeting, because my doctor "has seen fit to sign me off". And that the letter would be held on file for my return.

Can they do that? Seeing as today was their deadline for getting the letter to you, I suppose they'd better hope they can. Sounds like they're cacking their pants a bit. Did you ask them about going in for a further meeting?

 

[tris-]

lol, nice one jo. this is going to be emailed to work tomorrow. do you know any sources that show you have to have work station assesments too?

 

[tris-]

here is my letter, anyone have feedback before i email it?





Dear HR Advisor,
I requested a footrest as I thought it might be a contributing factor to my back pains that I get from the work chairs. I was told I could only get one if I have a medical note stating I need one. This is against my employment rights as shown below;


Statutory Instrument 1992 No. 2792
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 - continued

THE SCHEDULE
Regulation 3

(WHICH SETS OUT THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKSTATIONS WHICH ARE CONTAINED IN THE ANNEX TO COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 90/270/EEC ON THE MINIMUM SAFETY AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR WORK WITH DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT[5])
1. Extent to which employers must ensure that workstations meet the requirements laid down in this schedules
An employer shall ensure that a workstation meets the requirements laid down in this Schedule to the extent that-
(a) those requirements relate to a component which is present in the workstation concerned;
(b) those requirements have effect with a view to securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work; and
(c) the inherent characteristics of a given task make compliance with those requirements appropriate as respects the workstation concerned.
2. Equipment
Work chair
The work chair shall be stable and allow the operator or user easy freedom of movement and a comfortable position.
The seat shall be adjustable in height.
The seat back shall be adjustable in both height and tilt.
A footrest shall be made available to any operator or user who wishes one.



The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
Made 5th November 1992

Laid before Parliament 16th November 1992

Coming into force 1st January 1993

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1992/Uksi_19922792_en_1.htm

As you can see, I am within my rights to request a footrest and be supplied one.

Health and safety
All employers have a statutory duty to take care of the health and safety of all their employees

Your rights at work will depend on:-
 your statutory rights and
 your contract of employment
Your contract of employment cannot take away rights you have by law.


How the rights in the employee’s contract relate to rights in law

There are particular rules regarding health and safety at work. For example, if you believe that a piece of equipment or a process may be dangerous, you may have a right to refuse to work with it and insist that your employer takes adequate safety measures.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index...x/life/employment/contracts_of_employment.htm



The majority of work chairs are damaged. The backrests do not tilt to the correct angles. As there are no chairs that I can find which function correctly then I would like to request a footrest for my work chair. I believe it is a contributing factor to my back pains caused by the work chairs. A footrest is classed as part of the work chair under The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992.
I feel a written version of my request may result in action taken. If no action is taken within one month then I will to forward this information onto the Health and Safety Executive. This is because it is compulsory for my employer to investigate health and safety issues.


Yours faithfully,



-tris
Wanadoo 13th floor

 

[dr_jo]

Hey Tris
I'm not sure that anything specifys having to have assesments, but there is a section in the first of those two links, called "analysis of work stations". It basically says they have to carry out assesments, and now that you've complained, I think they have to reassess your workstation.
Hope you have better luck than me.

 

[tris-]

hey jo thanks for the support. ive had shit with the managers before and they know i dont take any crap off em. im off on holiday soon and i have given them a month to get my foot rest. if its not there when i come back off holiday then their bollocks are mine.
im also going to apply for posters to be stuck up stating the regulations, hopefully everyone will request a foot rest. LOL, i would laugh in their stinking faces if that happens.
i hand deliverd the letter to HR this morning, bypassing all management and supervisors. i bet they dont even know it yet. im going to check on progress tomorrow.
i will also get a sheet passed around so people who wish to have a footrest can put their name down and i will take it into what ever meeting they hold.
ive also got them on breach of basic human rights and other misc. laws.

lol, i cant stop laughing in my head about what is going to happen.

lol.

 

[inactionman]

Hey Tris
I'm not sure that anything specifys having to have assesments, but there is a section in the first of those two links, called "analysis of work stations". It basically says they have to carry out assesments, and now that you've complained, I think they have to reassess your workstation.
Hope you have better luck than me.

By law (Health and safety legislation) everyone working with 'Display Screen Equipment' (a computer) must have an assessment every year, or if their situation changes (different desk for instance, or they develop a bad back).

Did you know that your employer also has to pay for an eye test once a year as well, and if that says that you need glasses to use a computer (but not generally) they have to pay for them?

 

[tris-]

oh my, this day has been the most hillarious one ive ever had in work.
lets go from the start. a manager comes over to see me saying i need to go see HR. i thought cool they are gonna talk about my letter. how wrong am i.

what follows is accurate and true representation of the events, i am not making any of it up.

them - hello how are you
me - fine
them - we are worried about you
me - why?
them - well you see, we have these pictures..
me - oh ye i know which ones you mean
them - well, we are worried about you. i have some phone numbers for you, people to go see and places to go.
me - there is nothing wrong with me thanks, i understand the pictures may of offended someone though.
them - ok, maybe your friends need this number. maybe they can phone these people
me - no its ok
them - well if there is anything wrong then we are here. if things happend in the past then you should talk about them, we care about you.
me - ok thanks bye

now these pictures, these very pictures that cause someone with no qualifcations and no rights to question my mental state - what were they of? take a look here - http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=3019
i decided to draw my own versions of these, cos my funny drawings make my friend laugh. one of them was of a kid taking lsd and he had a rainbow coming out of his head with sparkles and fairies (my friend kept this). another was one of a stick man on the floor with long hair and a hole in the head, a man holding a 'gun' and a kid stood next to it. the caption was "daddy makes mommy sleep", note - the kid was smiling in the picture and the police were outside.

i left these pictures on the desk cos i was too lazy to chuck em. someone handed them in to Hr and bla bla. the point is - the meeting was more of them assesing my mental health than about people being offended by them.

after the whole thing i was laughing for a while, so where my mates. i still think now "did i dream this?!". anwyays, i spoke to a team leader about it. his jaw dropped and he was as shocked as me. he told me to write a letter stating what they are saying is slanderous. they have no right to assess my mental health although if they have qualifications then id be happy to see them. i asked for a full apology and advised i will speak to citizens advice on monday.

-----------
the next bit was better. today the chair designer and the manufcaturer came in to assess they problems. they showed me how to use the chair, explained why you should sit in a certain way and that a footrest would make the problem worse. i said i thought it would help but if he says it will make it worse then i accept it.
i got measured, and the desks got measured and the dude set the chair to my right height. he compiled a report and it will be sent to occupational health and i will get a response within 5 days.



edit - another of the pictures was of a big stick man putting a square on the head of a little stick man. and 2 other stick men in the background. it said "baby doesnt make no noises anymore". lol, i think it was the funniest one too. note - no one in the picture was happy for the little stick man to have a square cover his head by the big stick man.

 

[Gumbo]

Er, this meeting was the first step in their attempt to get rid of you citing mental health issues. You're going to have some fun and games now, hope your balls outlast their persistance.

 

[tris-]

i dont think they have had someone with balls like mine before. people call me crazy because i stand up to a manager. whats crazy about that?!

 

[dr_jo]

Well, I handed in my resignation today, asking again for a copy of the letter they should be sending me, and saying that I hope they will comply with H&S legislation, and not put anyone else through this stress.
I'm glad it's over with, and I still have the option of getting an inspecor in there...

Jo

 

[tris-]

yey . get the inspector in tbh, may aswell put them through shit too.