Safety Compliance.

[stevetheupsguy]

I tweaked my achiles tendon sometime Thursday, but worked through the pain and got the route done. I informed the night clerk of what had happened, just to CMA. I also wrote up my broken horn as a safety issue, as it broke at my first stop. When I get to work on Friday morning, I ask for the day, as I needed to rest my ankle, but didn't want to use one of my days. They said, there are no days available, to which I wince, but figure I'll be okay as long as I take it easy.

I walk into my car at my start time and notice something different about the way it looks. I step back to the drop down step near the rear door and re-tweak my ankle. It's at this point that I notice that a different car is in my spot. The Mechanic redtagged my car when he noticed I need a water pump. I thought water pumps got changed when they went out, but that's another thread. Anyways, the part-time preload supe had a p'timer put a different car in my spot.

After this all occurred, I went to and informed my supe that I couldn't work today, due to the tweaking of my ankle, which I had just re-tweaked. Long story short, I was told that the On-Road supe would jump for me. I said fine no problem. There's only one more problem then. The part-time supe gave me an 800 without a trailer hitch. My trailer was loaded to the hilt with Home Depot, Lowes, BJ's and Barnes N Noble. The supes panicked at first, but ended up sending me out with my car and the air and loading the trailer stuff into another car. Problem solved, right?

The supe met me at around 11am. Aside from wasting time talking and generally being slow, things went okay, till we hit the resi's. His idea of a brisk pace, was not my idea of a casual stroll, he was actually huffing and puffing when he got back to the car. Safety/methods fell by the wayside in order to get done faster. It seemed funny to me, that this supe, the "safety" supe, dropped it all in the name of getting done, so he could relieve the other supe left in the building.

This got me thinking about two things. Number 1, I guess UPS just wants me to talk safe and not really be safe. Number 2, I could have done the job, by the methods, safely, and been done at the same time or maybe, maybe, slightly later. This now makes my job as safety co-chair harder than ever. How can I talk safety to guys who see unsafe behavior by their own supervisors? I can't and won't be a safety co-chair with my hands tied behind my back. Here's an example of unsafe behavior. DON'T DO THIS, even if you think it will save you time.

Cutting across the grass is a no-no, period.
Not wearing a seatbelt, in a moving pkg car, while wearing a safe by choice bracelet, is hypocritical.

Let's be real. You want us to be safe? Live what you preach and set an example for the rest of us. If it's a farce, let us know. This way we can all play along as well. Don't tell us to be safe, then load us up and give us time constraints, which invariably will cause "some" of us to be unsafe and others, to fail and meet your expectations.

I apologize, the pictures I intended to post are too revealing and I'm having a problem, ethically, showing them in this forum, as they will reveal the supes identity, and I don't think Cheryl would appreciate that, jmho. I will, however, post them on my blog, this Sunday.

 

[LastBest&Final]

I was on the safety committee a long time ago and found out that it not about working safe at UPS. It's more about saying we are working safe and I'm sure that hasn't changed. I'm quite the safety committee, because I couldn't afford the liability.

 

[pretzel_man]

This got me thinking about two things. Number 1, I guess UPS just wants me to talk safe and not really be safe. Number 2, I could have done the job, by the methods, safely, and been done at the same time or maybe, maybe, slightly later. This now makes my job as safety co-chair harder than ever. How can I talk safety to guys who see unsafe behavior by their own supervisors? I can't and won't be a safety co-chair with my hands tied behind my back. Here's an example of unsafe behavior. DON'T DO THIS, even if you think it will save you time.

Cutting across the grass is a no-no, period.
Not wearing a seatbelt, in a moving pkg car, while wearing a safe by choice bracelet, is hypocritical.

Let's be real. You want us to be safe? Live what you preach and set an example for the rest of us. If it's a farce, let us know. This way we can all play along as well. Don't tell us to be safe, then load us up and give us time constraints, which invariably will cause "some" of us to be unsafe and others, to fail and meet your expectations.

Steve,

I know that you are going to get a lot of comments confirming your statement regarding UPS' position on safety. Here is another thought to consider.

I was in a center this week and did something that was not per the safety rules. I was deep in conversation with another manager and just wasn't thinking.

A driver saw this and told his manager. The manager came and told me. I was embarrassed but appreciated them calling attention to the situation.

My point is that the driver may have thought the same as you said. "UPS just wants me to talk safe and not really be safe". It was probably easier for this driver to call me out because I was not in his local management chain.

However, maybe you should do to the sup what the driver did to me. Point out that he is not working safely. As you said, it would not really take longer to do the job right.

I appreciated it. Maybe he would as well. The worst case is that he knows that you know. Nothing wrong with you being smarter than him.

P-Man

 

[LastBest&Final]

Steve,

I know that you are going to get a lot of comments confirming your statement regarding UPS' position on safety. Here is another thought to consider.

I was in a center this week and did something that was not per the safety rules. I was deep in conversation with another manager and just wasn't thinking.

A driver saw this and told his manager. The manager came and told me. I was embarrassed but appreciated them calling attention to the situation.

My point is that the driver may have thought the same as you said. "UPS just wants me to talk safe and not really be safe". It was probably easier for this driver to call me out because I was not in his local management chain.

However, maybe you should do to the sup what the driver did to me. Point out that he is not working safely. As you said, it would not really take longer to do the job right.

I appreciated it. Maybe he would as well. The worst case is that he knows that you know. Nothing wrong with you being smarter than him.

P-Man

I totally agree, and anyone can make a mistake. Don't get in their face, but point it out to them one on one. Give them the chance to correct it, and if they don't at lease you tried.

I had a over 250 lb refrigerator, that I refused to load in my car to deliver. I center manager told me to load it and deliver it with out any help or I would be terminated for insubordination. We got into a big argument and I left it there. At the end of the day I went and talk to the center manager. I told him that if I got hurt doing something that stupid, he would be the one terminated and I would be the one Workman's Comp. He finally sent another driver with me to help. I found out it not just what you say, but it's more on how you say it.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Steve,

I know that you are going to get a lot of comments confirming your statement regarding UPS' position on safety. Here is another thought to consider.

I was in a center this week and did something that was not per the safety rules. I was deep in conversation with another manager and just wasn't thinking.

A driver saw this and told his manager. The manager came and told me. I was embarrassed but appreciated them calling attention to the situation.

My point is that the driver may have thought the same as you said. "UPS just wants me to talk safe and not really be safe". It was probably easier for this driver to call me out because I was not in his local management chain.

However, maybe you should do to the sup what the driver did to me. Point out that he is not working safely. As you said, it would not really take longer to do the job right.

I appreciated it. Maybe he would as well. The worst case is that he knows that you know. Nothing wrong with you being smarter than him.

P-Man

I totally agree, and anyone can make a mistake. Don't get in their face, but point it out to them one on one. Give them the chance to correct it, and if they don't at lease you tried.

I had a over 250 lb refrigerator, that I refused to load in my car to deliver. I center manager told me to load it and deliver it with out any help or I would be terminated for insubordination. We got into a big argument and I left it there. At the end of the day I went and talk to the center manager. I told him that if I got hurt doing something that stupid, he would be the one terminated and I would be the one Workman's Comp. He finally sent another driver with me to help. I found out it not just what you say, but it's more on how you say it.

Thanks, and I will do this. I'm glad I posted this, as I was in a quandry about what to do.

 

[soberups]

...Let's be real. You want us to be safe? Live what you preach and set an example for the rest of us. If it's a farce, let us know. This way we can all play along as well. Don't tell us to be safe, then load us up and give us time constraints, which invariably will cause "some" of us to be unsafe and others, to fail and meet your expectations....

Steve,

The dillemna you face as a Safety Committee co-chair is a common one. I have seen it before. You joined the Committee with the best of intentions, and with a sincere desire to make a difference.

Unfortunately, UPS's goals for the Safety Committee is the exact opposite.

The Safety Committee was formed as a response to an OSHA mandate. Its only purpose, in UPS's eyes, is to help the company pass a Keter audit.

It is the policy of UPS that its "Safety Committees" will not discuss or make any changes to equipment, facilities, policies or procedures in the workplace. The role of the "Safety Committees" is strictly limited to grading papers, reciting acronyms and catch phrases, and assisting the company in teaching the employees to pass audits. Under no circumstances will the "safety committee" EVER be allowed to step outside of these carefully controlled boundaries.

Safety involves more than the ability to correctly recite a 10-point commentary. Safety involves a fair dispatch, a fair time allowance for your route, a properly designed facility, and a vehicle that is ergonomically suitable for the job. These factors are every bit as relevant to safety as the 10-point commentary, yet they are "off limits" to discussion or change by the Safety Committee.

Steve, you joined the Safety Committee of a company that made a business decision that your life is not worth the $40 it would have cost to equip your P-800 with a 3-point seat belt. A company that made a business decision that your health was not worth the expense of equipping your P-800 with power steering. If you haven't figured it out by now then you will soon; by participating on the Safety Committee, you validate it and make it appear authentic. Whether you realize it or not, you become part of the problem by allowing the company to pretend thbat it actually cares about our safety when its actions prove just the opposite.

 

[local804]

Steve,

The Safety Committee was formed as a response to an OSHA mandate. Its only purpose, in UPS's eyes, is to help the company pass a Keter audit.

.

Give this man a cigar!
At one time in our building, all the safety committee members(union side) quit over reasons I will not post here. They were forced to restart because of the bargaining agreement language. Not only is it a mandate, they have it added into our contract.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I just posted evidence that Safety Compliance may be all talk and no action. The link to my blog is in my signature. Go see for yourself what "safe work methods" turn into, when one is in a hurry to get done.

 

[backinbrown]

I allready checked it out

nice job steve

nice pics of safety sup bieng safe. lol

you didnt mention older daughter?

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I allready checked it out

nice job steve

nice pics of safety sup bieng safe. lol

you didnt mention older daughter?

Not ready to touch that point in my blog yet. My younger girls read my blog and my posts on here. Can you imagine the questions I'd get from them. Daddy, why does it say? LOL

 

[backinbrown]

yea ok ill say no more

the pics of family in ocean are nice but i find myself cursing you, for all i have is ice and snow, the ocean is way to cold for us up here. you are so lucky

 

[soberups]

I just posted evidence that Safety Compliance may be all talk and no action. The link to my blog is in my signature. Go see for yourself what "safe work methods" turn into, when one is in a hurry to get done.

I read your blog and saw the pictures. I'm sorry to hear that you have a pinched nerve in your upper back. I have had upper back/neck problems myself. They got a lot better when I finally got a vehicle with power steering. The job is challenging enough without having to spend 10+ hours a day fighting equipment that was intentionally designed to beat the crap out of us.

You will not be the first person to become disillusioned with the Safety Committee. Those who choose to remain on it for any length of time are usually people who already have their letter in for management, or who have found a way to get preferential treatment in exchange for not making any waves. We have guys like that on our commmittee...they have lighter dispatches, better vehicles and earlier start times in order to grade papers or hand out doughnuts. The bottom line is that UPS has co-opted the Safety Committee, neutered it, and turned it into a Keter Audit Training committee that doesnt speak out, cause any trouble or confront it on any meaningful safety issues.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

yea ok ill say no more

the pics of family in ocean are nice but i find myself cursing you, for all i have is ice and snow, the ocean is way to cold for us up here. you are so lucky

Yeah, but try working down here in the summer. Dark brown, in this heat?

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I read your blog and saw the pictures. I'm sorry to hear that you have a pinched nerve in your upper back. I have had upper back/neck problems myself. They got a lot better when I finally got a vehicle with power steering. The job is challenging enough without having to spend 10+ hours a day fighting equipment that was intentionally designed to beat the crap out of us.

You will not be the first person to become disillusioned with the Safety Committee. Those who choose to remain on it for any length of time are usually people who already have their letter in for management, or who have found a way to get preferential treatment in exchange for not making any waves. We have guys like that on our commmittee...they have lighter dispatches, better vehicles and earlier start times in order to grade papers or hand out doughnuts. The bottom line is that UPS had co-opted the Safety Committee, neutered it, and turned it into a Keter Audit Training committee that doesnt cause any trouble or confront it on any meaningful safety issues.

The trouble with this, I ain't one of those guys. I think the water is about to get turbulent, here in south Florida.

 

[backinbrown]

I am disillusioned i guess for i have been invited to join safety committee when i finally go back to work.

I thought we were more than a keeter audit prep machine,

are you saying they tell us what to do we cant implement any safety policies or anything. PAIDOVERINMAINE don't you guys do more than inform us in PCM's

am i having a false image of what i get to do on safety committee?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Steve, also just read your blog. The pic of the sup not wearing the seat belt with the door open and his attention clearly focused on what he is writing is a recipe for disaster. However, I do have to disagree with you on the "Walking on the grass is a no-no" theory. Unless it is specifically posted on the property I always take the most direct path between point A (pkg car) and point B (delivery point), whether it be the sidewalk or not. Of course, during the winter the options are normally limited to the sidewalk, but, the rest of the year the grass is fair game. Your point regarding potential for injury is valid but scanning your path ahead should take care of that. And, yes, I do make sure to stay out of the flowers.

I am glad that you chose to show the pic of your sup without showing his face. Classy move on your part.

 

[upsgrunt]

I agree with walking on the grass- take the shortest route. I also believe it is easier on your knees and ankles to walk on the softer grass than the hard asphalt or concrete surface. It may be all in my head, but it works for me.
JMHO.
Steve

 

[soberups]

The trouble with this, I ain't one of those guys. I think the water is about to get turbulent, here in south Florida.

I am rooting for you. Let us know how it goes.

 

[soberups]

I am disillusioned i guess for i have been invited to join safety committee when i finally go back to work.

I thought we were more than a keeter audit prep machine,

are you saying they tell us what to do we cant implement any safety policies or anything. PAIDOVERINMAINE don't you guys do more than inform us in PCM's

am i having a false image of what i get to do on safety committee?

Join the committee and start bringing up issues like unfair time allowances, over dispatching, excessive overtime, worthless 2- point seatbelts and lack of power steering in the older vehicles.

Let us know how much progress you make on resolving those issues.

My hunch is that your concerns will get ignored, and you will instead be given a stack of 10 point commentaries to grade or some new acronyms to help your work group memorize. You might even get to go buy some doughnuts.

I hope I am wrong.

I dont think I will be.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Steve, also just read your blog. The pic of the sup not wearing the seat belt with the door open and his attention clearly focused on what he is writing is a recipe for disaster. However, I do have to disagree with you on the "Walking on the grass is a no-no" theory. Unless it is specifically posted on the property I always take the most direct path between point A (pkg car) and point B (delivery point), whether it be the sidewalk or not. Of course, during the winter the options are normally limited to the sidewalk, but, the rest of the year the grass is fair game. Your point regarding potential for injury is valid but scanning your path ahead should take care of that. And, yes, I do make sure to stay out of the flowers.

I am glad that you chose to show the pic of your sup without showing his face. Classy move on your part.

I agree with walking on the grass- take the shortest route. I also believe it is easier on your knees and ankles to walk on the softer grass than the hard asphalt or concrete surface. It may be all in my head, but it works for me.
JMHO.
Steve

According to "the methods", walking on the grass is not approved. On an OAO by the division safety manager, I was scolded for cutting across the grass on a delivery. This was absolutely the quickest way to the door, btw.