Posted By pol Good Morning, I would be keen to know colleagues views on the the requirement to wear protective footwear when using roll cages for short periods of time. Deliveries of goods are made to the front of of premises dropped by tail lift to footpath level and then pushed across the footpath and usually up a wheelchair type access ramp and into the retail area of the shop. Shop staff are required to move the cages or assist the delivery driver once the tail lift is lowered. There have been 3 recent instances of injuries to staff and 2 near misses that I am aware of this year solely in my region. The employer states that due to the short period of time that the individuals are "at risk" they are not prepared to provide PPE. The employer is a large national retail outlet . Personally i believe there is a risk it has been identified PPE may not negate the risk but reduce the potential injury however the client is adamant regarding their stance on this matter . Your views would be greatly appreciated. Pol

Posted By Juan Carlos Arias Totally agree that the length of time is neither here nor there, but an important factor in reaching a decision to provide PPE is the number of employees at risk. your 3 accidents and near miss might be a high accident rate if your workforce is small, however, if you have lots of people exposed to the same risk, you might not necessarily have to use PPE providing adequate training and supervision are evident.

Posted By DP Pol - you have hit on a hot potato in retail here - drop me a line and I'll let you have my phone number to discuss.

Posted By Smiff I think you have the proof you need that there is a foreseeable risk.

Posted By Neil R "Somebody without a mask for a few minutes is undoubtedly less at risk than somebody without a mask all day...or is he?" Ah the million dollar question, answers on a postcard please. This has cropped up so many times, I've known people who have worked with asbestos for years, even used to make snowballs out if it and throw them at each other who are still here fit as a fiddle. I have also known people who have had very little exposure but have died of mesothelioma. In this case, although some regs do have short duration 'clauses', the amount of exposure to the hazard isnt reducing the risk to an acceptable level on its own, just because someone isnt pushing these cages all day doesnt eliminated or reduce the risk of foot injuries occuring. The company in question is failing to be proactive but they're not even being reactive in their approach. but i guess thats the retail industry for you, profit before people is the order of the day in most cases.

Posted By Bossa nova It's not the weight but the distribution, centre of gravity, of the weight. If skirts were fitted this would require the pushers/pullers to navigate a safer route. Keelover