RMG Driver Safety WTLL Briefing W/C 13/12/21 – ‘Driver Distraction‘:

The Royal Mail Group Road Safety Manager‎ has informed the CWU/HQ Health, Safety and Environment Department that the RMG Safety Health and Environment Team will be issuing a national road safety briefing/huddle week commencing Monday 13 December about ‘driving distractions’ which will be supported by a slide on the RMTV screens throughout the business to support the road safety message to drivers.

RMG have apologised regarding the short notice due to other current pressing matters.

Driver Distraction Study Results‎:

A recent driver distraction survey found the most common distracting activities were reported as:

• Lack of concentration on driving 72%
• Adjusting/setting in-vehicle‎ equipment 68%
• Outside people, objects or events 58%
• Talking to passengers 40%

‎Report Conclusion:

20% or one fifth of RTCs are attributed to driver distraction!

Key Messages in Next Week’s RMG Briefing:

Think about what distracts you when driving.  How can you avoid that from happening?

A few tips to help you avoid some of the most common distractions:

• Put your phone away – there is no safe way to use a mobile phone whilst driving. Even hands-free use creates an auditory and cognitive distraction and studies show that the risks to safety are the same.  Royal Mail policy prohibits any use of mobile phones whilst driving, including hands-free.  Turn it off, or to silent, and put it out of sight.
• Mail in the cab – ever put mail on the dashboard? How does that affect visibility?  Tried reading an address whilst driving?  What if a pedestrian stepped out in that moment? Only put mail in the driver seat in a MB44 pouch.
• Turn the radio down – it’s ok to play music at a reasonable volume. But if it’s too loud, or if you use earphones then you will miss auditory clues about hazards – maybe the sound of children playing, a shouted warning, or a siren in the distance. Top Tip – when reversing, lower your window a little to improve your hearing.
• Sat Nav – knowing where you are going can help you to focus attention on your safe driving, just make sure you programme it before you set off.
• Top Tip – Commentary Drive – as you are driving try speaking out loud, saying what hazards you see and how you are reacting. This is a great technique to improve your observation and anticipation, and it requires your full concentration.  If you are struggling to keep up with everything going on, reduce your speed.

Fact Sheets and Further Advice

See attached Driver Distraction Fact Sheet from RoSPA.

Further advice, including how to ‘Stay sharp while you’re behind the wheel’ and a short video on ‘Driver Distractions – What to watch out for’ can be found on the AA website using this link:

https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/driver-distractions

ASR Action

Would ASRs support the briefing and ensure its delivered in all Units and cascade information.

Attachments:

• RMG SHE Huddle FY21 042 Driver Distraction
• Driver Distraction Fact Sheet from RoSPA

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

LTB 539/21 – RMG Driver Safety WTLL Briefing W C 13.12.21 – ‘Driver Distraction’

Att: SHE Huddle FY21 042 Full Focus (Distraction) final

Att: ROSPA driver-distraction-factsheet

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Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash (FY21 019) – Vehicle Parking:

Audience: 

All Royal Mail and Parcelforce Delivery, Collection and Distribution Drivers and managers who manage drivers and fleet vehicles.

Priority: 

Immediate.

Key Message and Overview:

In order to greatly increase visibility and in doing so reduce the risk of collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians, where possible ensure that all vehicles reverse park into parking spaces so vehicles are facing forward for the next manoeuvre when driving away. This applies to parking in operational yards and parking spaces whilst out on delivery. 

Description, Issue, Impact and Effect:

Driving into parking spaces greatly reduces drivers’ visibility when exiting the parking bays. As well as having to use mirrors to reverse, it also creates a blind spot directly behind the vehicle which increases the risk of a collision to either another vehicle or pedestrians. On the other hand, reverse parking into parking spaces reduces the risk of a collision with other vehicles, pedestrians or stationary objects.

Learning Points:

• Driving forward into parking bays results in the driver having to reverse the vehicle out into what may be a traffic busy yard.
• Reversing out of a parking bay reduces visibility for the driver which increases the risk of a collision.
• Drivers are advised to ensure, where possible, that all vehicles are reverse parked.
• As per RMG (SHE) Safety Flash (FY21 013), when reversing into a parking bay check the way is clear, exercise extra care and attention, if not sure get out and look around, reverse slowly, checking mirrors, keep listening, turn off the radio.

Conclusion – Key Management Activities – Unit PiC Action Required

• Promote the best practice of reverse parking wherever possible through WTLL/huddles, visuals in the unit and on-going coaching and safety conversations.
• As part of first-class safety conversations in the yard ensure correct parking methods are monitored and where vehicles are not correctly parked ensure coaching takes place to promote best practise.
• Communicate the ‘Safety Flash FY21 019 with drivers and display it on the Make Safety Personal notice board.

Attachment:

• Copy of RMG SHE Safety Flash FY21 019 including images.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

21LTB538 Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash (FY21 019) – Vehicle Parking

SHE Flash FY21 019 – Vehicle Parking

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Royal Mail Group (SHE) Safety Flash (FY21 018) – Delivery Customers Premises, Electric Car Battery Cables Trip Hazard:

Audience: 

All Royal Mail and Parcelforce Delivery and Collections Workers.

Priority: 

Immediate.

Overview: 

With the surge in ownership of electric vehicles, trailing cables are presenting an increasing risk to employees delivering and collecting to our customers’ homes and premises.

Key Messages:

Employees must use Dynamic Risk Assessment – Look – Consider – Decide when approaching properties. Electric vehicles increase the risk of trips from trailing cables.

Description, Issue, Impact and Effect:

Trailing electric car charging cables running from charging points to electric cars parked in the front of customers’ homes can present a growing number of trip hazards, leading to falls and injuries. With dark mornings and evenings and the increased frequency of charge point installations, a new charge point may appear with little or no notice. Stay vigilant, ‘Look-Consider-Decide.’

Learning Points:

• Delivery and Collection workforce members should always take the safest route to access the delivery/collection point and should not step over any trailing cables. Always avoid and walk around them. Staff should Follow the RM Delivery Safe System of Work (SSoW) at all times.
• Delivery ‘Blackspur RT340 torches’ are available to the workforce and can be ordered via the Uniform Employee App or at the following link:- https://detail.dimensions.co.uk/royalmail for delivery and collection employees operating in hours of darkness.

Conclusion – Key Management Activities – Unit PiC Action Required

• Managers to request Postmen/Postwomen OPGs to notify them of any addresses that have trailing cables across the access to a delivery or collection point in order to ensure this is reported on the WRAP system.
• Managers to use the USO SharePoint to write to customers if electric car charge point, trailing cables present a hazard.
• Unit PICs to ensure the SHE Flash is cascaded/briefed/shared with all delivery/collection workers and is clearly displayed in key locations.
• Managers to ensure staff have Delivery Torches.

Attachment:

• Copy of RMG SHE Safety Flash FY21 018 including images.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

21LTB536 RMG (SHE) Safety Flash (FY21 018) – Delivery Customers Premises, Electric Car Battery Cables Trip Hazard

SHE Flash FY21 018 Customers Premises Electric Charging Cables Trip Hazard

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CWU Young Workers Conference 2022 – Online Registration

As detailed in LTB 515/21 the CWU Young Workers Conference will be held on Thursday 27^th January 2022at the Birmingham Branch Offices, 47 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3TH.

The online registration system for registering delegates and observers to the above conference is now open. The link to access the webpage is as follows or can be copied into the search browser: https://conference.cwu.org

We will be using the online registration that was used previously for conferences. We ask that only Branch Secretaries register their delegates to the above conference. Since it has been a couple of years since we used this system we will send to all Branch Secretaries details on how to register their delegates along with the password for their branch. If you experience any problems please contact conferences@cwu.org

Attached is a list of branches with numbers of young workers in the branch.  The delegation entitlement to the conference as agreed by the NEC is as follows:Number of Young MembersDelegate

entitlement1-249      1250-499      2500 and above      3

Any enquiries regarding this LTB should be addressed to Angela Niven by email to conferences@cwu.org

Yours sincerely,

A P Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

21LTB535 – CWU Young Workers Conference 2022 – Online Registration

30 and under count – 29th Nov

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Driver Academy – LGV Driver Apprenticeship – Application Process

Further to LTB 491/21, issued on the 22nd November 2021 on the agreed Launch of the Driver Academy Approach to Driver Training and LTB 527/21, issued on the 6th December 2021 on the Application Process for the Driver Career Path element, Royal Mail have now shared application information for the LGV Driver Apprenticeship places.

While this scheme is not currently open to existing Royal Mail Group employees, CWU members may have friends or family who would be interested in applying for places on the scheme.

Produced below are a video link to a promotional film the business has created to advertise the Apprenticeship program:

Video Link Royal Mail LGV Film

The Introductory paragraph and link to the application process:

We’re excited to launch an LGV driver apprenticeship scheme as part of our new driving academy of excellence. This is a fully paid, 13-month programme for new drivers with between 1 and 5 year’s driving experience. It will take you from a complete novice to a professional LGV driver with a mix of in-the-cab and classroom training from top Royal Mail driver coaches and external partners.

You’ll learn everything you need to know to become a first-class LGV driver – from best practice to road safety and customer service – to help you become the next generation of Royal Mail LGV driver.

Apply now and join our exciting, brand new LGV driver apprenticeship scheme

The link to the Application process via the Royal Mail Careers page:

https://jobs.royalmailgroup.com/content/Early-Careers/?locale=en_GB

These positions are now open to application and Royal Mail expect interest to be extremely high. We would therefore encourage interested parties to apply without delay.

We would ask Branches to bring the contents of the LTB to the attention of CWU members.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 216.01. 

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson 

Assistant Secretary

21LTB534

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JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN ROYAL MAIL NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION AND THE CWU REGARDING BANK HOLIDAY RESOURCING FOR LINEHAUL (NETWORK) PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS – CHRISTMAS 2021/22

Branches will recall that as an integral part of the 2007 Professional Drivers Agreement, Bank Holidays effectively became normal working days for Network LGV Drivers and while we have long had an understanding with the business that where possible attendance would be on a voluntary basis, in reality our members can be compelled to attend on those days where sufficient numbers fail to volunteer. In line with the PDA, all staff who attend are credited with a lieu day.

Branches and representatives will be aware that, in addition to the generic Christmas Arrangements Agreement, the department has since 2014 reached agreement with Royal Mail Distribution on specific guidelines covering the resourcing of Network LGV duties across the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays.

In line with previous arrangements discussions have therefore taken place with the business and the attached Joint Statement has been concluded and endorsed by the Postal Executive.

As previously reported, this year has proved particularly challenging due to the uncertainty around the Ofcom consultation on the New Year Bank Holiday. Although the PDA dates back to 2007, and was in force the last time this pattern occurred in 2010/11 in reality Royal Mail was a very different organisation at that time, with no commitment to either test Kit or Sunday Delivery Operations or the parcel volumes that the company now handles.

Royal Mail have indicated that there is a substantial requirement for the business to run a service on Sunday, 26th December 2021(Boxing Day) and Saturday, 1stJanuary 2022 (New Year’s Day), neither of which are Bank Holidays this year as they fall at the weekend. As such discussions have focused on providing guidance on attendance of those days in addition to the now established commitments around mitigating the individual commitment of drivers over the Bank Holiday period. 

With regard to Sunday, December 26th 2021 (Boxing Day) and Saturday, 1st January 2022 (New Year’s Day) attendance will prioritise volunteers, supported by the full range of mixed resourcing options. Attendance will attract Overtime rates of pay. 

As detailed in the generic Royal Mail Peak Christmas Arrangements 2021 Document, circulated in LTB 530/21 on the 6th December 2021, in order to further incentivise attendance exceptionally both parties have agreed a one off lump sum will be applicable for Drivers that make a forward commitment to volunteer and attend on Sunday, 26thDecember 2021. 

•  Attendances up to eight hours will receive an additional lump sum payment of: £38.
•  Attendances beyond eight hours will receive an additional lump sum payment of: £60.

In line with the commitments in the National Peak/Christmas Arrangements document further discussions will take place in relation to January 1st 2022. 

In addition, the attached Joint Statement reaffirms the following commitments:

 A wholly voluntary approach to any attendance on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. 

 The use of the full range of resourcing options to reduce the burden on our members. 

 A commitment to only run essential services on Bank Holidays. 

 A commitment to minimise any mandatory attendance – no driver asked to attend on both the Monday, 27th December and 3rdJanuary Bank Holidays. 

Local discussions on resourcing should be completed at the earliest possible juncture to give the maximum levels of certainty to all our drivers. Discussions should be progressed in line with the IR Framework and the Network Working Group will be available to assist should it become necessary.

This Joint Statement covers the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays only. Resourcing for all other Bank Holidays will continue to be progressed in line with the terms of the Professional Drivers Agreement.

As in previous years the department believes that the attached clarification provided in relation to the arrangements for 2020/21 will be welcomed by representatives and members.

Any enquiries in relation to this LTB should be addressed to Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary, email: dwyatt@cwu.org quoting reference: 206A.15.

Yours sincerely

Davie Robertson

Assistant Secretary

LTB 533-21

Bank Holiday Resourcing for Linehaul (Network) Professional Drivers Christmas 2021-22 07.12.21

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Mandatory Face Masks/Coverings in Royal Mail Group (RM, PFWW, RMSS, RMP&FS, RME, RMF, RMCE etc.) – Medical Exemptions and Compliance:

This LTB follows and should be read in conjunction with LTB 517/21 entitled “Introduction of Mandatory Face Coverings in Royal Mail Group from Tuesday 30 November 2021”. 

In summary

The Royal Mail Group Executive decided last week that a number of crucially important factors were combining to increase the risk of workforce transmissions and growing infection rates of Covid-19 and as such it was imperative to put in place stricter controls to maintain, as far as is practicable, Covid-Secure and Safe workplaces, maintaining safety standards and protection for the workforce. Royal Mail Group therefore decided to re-introduce ‘Mandatory Face Masks/Coverings’ across the UK, bringing England into line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from Tuesday 30 November 2021. The main reasons for this were:

• The UK Government announcement on the re-introduction of ‘Mandatory Masks’ in England in certain settings from Tuesday 30 November 2021. (Mandatory Face Masks are already in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
• The current Coronavirus/Covid-19 high transmissions and infection rate, now reaching over 50,000 new cases a day on a number of recent occasions.
• Thousands of temporary, casual and agency workers taken on by the company to support the Christmas peak workload, mixing with the permanently employed workforce and potentially increasing transmission risks if controls are not in place.
• The emerging new Covid-19 ‘Omicron 1.1.529’ variant which international experts say is ‘highly infectious’ as case numbers of this variant grow rapidly across the UK.
• The combination of the Covid-19 virus and Flu viruses co-circulating during the winter months.
• Medical experts and scientists along with the Health and Safety Executive, Department of Health and Social Care and many local authorities advising that wearing a face covering can help workers stay safe by reducing the risk of infection.
• The key benefits of face masks/face coverings in the workplace is to prevent the spread of the viral infection and defend the workforce from being pandemic victims of what is an airborne illness, protecting both the wearer and the surrounding people – giving risk reduction from aerosol transmission during exhalation.
• The introduction of mandatory face coverings in all indoor workplaces enhances existing preventative, risk control measures to protect the workforce from Coronavirus/Covid-19. This forms part of the RMG Coronavirus Risk Assessment, which is required under health and safety legislation.

CWU/HQ is supporting the initiative having considered the current and worsening Coronavirus/Covid-19 situation across the UK along with expert scientific and medical advice and recommendations.

Medical and Other Exemptions and Compliance

It has become evident that much confusion and misunderstanding of the ‘Mandatory Face Masks/Coverings’ rules exists across the UK in operational workplaces and units in respect of those employees claiming exemption from the ‘Mandatory Masks’ rule and as such some Units are experiencing non-compliance with the rule and enforcement failures. To address this problem Royal Mail Group HQ have issued a reminder WTLL on 3 December 2021 – (See Copy Attached).

The WTLL states quote; “Royal Mail Group fully accept that some employees will have exemptions to wearing a face covering and some conditions will not be visible. However, to support our duty of care and ensure we are managing risk appropriately as the country faces a new virus strain and significantly higher transmission and infection rates, managers can now request evidence of an exemption without needing to know the medical/other reason. This is required to ensure robust and consistent application of the mandatory wearing of face coverings. Managers can also keep records that employees have met the criteria for the exemption but should not record the specific reason if the employee shares this with the manager. Once confirmed, employees with genuine exemption will be supported and will not be ‘routinely’ asked to provide written evidence.” 

Would all Branches, Area Safety Reps, Area IR Reps and Local Unit Reps who have made enquiries regarding this matter please accept this LTB as a response.

Importantly and to reiterate the point; Once confirmed, employees with a legitimate, genuine exemption will be supported and will not be ‘routinely’ asked to provide written evidence.”

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce – National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

Davie Robertson – Assistant Secretary Processing, Logistics, Parcelforce, International, Quadrant 

Mick Kavanagh – Acting Assistant Secretary Outdoor 

21LTB532 Mandatory Face Masks Coverings in Royal Mail Group – Medical Exemptions and Compliance

Coronavirus WTLL November 21

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ROYAL MAIL ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT/COLLISION AGREEMENT – BALLOT RESULT

The Branch ballot for the above agreement closed on Friday 3^rd of December 2021 with the following result:Total votes possible111,882Total votes cast82,715For the agreement64,924Against the agreement17,791 

Royal Mail have been informed of the result and discussions will now take place on a suitable date for implementation.

Branches should also be aware we have a commitment on joint training for the new agreement and we will be discussing with the Business how best to implement this.

Any enquiries regarding the content of this LTB should be addressed to Kerry Hay khay@cwu.org for the PTCS department quoting reference number 402, Nickie Jones njones@cwu.org for the Outdoor department quoting reference number 300 and Sue Hayman shayman@cwu.org for the Logistics/Distribution department quoting reference number 202.11.

Yours sincerely,

Carl Maden – Assistant Secretary                             

Davie Robertson  – Assistant Secretary                  

Mick Kavanagh – A/Assistant Secretary

Attachment 1: 21LTB531 Royal Mail Road Traffic Accident-Collision Agreement – Ballot Result

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