Posted By Gareth W Jones Can anyone help, I am looking for basic instructions/guidance on the use of company phones by a small number of managers when they are on the shop floor, we have asked that all other employees do not use personal mobile phones on the shopfloor because of the risk from machinery/distraction plus forklifts, this has then brought the issue of managers using company phones whilst walking around the shop floor, the managers would not be working on machinery but the danger from forklifts is still there, I would hope to reduce this risk by guidance /training for these managers. Any help would be appreciated.

Posted By Raymond Rapp I agree with previous posting. You must make rules for everyone to follow regardless of their status. One method of controlling the use of mobile phones on the shop floor is to request that those people who wish to use them do in a safe and designated area, that may be an office, outside or anywhere else that is deemed safe. Ray

Posted By Merv Newman I disagree with all previous replies. 1. Employees on production/assembly lines should NOT be allowed to use/reply to personal mobiles. It is too distracting and dangerous. I had one injury because the call related to a family crisis and the employee was distracted from his work. If that called had been relayed by a supervisor then the supervisor would have been able to ask "everything OK ?" 2. Use of mobiles by supervisors and managers is now very common and, if trained, they are properly conscient of the risks associated with stopping in the middle of a fork-lift-truck run to answer the phone. When apprised of the risks they learn what to do. As do you when your mobile rings while you are driving at 100 mph down the M1. So, my advice is ; mobiles for employees ? NO ! Mobiles for supervisors ? OK with sensibilisation Merv

Posted By AlB I agree with Merv. Line operators (for want of a better term) do not usually need mobile phones to carry out their normal duties, but for many operations the managers need to be contactable, and mobile phones are a critical form of commuinication. From a safety perspective, the managers are less likely to be working in as hazardous areas, or carryiung out hazardous operations as the line employee. Obviously, the situation needs to be assessed to confirm this. There is a suitable safety and productivity argument about line employees using mobiles - distracts them from awareness of hazards, and distracts them from their work, which costs money. As I said, for most managers the hazards are not the same, and the mobile is an essential tool for getting the work done. It's all necessity and risk based. One rule for all should not apply if there is such a case for management.

Posted By AlB No. I disagree with you. Work environments are varied. It does not always involve a construction site or a factory line. As I said, the environment needs to be assessed, but if it is safe for the manager to use a mobile phone, then it is safe to use one. As I said, the risks are going to be different to a person performing a task to the risks posed to the manager. There is a productivity and safety issue involved. The box is bigger than the blanket "one rule fits all" ethos - unfortunately, that line of thought does not reflect in productivity and efficiency, but only if it assessed as safe for a manager to use a phone. To ban a manager from using a mobile (for work purposes only) because there is a ban on the line employees using them is short sighted, unprofessional and ludicrous. Assess the situation from the risk perpective, and then from productivity perspective. That's a risk assessment that will benefit the business.

Posted By AlB Paul, OK. I did generalise there and did not match my argument with the original post and the risks posed by FLT (as was clearly pointed out in the orignial post). My apologies. However, I still stand by my statement. Assess the risk. If there is a real risk of injury to a manager or to others from using a mobile phone, then they should be banned. But my reading of the original post was that a ban on managers was suggested because there was a ban on the employees - this is impracticable and unreasonable. Banning on the genuine concern of safety is a different matter....

Posted By Mark Talbot Paul... "What did we do before the advent of mibile phones?" We had more people and more time, that's what we did. Oh, and the Tannoy call from a woman getting more and more angry that we didn't run to the nearest 'phone and take the call :-)