Anonymous 10
Guest
You said it.
Seat Belt Pledge
- Thread starter UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
- Start date
You said it.
Can we say non essential positions..................
Bristol Brown
Well-Known Member
menotyou
bella amicizia
By an unmarked rented car being driven by a suit who has never left his desk before, maybe?
pretzel_man
Well-Known Member
Sometimes this board just amazes me. This is one of those times....
This is supported by NIOSH, Fire Chiefs, Fire Unions, etc.
Someone at UPS with what I believe to be sincere intentions tries to adopt the concept. It seems other companies have done the same. Even for Firefighters, its just a symbolic jesture.
People here however have figured out how to turn this into a management vs. hourly issue.
There really is not much more to add. All the facts are out......
This is supported by NIOSH, Fire Chiefs, Fire Unions, etc.
Someone at UPS with what I believe to be sincere intentions tries to adopt the concept. It seems other companies have done the same. Even for Firefighters, its just a symbolic jesture.
People here however have figured out how to turn this into a management vs. hourly issue.
There really is not much more to add. All the facts are out......
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
It was not my intent when I started this thread to turn it into a mgt/hourly issue. My intent was to express my opinion that I thought the pledge was redundant as we are already required by UPS and, for most of us, by state law, to wear our seat belts whenever the wheels are rolling. I was also curious as to whether any other centers had asked their drivers to sign the pledge and, if so, what was the reaction in those centers.
The issue here is not whether we should be wearing our seat belts---there is no question that we should--the issue here is being asked to sign a pledge to do what we already do on a daily basis.
BTW, I have not heard anything on this issue from my mgt team since my refusal to sign the pledge.
The issue here is not whether we should be wearing our seat belts---there is no question that we should--the issue here is being asked to sign a pledge to do what we already do on a daily basis.
BTW, I have not heard anything on this issue from my mgt team since my refusal to sign the pledge.
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
I would rather see a sermon than hear one.
UPS made a business decision that the lives of its employees were not worth the $40 it would have cost to equip its pre-1995 vehicles with 3 pt seatbelts, and to this day it refuses to update these vehicles. That decision tells me everything I need to know about UPS's priorities as far as safety is concerned; crap like pledges and commentaries and acronyms is nothing but a bunch of warm and fuzzy feelgood nonsense that makes absolutely no difference out there in the real world where the work is getting done.
I for one have never been a fan of "symbolic" gestures. Symbolic gestures in my opinion are inherently dishonest because they allow you to pat yourself on the back and feel like you are doing something about a problem when in reality you are not. They are actually a form of denial. If you are not going to take concrete action towards solving a problem then at least be honest enough to admit that fact instead of pretending otherwise.
tourists24
Well-Known Member
This has become the regular job around here. We have been getting these on area observations at least 3 days a week for months and months now. The drivers have developed their own little phone network now. At the first sign of the rental vehicle of the week we call one another until everyone knows what and when to look for. It makes for a fun little game to go along with the job we are paid to do. The accidents have not stopped but the expense accounts have grown
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
And still left unanswered is the question of why UPS would spend $700 on Telematics hardware with seatbelt sensors that do nothing but generate a report if the vehicle moves without the belt being buckled. If 100% seatbelt compliance is the goal---which it should be---why not just wire that sensor into the starter relay so that the vehicle cant be started until the belt is buckled?
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
Ding ding ding.....we have a winner!
The first priority for any management person is to perpetuate his own job. The trick there is to solve enough problems to make himself look good on paper while at the same time perpetuating or manufacturing enough problems to make himself look indespensable.
If you can generate a sufficient volume of reports and manipulate a sufficent number of desireable metrics, it frees you from the pressure of having to actually accomplish anything.
pretzel_man
Well-Known Member
I am not a fan of symbolic gestures either.
I honestly don't care if anyone signs it or not.
I think that turning everything into a fight is also inherently dishonest.
Check the link and see what firefighters have to say.
pretzel_man
Well-Known Member
Bubblehead
My Senior Picture
I must have missed that answer, so please humor me, why not wire the seatbelt sensor to the ignition system?
There are many, many similar examples of UPS chasing it's tail.
It often seems to me that UPS is more interested in treating symptoms rather than fixing problems.
Anonymous 10
Guest
You know the answer Bubblehead its to build a case for your termination. If they wired it to the ignition that would be a sign they really care about you and you really know how they feel.
tourists24
Well-Known Member
The same reason they insist on us honking the horn while backing instead of having a beeper built in every time we hit reverse
pretzel_man
Well-Known Member
Okay... I don't know why, but I'll bite....
Wiring the Seat Belt to the ignition is one way to ensure you don't drive without your seat belt. I don't know the cost of that method vs. the $600 per vehicle for Telematics. However, that would only help with that one issue.
Telematics also gathers much other information. Backing, bulkhead door. Speed, Braking, etc.
While Telematics has a goal of improving safety, that is NOT the only goal.
It gathers information can can be used to find improper travel, improper dispatch, automotive issues, etc.
It does much more than just seat belts. It has won many awards and UPS has a patent on this technology :
http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/7571036.html
Chasing a tail? Not in this case. I have seen the results. In case Fraucus jumps in, I did triple check the automotive information with the top dog. Lets not debate that again.
Telematics centers have a much improved safety record (greater than 99.9% seat belt usage, much reduced backing, etc.)
Driver performance in those sites are also much improved compared to other sites. Lets face it, not all drivers are perfect nor perfectly honest. This quickly finds them.
In contrast, has it been improperly used by some? Yes. I have seen that. I don't condone having a discussion over 30 seconds.
On the other hand, I have seen discussions be very positive.
UPS will continue the Telematics rollout. It will spend the money becasue it saves money.
Okay. There is the information again. Do what you will with it.
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
I honestly do not remember you ever answering that question. Could you refresh my memory?
pretzel_man
Well-Known Member
See previous post.
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
With all due respect, you really didnt anwer the question.
Its not an either/or deal as far as Telematics vs. an ignition cutout wired into the seatbelt.
The same sensor that triggers the seatbelt report could also disable the ignition without affecting the other functions of Telematics that you speak of. If you are going to make the financial investment in Telematics anyway, why not guarantee 100% seatbelt compliance at the same time?
