Back issues and Crap Chairs

[Adwillsy]

Hi All,

if not in the right place then please point me in the right direction.

I work in a warehouse and work on storage retrieval robots. Since I have been here they have always had broken chairs with backs at each workstation and they have needed replacement for a while due to broken cylinders and various things so that you're literally sitting on the floor ( I'm 6ft 6in) so it is not the nicest having my knees by my ears. Anyway, we have a new Regional Boss who has replaced all of these chairs (wahey!) but they are all stall type chairs which is not so great. I have had back issues for years, mainly Scoliocis which has meant I have always needed a bit of lumbar support to be comfortable else I hunch and get back pain. Anyway, I have spoken to our shifts H&S rep (who is also just another Engineer on my level) about if there is anything we can do and got told "Every other site has had theirs taken away, so the only thing you can do is hope that if you say something they don't decide to take them away. They're supposed to be uncomfortable so you spend less time in them and that's why we have been given these" My question is what is the right channel to go and hopefully get a better more supporting seat without getting all of them taken away from my fellow colleagues?

Cheers

[Mortarboard]

Contact your ehs folks.

"Workstation ergonomic assessment" is the term you're looking for.

M.

[Mortarboard]

Adwillsy said:

"Every other site has had theirs taken away, so the only thing you can do is hope that if you say something they don't decide to take them away. They're supposed to be uncomfortable so you spend less time in them and that's why we have been given these"

Ask them for this in writing.

M.

[Adwillsy]

Thanks for that, EHS? what does that stand for Environmental Health and Safety I take it?

Well our health and safety rep is just another guy on our shift who doesn't know anymore than we do, and judging by the changes implemented so far by this new big cheese I can see that this is a highly likely scenario, our shift step up also agrees this is more than likely the case without knowing the reason from the horses mouth per se.

[Mortarboard]

Tell him to start here:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/dse/index.htm

M.

[Mr.Chips]

If you ask to speak to occupational health, in light of your previous back condition, they should recommend that you get a chair that provides the correct support for your needs. I had a couple of months off work with a back issue, after an OH referral, my employer sent me on a lifting course and gave me a fantastic chair with fully adjustable support because, if they didn’t comply with OH recommendations and I had a recurrence of the issue, they would be liable. It may also be worth investing in a lumbar roll which will help give you back support in your car/ at home.

[Adwillsy]

Mr.Chips said:

If you ask to speak to occupational health, in light of your previous back condition, they should recommend that you get a chair that provides the correct support for your needs. I had a couple of months off work with a back issue, after an OH referral, my employer sent me on a lifting course and gave me a fantastic chair with fully adjustable support because, if they didn’t comply with OH recommendations and I had a recurrence of the issue, they would be liable. It may also be worth investing in a lumbar roll which will help give you back support in your car/ at home.

cheers for that - ill have a look into this