TWUG 1 ... Health & Safety Nil

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buggi

Bird Saviour
Location
Solihull
Had a TWUG meeting at work today (two wheel user group) and we were updating the safe cycling leaflet. We decided from a safety point of view that we should include in the employees "must do" bit that they should inform their manager if they cycle to work (in order that their manager can refer them to us, of course, for facilities info/safety advice etc) and the health and safety guy dared to suggest that the manager should be allowed to have the authority to put a block on someone cycling to work if he felt it was too risky.
The whole room went silent while everyone just looked at him in absolute horror! STOP SOMEONE CYCLING????!!!!! :smile:
Then he tried to dig himself out by saying something about it would only be for cases when it was risky... like when someone cycled long distances because of fatigue!
Ha ha... he was sitting next to me... and my round trip is 50 miles. His face was a picture when I told him.
I think he got the message :smile: heehee
 
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buggi

buggi

Bird Saviour
Location
Solihull
LOL. he's not a cyclist poor bloke ha ha. he's quite a nice bloke really. it was just funny the look on everyone's faces.

i think it's funny how people underestimate the fitness of cyclists. i remember someone asking me what i did "last night" and i said "o i went out for a quick twenty miler"

the look on the face as she said "A quick TWENTY miler???????!!!!!!!" :smile: and i just laughed and said "yea, i suppose when you put it like that it's not that short a ride"
 

Simba

Specialized Allez 24 Rider
buggi said:
LOL. he's not a cyclist poor bloke ha ha. he's quite a nice bloke really. it was just funny the look on everyone's faces.

i think it's funny how people underestimate the fitness of cyclists. i remember someone asking me what i did "last night" and i said "o i went out for a quick twenty miler"

the look on the face as she said "A quick TWENTY miler???????!!!!!!!" :smile: and i just laughed and said "yea, i suppose when you put it like that it's not that short a ride"

How long does it take you to do 20 miles? It would take me about 90 minutes.
 
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buggi

buggi

Bird Saviour
Location
Solihull
my average speed is about 15mph (road bike), so about 1hr 20min. suppose it's not that quick lol, some people i know do it in an hour or less. i know someone that can do 10 mile in 18 mins.

but the girl wasn't referring to my time (she didn't know it) she was just referring to the fact that i thought 20 miles wasn't very far. she said she would die if she had to cycle even a mile. I did tell her that there was a time when i thought 5 miles was an achievement.
 

Simba

Specialized Allez 24 Rider
buggi said:
my average speed is about 15mph (road bike), so about 1hr 20min. suppose it's not that quick lol, some people i know do it in an hour or less. i know someone that can do 10 mile in 18 mins.

but the girl wasn't referring to my time (she didn't know it) she was just referring to the fact that i thought 20 miles wasn't very far. she said she would die if she had to cycle even a mile. I did tell her that there was a time when i thought 5 miles was an achievement.

Our pace seems to be quite similar, on my rides I average around 14-16mph

20 miles isn't that far really but, I guess me and you are pretty fit anyway. Last year I thought 5 miles was far as I was very unfit, but now I can do 16 miles in literally 1 hour.
 

BigSteev

Senior Member
buggi said:
Had a TWUG meeting at work today (two wheel user group) and we were updating the safe cycling leaflet. We decided from a safety point of view that we should include in the employees "must do" bit that they should inform their manager if they cycle to work (in order that their manager can refer them to us, of course, for facilities info/safety advice etc)

Are you saying that employees at your place 'must' inform their manager if they cycle to work? WTF? Why? Do you also require them to inform their manager if they drive to work? or use the bus? What if they change from day to day. I mean it's great that you make facilities info etc available but shouldn't it just be available to all anyway?
 
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buggi

buggi

Bird Saviour
Location
Solihull
i ride at 15mph in the morning, sometimes hitting 16, going to work (25 miles) and then on the way home it's only 12-13mph. what's that all about???? not more hilly one way or the other. a guy at work says it's the same for him too Hmmmmm
 
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buggi

buggi

Bird Saviour
Location
Solihull
BigSteev said:
Are you saying that employees at your place 'must' inform their manager if they cycle to work? WTF? Why? Do you also require them to inform their manager if they drive to work? or use the bus? What if they change from day to day. I mean it's great that you make facilities info etc available but shouldn't it just be available to all anyway?

yea we are saying that :smile: but not because we are playing "big brother" or so that work can dictate whether they can ride or not (which was why we looked in horror at the health and safety guy). it is simply so that if they do not turn up to work by the expected time and we know they bike in and can check it out to make sure they are ok. I'm not saying driving or using the bus does not carry it's own risks, but we all know cycling is more risky. Blimey, you only have to read this section of the forum to know that!

Besides, managers don't really give a toss how you get to work but in their "must do's" they have to refer the cyclist to the TWUG group (hence why cyclist should tell manager) as i work at a HUGE place and often when people join, or start cycling, they are not sure how to go about getting a locker etc, and it helps them to have us on their side if they have any problems (we have even liaised with police over problem drivers harrassing our cyclists and that carries more weight than if you go to the cop shop yourself). once they tell their manager they are automatically referred to us. whether they take up that referral is up to them, but at least they are aware there is a group. they have to contact us to get their name down for a locker as we manage the allocation of lockers. also, it helps us budget wise to know who is cycling in so that we can get more facilities out of the company

so yes, we are saying they have to inform us if they cycle in, which i think is perfectly reasonable. We've had two cycle commuter deaths at one of our offices due to hit and runs. certainly, my own team know that if i don't arrive by 9.30 there is quite possibly a serious reason and i could be in a ditch somewhere. I'd appreciate someone coming to look for me.
 
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