health and safety

[guspoppy]

I am just hoping I am in the right otherwise im in trouble.

Today I refused to take in a delivery , which consisted of pallets , roll cages , crates etc all which are heavy. The pallets are heavy and I have really struggled in the past to move them. The porters of the store who takes in the delivery refused to take it in saying they were instore today to remerchandise not to take in delivery. I claimed it was health and safety as they are too heavy for me to move and they are also stacked really high..being a 5 ft female everything seems high to me..lol. They said they would do it but they be having words with my manager about me refusing to do it tomorrow. Im not a strong female and know its too heavy for me to push / pull pallets. One of the men actually struggled with a pallet of catalogues so what chance have I got if he was struggling?
Surely there is health and safety rule stating not to lift / do work which is too heavy for you to manage?

[Celestine]

Re: health and safety

Have you received training in manual handling?

Are you on a permanent contract? Are you in a Union?

[bluebottle]

Re: health and safety

Yes. You are correct about the rules regarding lifting and carrying. This falls under Manual Handling Regulations, which falls under the umbrella of Health & Safety Law. Your employer should have provided you with training in this. From what you have posted, it sounds like you work for a retailer. If this is, indeed, the case, the health and safety inspectors at your local authority's environmental health department are the best people to speak to regarding what sounds to me to be an unsatisfactory state of affairs. If you are a member of a trade union, speak to them.

[Celestine]

Re: health and safety

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/manualhandling.htm

[guspoppy]

Re: health and safety

I have been given manual handelling training and this is why I suspected they cant make me do it. I am not in the union and on a permanent contract.
Thanks for the link , I will look into it..x

[bluebottle]

Re: health and safety

You need to speak to health and safety inspectors and ACAS.

It is a requirement of Section 7, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 that you take all possible steps to ensure your own health and safety as well as those who may be affected by your actions and/or omissions and to assist your employer as far as is possible in complying with their statutory duties and obligations under Sections 2 and 3 of the Act.

If you go to www.legislation.gov.uk, you can download a copy of the Act.