Does your center seem to have more injuries lately

[crappie]

Gman you need to see a surgeon.they will give you a correct diagnose.They will shot x-rays and a mri then there is your proof.you have more then degenerative disk disease,I would guess.You do not have to go under the knife ,but you can get facts about your back to prove what is going on.

 

[fredly00]

well not so much injuries but
accidents, 9 in the first 8 weeks of the year.

preload is the only shift without injury.

I went in for my DOT, took it walked out with a card
they had all the UPS stuff there, they knew what to do..

 

[ok2bclever]

proups, it is nice that your surgery went well and has held up but the facts state you are in the minority in those regards.

The success rate of surgery for serious back injuries is a dice roll and can actually make the situation worse.

Of those that do receive relief from the surgery an unfortunate number of them don't hold up if they have to subject their back to further stress and working for UPS would certainly be considered further stress on a back.

I find it amazing that you have "many" that have even worked thirty years at UPS let alone believe you know "many" that have worked thirty years at UPS and walked away without an injury.

You live in an amazing area as you have many that never get injured in three decades and many who fake it season after season.

I do agree with Tie that it is too bad that some do fake it and make the situation worse for all the ones that don't.

 

[proups]

I just call it like I see it - just like the rest of you.

I certainly don't live in any different environment than the rest of you. We deliver, pick-up, unload, load, sort, etc.....the same type of packages.

 

[dannyboy]

"The success rate of surgery for serious back injuries is a dice roll and can actually make the situation worse. "

Do ya wanna know what my opinion is on this one? Well since I have never been at a loss for words...

The physical therapy that we get is geared for the average guy, one that has a 9-5 with some movement. Not picking 65 pound boxes up off the floor that are under the shelf, climbing in and out of the package car 150-300 times a day, humping a 45-70 pounder up two flights of stairs. etc

When I was rehabed for my other knee, they had me do a climbing thing with the stairs with only 3 inches of rise and only three stairs each. They had me lift a crate that was waist high and place it on a shelf that was also waist high a foot away. All I had to do was twist my torso to do that action. What the hell did that test my knee. Let me walk up a customers driveway that is 1500 feet long pulling a dolly loaded with drug samples, and I need to make 6 more trips before I am done.

The tests that they run are totally irrelevent to the jobs that we do. And this is one thing that kills the driver when they get back to work. The doc sees that you can do some things well so the thought is that you are 100%, when in reality you are not ready at all. Part of it is UPS and part of the problem is the medical pushing that liberty mutual is doing. While they let on that they really care about the employees, they only care about the dollar. Why do you think that they record your statement when you call in an injury. They have lawyers pick the recorded statement appart looking for loopholes. And If you give them one, look out! And if you are injured, be careful not to endanger your self further by doing activities that can be used against you.

Not to long ago in the viginia district they had video of a driver that was injured mowing someone elses lawn. Needless to say he no longer is employed with us.

Now that being said, it is a shame that some of the drivers have used the system for their own personal reasons instead of a support system for the truly injured.

d

 

[over9five]

Let me repeat...

"...but there are plenty where I am.."

Proups, If you're so certain this is happening, and you feel so strongly about it, WHY don't you report it? Make an anonymous call to Liberty Mutual or your state DA office. This is a crime that you say is wide-spread in your area. By not reporting it YOU are an accomplice!

 

[proups]

over9five: believe me when I say that if I personally observed it, I would be very quick to report it. You don't have to worry about me being an accomplice.

I don't think UPS needs me out looking. They know who these people are and they send people out to do those observations. I don't need to go.

I can be accused of being too busy doing my job to observe this happening.

 

[ok2bclever]

So the "many who are faking injuries for their seasonal hobbies and the other many who are never injured in three decades of working for UPS " you only have on circumstantial evidence as you are too busy working to notice anything, but stated as facts?

Is this based on the "everybody knows" condemnation philosophy?

If you haven't personally observed any of this are you just making it up or passing on really good gossip you received while you were real busy working for UPS or is it management told you this is the way it is so it must be true?

 

[trickpony1]

Some people have blind faith in everything UPS.
If management said it is so then it must be so.

 

[dannyboy]

It seems that there are several thoughts on this subject.

1st is the one of those fakeing injury for what ever personal reasons and making harder for those that are legit to get the care and consideration they are due.

Seems to me I see a smaller manifestation of that when we have 25% of our drivers getting the NAscar flu twice a year. Never fails. The same drivers each spring and fall call in sick at least from wednesday on if not the whole week. And then sometimes on monday if they get too drunk.

Then there are those managers that will, as some have posted, tell their drivers to suck it up and go on. I was told that the day I broke my foot. So I have seen that first hand. But that was several years ago, and while they might tell that to other drivers, they have not done so with me.

But when it comes to injuries, and the identification of the causes, but yet refuse to eliminate the causes....

Reminds me of the discussion of lowering the hand rails or moving them around so the drivers can use them. They refuse. So I figure when we have a driver that gets hurt because they could not reach the hand rail, or it caused an injury because it was in the wrong place, I will pull out all the documentation of the grievances filed, minutes of the safety commitee, and all the personal emails sent to the district, region, corp. and to ford et al, and go visit a good lawyer.

Shame really. UPS is/was/has to potential to be such a good company. Kinda like a lumberjack pulling a splinter out of his finger while the tree is fixin to fall on his head.

d

 

[sendagain]

I was waiting for an hour to see the doc at the clinic we use, so I decided to rummage through the file the technician had left in a bin on the door. It had directions from the company to put employees on light duty rather than sending them home. I found myself delivering NDA out of a van the next day with fluid on my knee. I ended up walking almost three blocks to deliver a letter because there was no place to park.

 

[proups]

I guess I'm just brainwashed.

26 years of working hard to does that to you.

26 years of being able to provide for my family better than most people makes you that way.

26 years of shaking my head at slackers that the union or government agencies protect does that to you.

I think I'll go to the clinic - this has to be a Worker's Comp injury!

 

[crappie]

Yes Proups you sound brainwashed.Now you are the one doing the brainwashing.You have been promted to lead the hitler youth group.lol sorry.
Do not go to the company doctor you will not get proper medical attention.

(Message edited by crappie on May 09, 2005)

 

[toonertoo]

Dont know much as I have avoided having an injury or reinjury, and have never had a "serious" injury, but....the company doc kept me off when mine told me to go back, because he realized what I had to do, my doc, I guess didnt believe I did more than sit at a PC. Couldnt imagine a woman could have a hard job.

 

[upsdude]

We had zero injuries in April, 120 drivers. The only injury so far this month (May) was a dog bite on Monday. The driver didn't want any medical attention but was instructed to drive to the clinic for treatment.

 

[proups]

upsdude: nice results. But look out, there are people on this thread who will accuse you of being pro-company and not a good UPS employee for working safely.

 

[trickpony1]

I don't have a problem with working safely.

No one wants to get hurt because then they are worthless to themselves and the company and these injuries can come back to haunt you.

In order to make the production standards that the compny crams down our throat we must go like hell and take shortcuts.

Skipping lunch and the nutrients and hydration it provides sets the stage for fatique, poor judgements and ,ultimately, injuries and accidents.

There is a happy median somewhere although I don't think you will find it on the WOR.

 

[isdrone]

Trick,
I agree about the production standards - they are stiff, but if a management person wanted someone to do something that was unsafe - that supervisor/manager should be fired no questions asked.

I knew a mechanic who lost half of his finger because he tried a shortcut. Needless to say he followed methods from there on out.

 

[crappie]

Isdrone you do not get it.They want to to work at a pace that is unsafe ,cutting corners running ,driving to fast etc...management knows that some drivers are working unsafe and say nothing.Once you have a accident they write you up fire you.strange game they play.

 

[gman]

Be very, very careful about not reporting injuries. If you think you are doing someone a favor, you are dead wrong. Failure to report an injury suddenly becomes falsifying an injury report. While you local manager will probably believe you when you tell him you got hurt two days ago and didn't want to hurt the centers no injury streak, he has no input when the claim goes to loss prevention and they want to know why you didn't get immediate attention. They will deny your claim and you will have to get a lawyer. You will end up losing 1/3 of of the dollars you have coming to you if you end up on comp,you will have to go to at least three comp hearings meaning you lose three more days work, because even if you win, they appeal every time they lose. You will have to have additional doctor visits and probably more appointments with an attorney which mean several more lost days work, none of which gets reimburst. So figure you hurt your back and it's three weeks until you return to work. Comp is about $600 a week times three so $1800. Minus 600 for the lawyer leaving $1200, minus say... only 5 days lost work time $250 (about a nine hour day) which comes out to $1250. Do the math. Not fileing an accident report will cost you (1250 minus 1200) $50. Oh and by the way, you also lost three weeks pay. Now you are at close to $2500. Still think those pizzas they give you for three months without an injury are worth it???

By the way, this is what they did to me. TWICE!