[Misc] Working alone in a factory.....

spongy · Mar 16, 2021

Would you?

I'm not just talking about being on your own in an isolated part where there are colleagues still on site. ...

I'm talking about literally on your own. Everyone else has gone home, everything bar one door is locked up so I can get out and lock up.

There no procedures in place other than text my twunt of a supervisor to say I'm going home. I operate machinery and also use a forklift constantly.

When I started in Jan they said they wanted someone to work a bit later so extend their working day so I managed to negotiate a 9.30-6 shift.

Everyone else there is in at 6am and gone by 4pm.

As people are aware I'm desperate to get a mortgage so I've been doing overtime until 8pm then heading home.

They want to change my shift to 11am-7.30pm.

Basically stopping me doing overtime and thus destroying my mortgage hopes as I'm still short on the earnings front to get what I want.

There is literally no support for me if I have a programming issue on the machine or god forbid I have any kind of accident.

I think its an unfair request. And I think I'm within my rights to tell them to jog on BUT.....

I'm on a 6 month probationary period, if I get too arsey then they can just get rid of me.

Don't really know what to do.

maltaseagull · Mar 16, 2021

spongy said:
Would you?

I'm not just talking about being on your own in an isolated part where there are colleagues still on site. ...

I'm talking about literally on your own. Everyone else has gone home, everything bar one door is locked up so I can get out and lock up.

There no procedures in place other than text my twunt of a supervisor to say I'm going home. I operate machinery and also use a forklift constantly.

When I started in Jan they said they wanted someone to work a bit later so extend their working day so I managed to negotiate a 9.30-6 shift.

Everyone else there is in at 6am and gone by 4pm.

As people are aware I'm desperate to get a mortgage so I've been doing overtime until 8pm then heading home.

They want to change my shift to 11am-7.30pm.

Basically stopping me doing overtime and thus destroying my mortgage hopes as I'm still short on the earnings front to get what I want.

There is literally no support for me if I have a programming issue on the machine or god forbid I have any kind of accident.

I think its an unfair request. And I think I'm within my rights to tell them to jog on BUT.....

I'm on a 6 month probationary period, if I get too arsey then they can just get rid of me.

Don't really know what to do.

Not sure if it is the same in the UK but here in Malta, we were not allowed to leave one employee alone on shift in the office let alone a factory.

Difficult to suggest you complain given the situation. Have you any supervisor or manager who can be asked about this without consequences?

Best of luck !

The Clamp · Mar 16, 2021

Join a Union. Tell them no. I am also saving for a mortgage and lone work through the night but not in a place where accidents are that much of an issue.
I’m fine with it but Unite have got involved in couple of other matters and sorted it out in my favour. Invaluable.

Weststander · Mar 16, 2021

Sorry you’re in this predicament.

If operating machinery and a forklift entirely alone, is that against H&S laws?

Personally, if the money’s alright and proving helpful, and the boss is not a cnt, I’d do it. But I’ve (stupidly) done plenty of non-H&S stuff with ladders and power tools.

portslade seagull · Mar 16, 2021

Health and safety issue I would've thought

spongy · Mar 16, 2021

maltaseagull said:
Not sure if it is the same in the UK but here in Malta, we were not allowed to leave one employee alone on shift in the office let alone a factory.

Difficult to suggest you complain given the situation. Have you any supervisor or manager who can be asked about this without consequences?

Best of luck !

Not really.

My supervisor is a complete nob. He's Polish. Rude, arrogant and shouty. I've already had to bite my lip several times because of the way he's spoken to me and we've already had several disagreements.

The next one up is the manager who wants me to change shift, then I'll be at director level.

They used to sub out all their laser work but wanted to bring it "in house" so spent nearly £500k on one. Then realised they didn't know how to use it. So brought the Polish guy in in November. I was approached by an agency about the same job but the Polish guy got it ahead of me.

Then they contacted me 2 days after losing my last job in Jan as they needed more experience as its not efficient enough. (It is but you can't measure a purely linear process in square metres).

Their idea is to prolong the day. Everyone else does overtime by starting early. But I won't be able to.

Brian Parsons · Mar 16, 2021

Unless the law has changed it is illegal to work on your own unless it is a one man business.

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

-gully- · Mar 16, 2021

Ask to see the risk assessments for lone working.

Ken Newbury · Mar 16, 2021

-gully- said:
Ask to see the risk assessments for lone working.

You beat me to it! Also ask to see the generic task risk assessments for what you believe are the two or three most risky tasks, look at the risks and control measures to see if any of those state that you can't operate those alone?

dazzer6666 · Mar 16, 2021

Brian Parsons said:
Unless the law has changed it is illegal to work on your own unless it is a one man business.

Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk

Not sue it’s illegal - [MENTION=20792]spongy[/MENTION] there’s some useful stuff in here :

https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2016/10/Working20alone.pdf

DJ NOBO · Mar 16, 2021

spongy said:
Would you?

I'm not just talking about being on your own in an isolated part where there are colleagues still on site. ...

I'm talking about literally on your own. Everyone else has gone home, everything bar one door is locked up so I can get out and lock up.

There no procedures in place other than text my twunt of a supervisor to say I'm going home. I operate machinery and also use a forklift constantly.

When I started in Jan they said they wanted someone to work a bit later so extend their working day so I managed to negotiate a 9.30-6 shift.

Everyone else there is in at 6am and gone by 4pm.

As people are aware I'm desperate to get a mortgage so I've been doing overtime until 8pm then heading home.

They want to change my shift to 11am-7.30pm.

Basically stopping me doing overtime and thus destroying my mortgage hopes as I'm still short on the earnings front to get what I want.

There is literally no support for me if I have a programming issue on the machine or god forbid I have any kind of accident.

I think its an unfair request. And I think I'm within my rights to tell them to jog on BUT.....

I'm on a 6 month probationary period, if I get too arsey then they can just get rid of me.

Don't really know what to do.

Cant blame them for shutting down your cushty overtime number.
But working on your own operating machinery? They are really asking you to do that? I’m pretty sure I that is illegal.
Whatever the case, you have to start looking elsewhere.

drew · Mar 16, 2021

Notwithstanding any breaches of H&S, am I right in thinking that you have been working on your own for up to 4 hours and have accepted that risk because of the money? It seems that your issue is not the risk but that they are reducing your hours/opportunity for overtime. How close are you to completing the 6 months? If it's close, then as you have previously accepted the risk then why not continue until you are in a stronger position. Your long term goal is the mortgage.

Also, having the backing of a union is a good idea especially if you're working for an employer that is either stretching or blatantly ignoring the law!!

drew · Mar 16, 2021

-gully- said:
Ask to see the risk assessments for lone working.

Probably the correct answer but could put the spanner in the works to completing the probationary period!! Catch 22!

beorhthelm · Mar 16, 2021

H&S would say no i think. however if i read correctly you are already doing so and really objecting on the hours.

The Wookiee · Mar 16, 2021

Can’t you do the overtime before 11 am

Worried Man Blues · Mar 16, 2021

Stay safe, do probationary, ditch the Pole, sorted..........

surrey jim · Mar 16, 2021

DJ NOBO said:
Cant blame them for shutting down your cushty overtime number.
But working on your own operating machinery? They are really asking you to do that? I’m pretty sure I that is illegal.
Whatever the case, you have to start looking elsewhere.

What I was going to say. From what I have read you don't like the people you work with, the company appear to be cutting corners, doing things on the cheap.

If it were me I would be looking elsewhere.

spongy · Mar 16, 2021

drew said:
Notwithstanding any breaches of H&S, am I right in thinking that you have been working on your own for up to 4 hours and have accepted that risk because of the money? It seems that your issue is not the risk but that they are reducing your hours/opportunity for overtime. How close are you to completing the 6 months? If it's close, then as you have previously accepted the risk then why not continue until you are in a stronger position.

Pretty much.

It has been to my benefit. But I'm not going to take the risk for no benefit whatsoever. Its effectively a pay cut. But everyone else has the opportunity to earn extra.

For the last 20 years I've always been an early start-early finisher working 12 hour shifts 6am-6pm after overtime.

This change is killing me as it is as I'm still waking up at 5am and if I do manage to sleep in a bit the kids are up at 6am.

I left the last job to earn more and try to improve my work life balance and I've managed to end up poorer and even worse as far as work life balance goes.

Number 1 priority is mortgage, this change will effectively kill that chance as I'll be losing nearly £7k a year.

AmexRuislip · Mar 16, 2021

-gully- said:
Ask to see the risk assessments for lone working.

This

My company has a lone worker risk assessment in place, where if left on our own, we are supposed to call a number to let them know, we are basically still alive.
If we don't call in after a set amount of time, say 30 mins, then they call you :shrug:

spongy · Mar 16, 2021

surrey jim said:
What I was going to say. From what I have read you don't like the people you work with, the company appear to be cutting corners, doing things on the cheap.

If it were me I would be looking elsewhere.

Been looking elsewhere since I started. I only took the job as I was unemployed. Didnt want the shifts they were offering but didn't have much choice if I wanted to pay the rent.

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