bus - seat belts

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 09:45
bus - seat belts - della 17

good morning

the bus has seat belts on the side of seat at the top in a triangle .when pulling ,the triangle tilts and the belts gather ,really getting stuck and its imposs.to get the belts down while sitting ,even while standing and even more difficult through the child seat .they also do not retrackt even a tiny bit .when i release ,mine it just hangs down over the seat .i dont have time to keep feeding it up and and down .last sep.i pulled a muscle and it took about 3 weeks to get better .

i informed my boss,he told the taxi company and they sent a bus with front facing belts ,safe and easy ,what i call normal to use .

since 18 nov. they have sent the bus with the bad belts again .under my shoulder chest and tummy it hurts ,and especially when i have to lean back on the bus ,and i have to sleep on my side due to the pain .my boss saw the bus last week and the state of the belts .

what is your opinion please .

thank you

i

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 10:04
bus - seat belts - skidpan

An awkward one for sure. If the belts do not retract properly they would (should) certainly fail the MOT (or bus equivalent) but if your employer decides to simply terminate your employment and find a driver who is happy to drive a potentially defective vehicle you are without a job. Its your responsibilty as the driver to ensure the vehicle is safe although the owner also has responsibilities. A word with VOSA about the belts may help but it may also get you the sack.

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 16:37
bus - seat belts - della 17

hi every one

ty u all for ur reply .i am a passenger assistant .we bring children to and from school .i sent an email very recently to help@rospa .a lady replied and said the belts must not be slack and she also said she cant properly comment cause of not having seen the belts which is understandable .i replied to say she confirmed what i was sure about .must not be slack .

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 13:12
bus - seat belts - galileo

Can you clarify whether you are a passenger, travelling to work, or the driver?

What is the relevance of belts being difficult to fit through child seats?

It sounds as if the vehicle is some kind of private minibus, is this so?

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 13:48
bus - seat belts - thunderbird

If you are a passenger the soulution is simple, use a different bus/taxi company.

If you are the driver insist that the company owner makes it safe. Worst that can happen is they sack you, if that happened simply take them to court for unfair dismissal, you would win.

If the problem is regarding the safety of child seats that is really serious and VOSA need to be made aware.

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 16:43
bus - seat belts - skidpan

Della 17

Faulty seatbelts are a safety issue, if your employer is sending you out with defective seatbelts he is risking your safety but why not use a different seat. If as noted above (and you have not confirmed this although you mention child seats in your first post) there are issues with childrens seat belts the bus needs taking off the road and fixing.

Seriously suggest that you contact your nearest VOSA vehicle testing station, use this link https://www.gov.uk/find-atf-vosa-test-station to get help sorting this issue.

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 17:38
bus - seat belts - della 17

i have tried all the belts that very first day but they are all the same .i showed the parents the the next day and told them that i am very worried for their sons safety and mine too and they agreed .

i was off sick and i dont know how long this bus was back on my route .the parents have not said anything .the council gentleman is the one to sort it again .i said to him that i dont like us travelling in that vehicle at all .

wish i could post 2 photos i have .1 belts fixtures .1 belt overhanging off the seat .as soon as i know what is happening i shall let you all know .

ty for your posts

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 17:16
bus - seat belts - della 17

just realised you may not see my unswer to skidpan for everyone .i am a passenger assistant .we bring children to and from school .

because the belts are already difficult to pull and it makes it more harder to pull /feed through the child seat and time consuming as we r on quite a tight schedual .it is really a struggle .

the bus belongs to a private firm and they also have school jobs from the council (i am directely employed by the council )

a gentleman from the council was sent to inspect the bus the very next day but they had sent a bus with belts at the front top of the seat which were safe ,retrackting ,fitting us and normal to pull .all was fine until just over 1 week ago when this bus was sent again .why i dont know .i told my boss last week again ,she sent the same gentleman and this time he saw it and he was not impressed and said he will get in touch with them again .doc confirmed pulled muscle again .

i am not asking for a new bus with a red carpet and chandeliers ,just safe normal belts

i wanted to see other peoples opinions .

had a check up today and confirmed pulled muscle again .its worse because been on this bus now ovwer 1 week .

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 19:38
bus - seat belts - Brit_in_Germany

Apart from the safety aspects of non-working seat belts, I would have thought that your employer has a duty to provide a safe working environment. If the seat belt issue is causing you injuries, it needs to be sorted out ASAP.

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Tue 26 Nov 2013 20:29
bus - seat belts - della 17

they sorted it before sending a good bus with normal belts and now this 1 again .i really enjoy my work but not at present because the huge worry on safety for the child and myself and the same injury again .its no fun .

if i dont know by friday the latest about next week then i need to tell my boss i cannot come to work till it is sorted as i cannot be responsible for the child with such belts .it is not fair on me .

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Wed 27 Nov 2013 13:00
bus - seat belts - skidpan

This is a safety issue and its not only your safety and comfort, its the safety of the children.

You need to raise it with your bosses in the department, the heads of the departments responsible for both transport and childrens services and the Councillor with responsibilty for childrens services also needs allerting to the issue. You could speak to OFFSTED, I am sure they would be interested that children are being transported in a potentailly unsafe bus with the councisl knowledge.

Would also make an interesting article if the local press and television found out out this.

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Wed 27 Nov 2013 22:50
bus - seat belts - gordonbennet

I would be very wary about being a whistle blower these days, a shorter route to being unemployable is hard to imagine.

Best thing to gee an employer or supervisory staff (or indeed anyone responsible) is to put the real genuine complaint in writing, preferably email and CC in any other dept heads who might have an interest.

Once its in writing it then becomes the responsibility of the person in charge, and undeniable with email (but print off and keep a copy), simply telling someone is deniable.

At my work we have safety notice forms that can be filled in if anything needs attention not covered by other methods, i would expect a council dept responsible for moving children to have a very good incident reporting mechanism.

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Fri 29 Nov 2013 06:48
bus - seat belts - della 17

Hello

Last sep.when this bus picked me up the first time ,I sent email to my boss .next am same bus and pm a bus with safe norm belts .The same pm my boss sent the compliance officer ( that was very quick ) but because we had the good bus already so he did not see it .

I was told by the officer I must send a accident/incident form due to my muscle injury ,which I did .

Then the bus with horrible belts was sent twice within a few weeks ,and then no more .

But since 2 weeks now the company has sent the horrible bus again ,why I dont know ?I sent mail to the officer directely ,since he knows all about it ,and it is he who deals with these issues .So he is on the case again and told me to send another accident incident form ,which I did 2 days ago .

I have email proof from Sep ,and more since then ,and also 2 accident /incidents forms copies .

I completely agree with you in sending e-mails for anything important ,because it is ones proof ,there cannot be any missunderstandings ,no one can say they did not know ,or whoever took a message could not forget .So emails are really brill .

I also wrote into the form that I can not carry on working on that bus for those 2 very important ,worrying issues ,and I would very much appriciate it for the council to speak with the taxi company again .

I have never in my working life said that I cannot come to work ( except if not well ) and it took a lot of courage for me ,as I am very loyal and always follow all the rules .That showes how worried I am to travel on that bus .Also I can not keep getting this injury .

If I could only post 2 photos I have of the belts ,1 hanging down 1 in its triangle all gathered up .

Than k you for listening and your advice .Its very much appriciated

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Fri 29 Nov 2013 18:11
bus - seat belts - skidpan

Showed this to one of our Health and Safety consultanrts at lunchtime, they were quite stunned by what is being allowed to continue both by the council and the taxi company. If any occupant was injured or worse due to the state of the belts regardless of whether the bus was in an accident managers at both would be taken to court and the penaties would be severe since there is clear evidence that they knew about the state of the vehicle from your e-mails and the fact that the bus had been replaced earlier by a road worthy one.

But the worst fact for yourself is the simple phrase "Duty of Care". Whilst on the bus you personally have a Duty of Care for the occupants as part of your job responsibilities. By allowing people to use the bus in a dangerous condition you would also be taken to court and probably be heavily fined regardless of the fact you had been allerting your bosses.

The choice is yours but based on the above I would refuse to supervise people on that bus. Do you want a criminal record.

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Sat 30 Nov 2013 10:04
bus - seat belts - della 17

Thank you for your advice and asking aditional opinion .

What you have said ,is exactly what I have said several times .Can you just imagn how I would feel and for the rest of my life if something happened ,even though i have told .

It is so unfair to put this great worry onto me and it makes going to work very worrying as you can imagn .

I also wrote into the form :

It is a great responsibility to look after someone elses child ( which is understood ) when all is safe ,but let alone when it is not .All I am asking is to have safe normal working belts ,which I should not have to ask as it should be a very normal . Please tell me I am not being unreasonable ? I know your answer would be no !

If we have any concernes/worries about the vehicle we travel on we must immedeately point it out to the driver ,which I did on that very 1 st morning .I was realyt upset when he told me that "I am the only 1 complaining " ?! Can you believe that .

I said I am not complaining I am very worried and it is beyond me that no one has said anything ( my quiet opinion was / is if it is true that no one has ) I really cant imagn it !

I said I have travelt in loads of different vehicles ,weather privately or work and I have never ever seen any belts like it .

How he could say that ,is really beyond me ,especially when he has the good normal belt in the front for every journey .I am only in the front to the childs home and after the child is at school then I sit at the back with them which is the norm .The other child is in the wheelchair and the belts which are kept on the bus and we use are fine ,I am very happy to say .

If that bus arrives on Monday am again ,and as soon as I get back home ,I shall email my boss ( my proof ) to say I cannot travel on it anymore ,and also phone straight after .

Sorry this is a long post but next 1 will be small .Thank you

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