Surprised there are still warehouses that work with bare boxes you have to manually lift off. We do everything with rolling containers ( http://www.logismarket.nl/ip/hoza-r...rolcontainer-nestbaar-non-food-354064-FGR.jpg), rolling frames ( for crates) and occasionally pallets we have machines for...
My boss asked me to help in the warehouse tomorrow and I said "no way", was I right?
- Thread starter apatia77
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I used to do this sort of stuff all the time when I worked as a print technician, lugging plasma screens about, helping with office moves etc etc.
Now I work in IT and during the big freeze this winter I went over to help in the call centre as most staff couldn't get in to work (inputing faxed data, not fielding calls) as I knew the system from having worked on the project.
If it's a regular occurrence then maybe you are right to kick up a stink, but by your own admission there is a lack of work so it's not as though you are snowed under and need to focus on your 'day job'.
Now I work in IT and during the big freeze this winter I went over to help in the call centre as most staff couldn't get in to work (inputing faxed data, not fielding calls) as I knew the system from having worked on the project.
If it's a regular occurrence then maybe you are right to kick up a stink, but by your own admission there is a lack of work so it's not as though you are snowed under and need to focus on your 'day job'.
Soldato
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How do you think things get in the containers? And out of them?
Magic
Okay, but that doesn't count as unloading a lorry like the OP says
.I see unloading a lorry as simply moving the contents out of the lorry on to the platform. And anything else is a different function. I know as I'm occasionally put on the platform to direct drivers & help them unloading their cargo, I only have to move the containers&pallets further in before the next person takes over, that is unloading a lorry...
The unloading boxes or bags off the containers functions are not called ''unloading a lorry''.
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Soldato
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Personally I have helped my bosses bring in things that arent on my job description. Like the other month we had some new servers delivered and I helped with those.
If I were in your shoes I would have said that you didnt mind helping out if he was stuck for help but point out that you are not trained for heavy lifting.
Just imagine if you boss is stuck there unloading a lorry by himsefl and you having turned him down. I think he could be cursing your name a bit with a lame excuse or a simple rejection with no reason.
But if you actually helped him out but maybe made a few off hand remarks about not fancying doing this every week as its tough work. Maybe joke that you arent as fit as you used to be. He will certainly appreciate your help and maybe remember it when work dries up even more and maybe has to make some cuts...
If I were in your shoes I would have said that you didnt mind helping out if he was stuck for help but point out that you are not trained for heavy lifting.
Just imagine if you boss is stuck there unloading a lorry by himsefl and you having turned him down. I think he could be cursing your name a bit with a lame excuse or a simple rejection with no reason.
But if you actually helped him out but maybe made a few off hand remarks about not fancying doing this every week as its tough work. Maybe joke that you arent as fit as you used to be. He will certainly appreciate your help and maybe remember it when work dries up even more and maybe has to make some cuts...
Associate
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im still working my way through this thread but up to yet all i can think is this guy must be like moss from the IT crowd!
Dear god man, its 10-15kg boxes, thats nothing, most people use that weight in dumbells with one hand and your complaining about using 2 hands!
If you worked for me id be looking of a way to make you redundant which shouldnt be hard as theres no work for you.
The place is a team, you help everyone because when you need help they will help you and you wonder why its a dead end job for you when theres no effort put on your part.
Pushing pencils around......dear god!! Now i see why the guys in the warehouse laugh at you, put some effort in and you will gain their respect
Dear god man, its 10-15kg boxes, thats nothing, most people use that weight in dumbells with one hand and your complaining about using 2 hands!
If you worked for me id be looking of a way to make you redundant which shouldnt be hard as theres no work for you.
The place is a team, you help everyone because when you need help they will help you and you wonder why its a dead end job for you when theres no effort put on your part.
Pushing pencils around......dear god!! Now i see why the guys in the warehouse laugh at you, put some effort in and you will gain their respect
I would have done the job - would be a nice change in pace from bum-on-seat work every day.
Every once in a while to cover staff shortages would be no problem. If I was expected to do it every day... Well, it would depend on whether I enjoyed doing it and hanging around with the other staff on that duty. I guess on an odd level it would be satisfying to be paid a highly-skilled wage for lugging boxes around
I can certainly understand saying "no" if you really dislike the work, but I could never bring myself to use the "personal injury potential" argument, unless I had a genuine medical condition or something. If you can't lift a few 10kg boxes around then you're either a 9st weakling, or you're a bit of a puss!
Every once in a while to cover staff shortages would be no problem. If I was expected to do it every day... Well, it would depend on whether I enjoyed doing it and hanging around with the other staff on that duty. I guess on an odd level it would be satisfying to be paid a highly-skilled wage for lugging boxes around
I can certainly understand saying "no" if you really dislike the work, but I could never bring myself to use the "personal injury potential" argument, unless I had a genuine medical condition or something. If you can't lift a few 10kg boxes around then you're either a 9st weakling, or you're a bit of a puss!
I am getting this image too, i cannot actually believe that he didnt agree to help out as a favour :/
You do need appropriate manual handling training. It's a legal requirement, not "union bull crap". There are no unions where I work, but we still have a forest of paperwork every 6 months and mandatory training courses on all sorts of things, including manual handling. We do most of our training in-house, but it's done. It's mind-numbingly boring because almost all of it is either blindingly obvious or completely ridiculous (my favourite example is needing several hours of ladder training to be allowed to change a light tube), but it's done. Mainly to cover the employer - due diligence and all that. If an employee is injured and didn't follow procedures, the employer is covered.
Having said that, I've done all sorts of stuff that "isn't my job". Unloading frozen turkeys comes to mind (that gets to be a pain in the arse very quickly). If it isn't dangerous or really disgusting, I'll do it. I'd go round and mow the boss' lawn if I'm being paid for it and it's within my usual hours.
One potential problem is that if you're willing to do a crap job and that crap job contnually needs doing, it's likely you'll end up continually doing that crap job.
Can't argue with that statement.
That is actually ridiculous imho.
I have to lift packages up to 30kg's when I have a shift of pre sorting packets, and I'm a small guy weighting 52kg's/114 pounds, sure the ones close to 30 kg's are heavy, even 10 kg's is heavier than average, but still, to go moan about it ? I did not ever have to do any training, and I'd think it'd be retarded if I would.
Oh, it gets much sillier than that.
One of the big deals at work is legislation regarding hazardous substances. This requires investigation and risk assessment of everything. Someone has to go around the workplace looking for every substance on the premises, then investigate each one and prepare sheets for employees detailing safe handling procedures for each one, including protective equipment required.
Well, OK, that makes sense. It is fair to provide employees with appropriate protective equipment for working with hazardous substances and to make sure they are aware of the risks and how to minimise them. There are some pretty nasty substances in my workplace, stuff that can kill you.
What doesn't make sense is that it covers everything, and I mean everything. The poor sod with this thankless task has to do hazardous substance assessments on washing-up liquid, soap, furniture polish...everything.
Two peaks of ridiculous:
i) The protective equipment for the use of WD40 is chemical safety gloves and safety goggles.
ii) You can't substitute an unassessed brand of anything for an assessed brand. So, for example, no Pledge furniture polish if Mr Muscle furniture polish is the one on the hazardous substances assessment sheets.
It's all rather silly.
I know my PC has weighed up to 30KG at times depending on how much stuff I have in it.
*cringe* that is horrendous.