Thursday, March 12, 2009

The health and safety game.

The notices have gone up at Llantwit Fardre and everyone has their own score books. Management have issued everyone with a glossy booklet about first use and driver walk around check inspections. Yesterday the game got off to a great start and all the team were playing well. It all takes time but what the hell, we have all day.

Management want every goddamn seat belt closed on every bus and coach. Okay but this takes around 6 minutes to achieve. Management want you to report every defect that you can spot from a checklist of over 30 items, okay but this will take time. Management want you to return this form before you leave even if you have a serviceable vehicle, okay but this takes time. Management want only an engineer to declare a vehicle fit for service although the grey area has been reduced, okay but this will take time and involve a higher VOR (vehicle off road) declaration.

My coach had 3 defects which Matthew could not resolve so it was declared VOR. These defects had been reported before but nothing had been done. My replacement coach had 3 defects, 2 of these defects Matthew resolved but time was ticking away. The third defect, a microphone that does not work, could not be fixed. This defect had been reported before and nothing has been done. Now it was stand off time, John claimed there was no other coach available. I countered this with the written instructions from Mahmoud and the nationwide company that all drivers must use the microphone at every stop to nag at the passengers to wear their seatbelts. All drivers face disciplinary action if they fail to make these announcements. I stood my ground with the clock ticking away and John did not explode. So I made my point that the defect system clearly does not work and said good-bye.

We are given only 15 minutes at the start of the shift to do all the paperwork and the extended vehicle check and reporting system detailed in the glossy booklet. I drove out of Llantwit Fardre 45 minutes late, 60 minutes after reporting for work.

If any passenger wonders why their bus or coach is late arriving, then they should blame it on the glossy booklet, a defect system that does not work, a garage manager who does not want to pay for parts and a management with it's head up it's own backside. Like I have written before, "Never complain, never explain" and yesterday's health and safety game explains why. It is pointless complaining or explaining at Llantwit Fardre because you may as well talk to the wall.

Richard 0 - Stephen 6.
Comments: Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]





<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]