Health and Safetly Issues

[Generalist]

You leave the chair at the office, not travel up with it each day

THAT explains why you bought 2 chairs . In practice though many firms would not allow you to provide your own chair on health & safety grounds. It might not conform to EU standards for office furniture and if someone else sat on it and somehow injured themselves you could be liable. And you would have to prove it was yours when you try and remove it from the premises at the end of the contract.

[ASB]

They don't have the same reponsibilities

Not directly no, but they still have the same effective responsibilities. H+S extends to everybody using the facilities whether employees, contractors, customers or the local travelling circus.

[tim123]

And you would have to prove it was yours when you try and remove it from the premises at the end of the contract.

Speaking as someone who also suffers with this problem. If it's a choice of writting off the cost of a chair or not working for six months whilst I recuperate, there is no competition.

Fortunately, the current client supplied a nice chair and all I will have to argue over is then ownership of: keyboard, wrist-rest, padded mouse mat and the book that raises up the (supplied) screen.

tim

[vetran]

OOPS sorry

Wrong forum.

I'll use my CUK posting template

It's the (Delete as appropiate) Immigrants, New Labour, House Prices, NeoCon conspirancy, weather.

It didn't (delete as appropiate) Happen in my day, happen when Maggie was in power, make any sense, need to have happen if they had hired a contractor.

I would (delete as appropiate) ask for pictures, enquire about anal fisting, pop in my time machine and sleep with Pussy Galore, correct spelling and grammar, check bottom sizes.


HTH

[Troll]

I have started a new contract and have to work on site. I have a crap chair and a bright light glaring into my eyes and the desk is so low it gives me a back ache, making the work situation impossible. It cetainly does not meet standard health and safety/ ergonimics. I have asked several times for someone to look at fixing itm but nothing has happened.

As you can tell, I am something of a fragile beast, not built for the strains of office work. . I have already finished a packet of pain killers just to be able to remain at my desk for the past few days. If I was permie I would certainly shout out about it and would consider taking time off sick until it was sorted out. But, being self employed, I don't have the option.

Anyone any ideas as to how I stand in getting this sorted out? Does the client have the same responsibilities to me as to a normal employee?

Delicate little wallflower aren't you?

[Miss Ellie]

Go and talk to your hiring person and whoever else you may need to ( facilities or HR) and inform them that you are bringing in your own stuff so you can work without difficultly i.e. book or other solid structure to lift your monitor up, screen shield for the glare. Say they can inspect it if they want. Also put your company name on it in permanent marker/tippex to make it clear that it's not their equipment.

If they are difficult follow your request up with emails to the same people, on your email ensure you put in the words "The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992" and mention that you are stuffing from neck ache and eye strain.

Most companies are not difficult if they don't have to pay for it and you are not altering their equipment. Unless you are very tall or have a recognised back problem (i.e. been to the doctor) then you are not likely to need a chair.

If they are really difficult then you are going to have to consider leaving them. However before you do so you need to ensure you have told them a lot (hence the emails), seen a doctor (and told them this in writing), seen an optician (and told them this in writing) and a lawyer to ensure you can claim compensation for their breach of contract.

Before I got into this IT lark about 10 years ago I worked in facilities doing stuff for VDU assessements. The company, a bank, would have got sued by some employees if the employees' union hadn't got involved because they failed to take them seriously over this.