OSHA Strikes Again!

[dammor]

When I began my journey at UPS in 1980 the weight limit was 50 pounds. We are all very aware of the limit now. What has changed besides that? Nothing...not the equipment, not the safety lingo. Lift with your legs, keep your back straight, don't twist. Good news is if you have an over 70 you can call for help. What a crock. Say you have what feels like a fridge to deliver to a 80 year old woman 90 miles from the center. What do you do? Hell, you know there is no help and you get it done. If you get hurt then you are an idiot and did something wrong.
Ever notice that the really heavy packages are rounded on the edges? That's because we had to roll them all the way from Utah. OSHA may not be perfect, but we sure need someone looking.

 

[ups_vette]

dammor:
EXACTLY how many "fridges" have you PERSONALLY had to deliver to 80 year old women 90 miles from the Center?

My guess would be NONE. It's easy to give extream examples.
You should have added it was to be delivered to the 5th floor without an elevator. That would have made your example a lot more believable.

There is a reason the contract contains the article on getting help with packages over 70 lbs.
It's there to protect you, the Company, and the Union. Noone, absolutely noone, has the right to ignore this article, including you or your supervisor. You, for your personal safety, and the supervisor, for the safety of you.

In ALL cases the supervisor has the responsibility to get help to you when needed. If not, he is responsible for the service failure.

 

[local804]

In ALL cases the supervisor has the responsibility to get help to you when needed. If not, he is responsible for the service failure.


Now theres a man speaking some sense here.Very good post.

 

[dammor]

Vette,
Notice my post said "feels like a fridge." It is not an extreme example in these parts. Just today I had a call tag that listed the weight as 17 pounds. It said it was a jack. I get to the place which is 60 miles from the center and the women in the office say it is out in the shop. I go to get it and find it is surely not 17 pounds. Yes I picked it up, but had them weigh it when I got back to the center and it was 114.5 pounds. Do you think had I called the center help would have been on the way? If so, then next time this happens I will give them a call and wait till nightfall before I head back in without the jack or delivering anything else on my truck. I see you retired 8 years ago. Perhaps you are not as in touch with the way things are as you used to be.

 

[ups_vette]

dammor:
Did you load the jack by yourself, or did you receve help from the shipper? If you loaded by yourself, that was very foolish and dangerous. If the shipper helped you, then it wasn't necessary for another driver to be sent to help you.

Did you make the shipper aware of the inaccurate weight when picking up?

Although I've been retired 8 years, and not in the operations on a daily basis, I maintaine contact with many UPSers, including drivers, full time hub employees, part timers, and management from all parts of the country and Europe. So, I still hear all the complaints, rumors, and gossip from management and hourly, which hasn't changed in the 8 years I've been retired.

local:
Thank you for the kind words

 

[therodog]

This is great , only if Sainteam0 was here..HAHAHAH

 

[dammor]

Vette,

It was a call tag, so the people I picked it up from really had nothing to do with the problem.
Call tags are issued from the shipper. And yes I did bring it to the attention of the women in the office where I picked it up. I got a blank stare. It's really not thier job. Yes I loaded it, and yes it was stupid. I did make the center aware of the inaccurate wieght on the call tag when I returned and I was told they could only be charged $5.00 for the difference,and that makes no sense to me. I also had them weigh a nda package that had a computer generated label and the weight said 10 pounds. It was huge and it was a bit over 70. As a stock holder I am offended when I feel shippers are trying to rip us off. Not only that, it is unsafe to try to load a package that has the wrong weight on it.
I weigh about 125 and sometimes find the packages are heavier than I am. Sorry if I offended you. I congratulate you on your retirement. I hope to be there myself. Almost 24 years and counting. Have a good day.

 

[ups_vette]

dammor:
Thank you for answering my questions.

It wasn't stupid to load the package by yourself, foolish and dangerous yes, but not stupid. We all do foolish things at some point in our life believing we are doing the right thing. I glad you weren't injured loading the package.

Your consern for service and accuracy is aplaudable.

I was not offended by your remark of my lack of understanding of present day situations at UPS. I mearly pointed out while I've been away from the daily operations for a while, I was still aware of what's happening. I know of several retirees and former employees who have no intrest in UPS. I, as a stock holder and someone who spent half his life with UPS, have a vested intrested.

I hope the day comes that you enjoy your retirement as much as I enjoy mine.

 

[dammor]

Thanks Vette. I can tell you were a good supervisor by your ability to deal with people fairly. I belive I will be a retired person who is still UPS minded also. It's in the blood.

 

[johnny_b]

I have trouble sometimes getting my supervisors to help me with getting packages with incorrect weights fixed. My main part-time supervisor now realizes it is a lost cause to fight me on it and he does, but it was hard at first.

I very much would love a PCM about how much money is involved. I think it would wake some people up. What is the cost for a package audited to be 10 pounds heavier for each zone? 20? 30? 40? 50?

I personally had one adjusted today for 49 pounds. I think it was the same zone though. It turned into an overweight. I am sure I paid my wages for today and tomorrow by doing it.

If you are a driver, and you knowingly pick up a package like that and don't get it fixed when you get to the center, I would really like to find you and stick it in your rear. I hate you, and your mom for not teaching you correctly. I have good reason, as that package is really hard to get off my sort aisle and get it fixed.

Whenever I see drivers and I have time, I tell them about how difficult it is and that they really need to pay attention.

Another major problem is that many times these are moose pickups or feeder pickups.

I had a talk with the guy in charge of the auditors. We both complained highly about ARS packages - there is NO weight on almost all to check! I told him that we should audit every single one. He said that there is a problem in that we would end up giving money back on many as the shipper actually paid for a higher poundage. I say that is fine, because I have seen the ARS thing abused. I'm sorry, but a 145 lb ARS of DVDs? That made it onto the primary sort? I don't think so. It was probably 10 shipments that was turned into 1 used ARS. Do they pay for every ARS or just the ones used? Plus, it would be a great relations thing. When a customer complains, we could always point to the other shipper that was given money back and say that we are fair and righteous. Sorry about the tirade. If somebody can provide the information requested I would be appreciative.