TERMINATED: Walking across a stopped belt!!
- Thread starter smallsorter
- Start date
You answered your own question...The training is walking on an unsecured belt. You can walk on it as long as the belt is secured weather it is moving or not.
The training must not be same everywhere. This has never been mentioned in training, PCMs, Online assessments, or otherwise at my center. They have mentioned many times to not walk on a moving belt, but never any mention of walking on an unsecured belt.
SnowCitizen
Well-Known Member
Where I am at, this training is part of the annual hazardous training. We watch the hazardous materials video, and then right after that we watch a short video (maybe ten minutes) that just deals with belt securement. The video is very clear that if you are going on the belt, it must be secured.
I agree with everyone else, it is unfortunate you were terminated for this on the first offense, especially with your good record. Good luck getting your job back (I am positive you will) and thanks for sharing your story.
I agree with everyone else, it is unfortunate you were terminated for this on the first offense, especially with your good record. Good luck getting your job back (I am positive you will) and thanks for sharing your story.
thelus
Package Car Whipping Boy
if the belt was stopped i don't see why you wouldn't get your job back. UPS does this stuff only because they national agreement doesn't have the sitting arbitrator on the grievance panel for discipline cases. i guarantee if you guys had a sitting arbitrator you wouldn't have gotten fired at all
deepsouthmamaw
Well-Known Member
I have always wondered if management has a certain quota of fires to fill.
deepsouthmamaw
Well-Known Member
B M W Break a jam Move a diverta Walk on belt all after secured
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
Good points, but do you think termination is an appropriate discipline for walking across a stopped belt?
brownrodster
Well-Known Member
When I was part time we had one particular supervisor who would jump across the moving belt all the time (small building with a 4' belt down the middle). Another supervisor would taunt part timers to get on the moving belt. "you wanna be fired? Jump over that moving belt. Come on." Scum.
helenofcalifornia
Well-Known Member
BMW stands for "big Mexican women" where I am at.
Since it was NOT in the contract as a "cardinal" sin, I think you will get your job back. Who is representing you? What is his/her history w/past hearings? Are you writing everything down? I can't see how a supervisor can arbitrarily decide that crossing a non-moving belt is now a "cardinal" sin. There is no doubt that you shouldn't have and never will again. I would hammer that, your lack of specific training, past good work history, etc.
I would also be looking to see if anyone else crosses a belt too and see what happens with them. Good luck. Report back.
Since it was NOT in the contract as a "cardinal" sin, I think you will get your job back. Who is representing you? What is his/her history w/past hearings? Are you writing everything down? I can't see how a supervisor can arbitrarily decide that crossing a non-moving belt is now a "cardinal" sin. There is no doubt that you shouldn't have and never will again. I would hammer that, your lack of specific training, past good work history, etc.
I would also be looking to see if anyone else crosses a belt too and see what happens with them. Good luck. Report back.
hurricanegunner
UPSPoop
Interesting thought. I've wondered that myself a few times.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
My experience has been that they have enough volunteers so a quota is not needed.
1989
Well-Known Member
That's the way it used to be. In 1992 I lost a friend who fell off a moving belt and passed away. If WISHA saw an employee walking on an unsecured belt I believe it is a $10,000 fine and the employee would be fired. At least until the union got their job back.
thelus
Package Car Whipping Boy
MonavieLeaker
Bringin Teh_Lulz
Walking over a stopped belt to wash your hands?
Same situation. A guy on an elevated moving belt realized his foot just touched the diverter and he was about to be sucked under. The scream is loud, instantaneous, and unmistakable. You wouldn't think a male could hit that high note.
But since I was Picking-Off nearby, I had the belt controls at my waist and instantly hit STOP. The fellow was fine. Scared to death, but not hurt. Everyone was looking at him, expecting to see mangled body parts. He was very embarressed. About the unmanly scream I mean.
This was back in the day when walking (and running !!!) on moving belts was an accepted part of the job.
Remember the days when there were no railings on the elevated belts? Our railings were installed after a guy fell to the cement below and luckily "only" broke both his wrists. He works in CHEMA feeders now.
SmallSorter, your BA should make the following points, if appropriate:
Walking across a stopped belt is NOT a Cardinal Sin. (It's not even a venial sin.) If you are fired and out of work, this is a violation of Article 7 and you are due your job and back pay.
UPS policy is "Don't walk on moving belts." Your belt wasn't moving.
UPS policy is that you can walk on a "secured" (or "locked-out") belt. Belts are secured from time to time during a shift; and always at the end of the shift, to allow a final check for packages. You were crossing the belt at the end of the shift and could assume it was secured.
UPS policy is no belt can start without the hard-wired warning buzzer sounding. If you heard no warning buzzer, then the belt wasn't about to start.
If you knew the location of the Start button, and knew it was secured, and no one was near it, then you knew the belt couldn't start.
If you knew where the start button was located, but didn't know if it was secured or not, but saw no one was near it, then you knew the belt could not start.
If there was no diverter or packages near you on the belt, then you knew you could not be tripped by a diverter or package.
UPS policy is that it is permissible to walk on moving belts if they are two or three feet or less off the floor. These belts (called "gathering belts," I think) are what package cars are unloaded onto. Unloaders walk on them all the time while the belts are moving and while packages are on them. If your belt is such a low belt, you can walk on it, especially if it's stopped. If your belt is slightly higher, walking on it while moving is against UPS policy but can't be that big an offence, because a waist-high belt that is stopped is only a foot or two higher than the belts you can walk on even while moving!
UPS Policy is that when a belt is to be started, the starter must visually scan the belt to see if anyone is on the belt. If they are, he must call out to them and wait until they are off the belt before starting the belt. You knew this and were listening for such a warning call and heard none.
If you crossed the belt perpindicular to its length, you were on the belt for only two seconds. No one could start the belt in such short a time.
If you walked down the belt a ways, then you were on the belt longer but still not a mortal sin.
Despite Company policy to the contrary, workers and Supervisors nationwide routinely walk on stopped and moving belts, and sometimes run on them!!! That is, when they're not walking in the yard without their reflective safety vest. Or speeding around the building in their personal car.
Walking across a stopped belt is NOT a Cardinal Sin. (It's not even a venial sin.) If you are fired and out of work, this is a violation of Article 7 and you are due your job and back pay.
UPS policy is "Don't walk on moving belts." Your belt wasn't moving.
UPS policy is that you can walk on a "secured" (or "locked-out") belt. Belts are secured from time to time during a shift; and always at the end of the shift, to allow a final check for packages. You were crossing the belt at the end of the shift and could assume it was secured.
UPS policy is no belt can start without the hard-wired warning buzzer sounding. If you heard no warning buzzer, then the belt wasn't about to start.
If you knew the location of the Start button, and knew it was secured, and no one was near it, then you knew the belt couldn't start.
If you knew where the start button was located, but didn't know if it was secured or not, but saw no one was near it, then you knew the belt could not start.
If there was no diverter or packages near you on the belt, then you knew you could not be tripped by a diverter or package.
UPS policy is that it is permissible to walk on moving belts if they are two or three feet or less off the floor. These belts (called "gathering belts," I think) are what package cars are unloaded onto. Unloaders walk on them all the time while the belts are moving and while packages are on them. If your belt is such a low belt, you can walk on it, especially if it's stopped. If your belt is slightly higher, walking on it while moving is against UPS policy but can't be that big an offence, because a waist-high belt that is stopped is only a foot or two higher than the belts you can walk on even while moving!
UPS Policy is that when a belt is to be started, the starter must visually scan the belt to see if anyone is on the belt. If they are, he must call out to them and wait until they are off the belt before starting the belt. You knew this and were listening for such a warning call and heard none.
If you crossed the belt perpindicular to its length, you were on the belt for only two seconds. No one could start the belt in such short a time.
If you walked down the belt a ways, then you were on the belt longer but still not a mortal sin.
Despite Company policy to the contrary, workers and Supervisors nationwide routinely walk on stopped and moving belts, and sometimes run on them!!! That is, when they're not walking in the yard without their reflective safety vest. Or speeding around the building in their personal car.
brownrodster
Well-Known Member
When I was PT they told us that only the person who stopped the belt could turn it back on. So whenever a belt shut off all the sups would start yelling to get that belt back on I would refuse to start it when they yelled at me to start it. I'd just say "I didn't turn it off I can't start it" and it would piss them off. They would go start it themselves despite not being the one to turn it off. Hypocrites.
