Angela Wright CWU Branch Communications Officer

Nov 288 min read

LTB 375/24 – Royal Mail Materials Handling Containerisation Update & Christmas Arrangements 2024 – Health & Safety Aspects

No. 375/2024

Dear Colleagues,

Royal Mail Materials Handling Containerisation Update & Christmas Arrangements 2024 – Health & Safety Aspects

Further to previous annual updates provided by the Health and Safety Department, the department has engaged with Royal Mail to ensure that updated advice is available for Representatives and members in relation to the above Peak arrangements. Below is a summary update on Materials Handling Containerisation Arrangements for the 2024 Christmas period. The contents of this LTB have been discussed and agreed with Royal Mail HQ, National Asset Team, the Safety, Health & Environment Team and Head of Assets.

York Containers

Royal Mail have 850,000 (Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3) York Containers in circulation that will be in service during the Christmas peak period.

Royal Mail will be looking for Yorks to be filled with the maximum 7 layers of 4 trays (28 Max), wherever possible, subject to safe systems of work, weight constraints of the container and subsequently the vehicle weight limits on to which they will be loaded to comply with Safe Systems of Work and both Health and Safety and Road Traffic Act Legislation.

The introduction of White Sleeves has led to some changes to the way we handle and repair our yorks – whether working with them in Delivery Offices, Mail Centre’s or Hubs.

Please ensure that you are aware of the correct processes when it comes to nesting, handling and repairing our White Sleeve yorks – and that you are reminding your teams to follow these.

York Containers – Use of Shrink-Wrap/Cling-Film

The existing agreed national policy remains as follows “There is no agreement whatsoever to use “Shrink-Wrap/Cling-Film” on York Containers under any circumstances. Also, Opsflash – CPC (2008) No 167 instructs all sites that have received new trays delivered on pallets and shrink wrapped to remove and dispose of the shrink wrap immediately. There are NO circumstances where the shrink-wrapping of Yorks is acceptable. This practice must not be allowed at any RM site.

RSCs Rigid Stackable Container

RSCs are not intended for BAU usage inside Mail Centres and Delivery Offices and are primarily for the Distribution Centres and Parcel Sorting Centres network. However, with a shortfall in Yorks, there may be circumstances which require flows on a contingency basis for the transfer of workflows where there is sufficient space and where risk assessment and Safe Systems of Work requirements apply. In respect of workplace transport hazards from FLTs and crush hazards etc., specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) regulations requirements also apply in these work environments, e.g., high visibility clothing and protective footwear. RSCs may only be used in risk controlled working environments as per the Safe Systems of Work.

FSC Folding Stackable Containers

As Above.

Safe information is located on a plate on the side of the container.

MCs/DOs should not receive FSCs, however, if received they should be returned to the local RDC as soon as possible.

‘A’ Frame Roll Containers

As originally reported in LTBs 838/06 and 840/06, 12,000 supermarket type ‘Roll Cage’ Containers were introduced in 2006 by the Royal Mail Group Procurement Operational Equipment Team, manufactured by ‘Palletower’ and ‘Cargo Pak’. They are intended for internal use (inside Offices) and for storage purposes only, in order to free up much needed York Containers.

Loose Loading of Mail Bags – Christmas 2024

Further to enquiries and concerns raised by Branches and Area Safety Reps in previous years regarding possible loose loading, Royal Mail has confirmed they will be taking a number of steps to ensure that loose loading of mail should only take place in exceptional circumstances, as a last resort due to container supply shortages.

If loose loading must occur, the Manual Handling/Loose Loading SSOW will be adhered to.

Clear instructions have been issued by Royal Mail HQ CPC that should any service which is normally containerised have to be loose loaded, then the dispatching unit must inform the receiving unit in advance so that they can provide any additional staff resources and working arrangements which may be necessary to ensure health and safety standards are maintained.

Plastic Letter Trays

Royal Mail has purchased 603,000 additional trays for 2024/5, these are already in production and will be delivered directly from suppliers during November and December.

Mail Bags

RM International MB4L Bags for Automation (Blue)

RM International use a larger blue bag for use within its Automation Streams known as the MB4L. These bags are not to be used in RM domestic postings and are designed for export only and only to be handled and used within RM International Sites.

New RM MB66 Bags for Automation (Yellow)

RM has a variation of the Parcel Sort Machine (PSM) known as the Solystic phase 2b within some of its Mail centers. These bags are to be used on the machine and the 11kg weight limits will remain. They are a slightly larger bag with a wider neck to allow greater parcel automation efficiency of larger parcels. They should not be used on Drop Bag Fittings (DBFs) for manual sortation. They will be yellow in colour.

Amazon Gaylord Pallets

Amazon Gaylord pallets will once again be used on Parcel Hubs, Super Hubs and PSCs and some Inward Mail Centre traffic streams for Direct Injection traffic and approved flows. For agreed uses and safety information on Amazon Gaylord Pallets please reference attached SSoWs.

Repatriation of York Containers, Trays and Cardboard

To ensure sites are safe and clear throughout our busiest time of year with the largest volume of containers within the network, Delivery Offices are to ensure that Container repatriations regularly take place and are returned to the agreed locations. Repatriated Yorks should be fully nested and consolidated in line with the York SSoW as well as being identified on the Office’s Yard Risk Assessment. This will ensure congestion and potential safety issues are avoided as well as ensuring Royal Mail can maintain York Container supplies to customers in order to deliver a good quality service.

Keeping yorks moving through peak is a business priority to meet customer demand. Failure to utilise York repatriation services to clear offices and any excessive buildup of York Containers within their respective Delivery Offices to container.reporting@royalmail.com including photos where possible, so that they can assist in site clearances and ensure safety and support for the operation and customer requirements.

Contingency Arrangements

Pallets – Transportation, Processing, Unloading and Stacking of Pallets

This year Royal Mail has again faced an increased requirement from bulk customers to accept and process palletised loads, including shrink/stretch wrapped palletised traffic and Cardboard Pallet Boxes from Amazon known as Gaylords. The SSoWs are in place to ensure sufficient up to date information and instruction is available to allow Offices and managers to control safety risks for the specific tasks and ensure the correct work methods are adopted and materials handling equipment is deployed for this increasing area of work to ensure it can be completed safely. The SSoW and associated, embedded SSoWs are attached. This includes the attached documents – Pallet Truck SSoW, DDT SSoW, Palletising of Trays SSoW, and Manual Handling SSoW.

Cardboard RSCs/Cardboard Euro Pallet Boxes/Amazon Gaylord Pallets/ Shrink Wrapped Pallets

As originally reported in LTB 632/05 these types of containers have been successfully utilised during successive Christmas peak periods since 2005 and were introduced to provide contingency ‘back-up’ container assets as York Container use is maximised, as opposed to using Yorks and RSCs when in short supply so these are brought into service and used during the Christmas peak period mainly for customer use. These are used primarily in the RDC, PSC network, RM International BAU streams and used as a ‘contingency measure’ for when demand outstrips supply of Yorks and RSCs for agreed flows – as an alternative.

These variant containers are folding, heavy-duty cardboard containers with the base fixed to a standard wooden Euro Pallet.

For 2024 RM has purchased and will deploy Euro Pallet Boxes during the Christmas peak period. This process/asset is available as a contingency back-up as an additional container type during the Christmas peak period and intended:

For use anywhere in Royal Mail’s network and at large customer premises.
For storage of empty bags and trays to release RSCs into the network.
For conveyance of Customer Parcel Returns.
For conveyance of Customer Collections.
For conveyance of parcels within the RM network (Parcel Hubs, MCs, PSCs & Customers).
For use in RM International BAU flows.
For conveyance of empty bags to customers.
For empty bags, empty trays, and bags of mail.

CRSCs and Euro Pallet boxes are intended to be:

A reusable container and serviceable for over 8 trips per usage.
Used indoors and in the network, but NOT for external storage where they may get wet.
Folded flat when being stored empty.

For agreed uses and safety information on CRSCs, Euro Pallet Boxes, Pallets and loads please reference attached SSoWs.

Operational Waste Management

Operational waste such as cardboard, shrink wrapping will increase over the Christmas peak period operation as we receive increased volumes of parcels and packets from our customers. The business-as-usual process for managing this within the operational sites remains unchanged with an uplift in collections by RMG waste providers in line with forecasted volumes. Additional site clearances can be requested should they be required through the RM PFS helpdesk. Details of the process have been attached with this LTB.

Contacts & Phone Numbers

Should Area Safety Representatives wish to discuss any issues or questions in relation to Container Control or Container Equipment, the following field managers can be contacted for all Royal Mail Container related issues:

National Team Contacts

National Head of Assets Gary Yeo – 07872 636537

National Asset Supply Chain Manager Julie Brown – 07553 379256

National Asset Operations Manager (All sites below) Clare Smith – 07872 816461

Belfast, SDC, Edinburgh, Perth, Inverness Aberdeen, Warrington, Chester, NWDC, NWPSC

Tyneside, Darlington, Preston, Chorley, Carlisle, Manchester, Stockport, Leeds, Bradford, York, YDC, Sheffield, Doncaster and Hull, Nottingham, NEPSC, East Midlands Airport, Crewe, Shrewsbury, HCN, NHCDC, Greenford, PRDC, Jubilee, Guilford and Woking, Derby, Coventry, Leicester, Peterborough, Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich, Chelmsford, Southend, Medway, SEDC, Canterbury, Tonbridge, Croydon, Gatwick, London Central, South Warwick, Victoria, Romford, and Whitechapel.

Container Manager International

Nalin Mandalia – 07715480197

HWDC and LAMU,

15. Health & Safety Processes

From a Health and Safety point of view the CWU Health, Safety & Environment Department will continue our joint work with Gary Yeo RM National Asset Supply Chain Manager and Julie Brown RM National Supply Chain Manager along with the SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) Team and the RMPFS Property Safety and Compliance Team to monitor health and safety throughout the Christmas Operations.

Attachments: