Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)...

Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:46 pm

Hi, again...

I was employed, for around six months, as an Alarm Response / Patrol Motorcyclist for a large security provider in London.

I was furnished with a Honda 650cc Deauville motorcycle... Adequate for the job in hand, quite fast, easy to manouvere, economical and quite impressive when liveried up...

So... I was informed before accepting the post that the company would supply all of my PPE - Helmet, gloves, armoured jacket and trousers, boots, Hi-vis bib etc...

This sounded cool and I was enthusiastic and somewhat excited to be paid for riding a motorcycle, one of my passions...

I turned up for my first shift, on my own machine, with all my own equipment...
When I asked for my PPE I was informed that I would be taken to the motorcycle shop in the week following to get my kit... As I am a big chap, 6 foot 7 and 300lbs I thought this sensible and rode using my equipment... (I know, I know)...

Anyway to cut to the chase... the firm renaged on it's promise to supply my PPE... I should've run a mile, but the job itself was cool, working on my own a lot, riding in town and into the countryside, lots of spare time...

I kept asking for my gear, and they kept making excuses... they then told me to buy my own PPE and they would pay me back... WHAT £600+++... I was on £6.75 an hour for chrissakes...

Anyway... one morning after a pretty hard weekend, wet too, I decided enough was enough... I penned a letter to my direct line manager... I said that in my opinion they either "could not" or "would not" supply me with the appropriate PPE and threatened to initiate grievance procedures...

I wa called later that day to ask me to attend work at 4pm instead of 6pm as rostered...

When I arrived I was ushered to a meeting room where in the presence of
a senior manager I Was made redundant...

"We're getting rid of the motorbikes..." he said...

I was then offered a return to my previous assignment which I took...

Has anyone else experienced this type of treatment in regard to provision of PPE...

What would you have done...

Please comment...