Emergency Lighting (Part 2)

[Graeme]

Following on from the thread regarding lighting in a church, I wonder what people may think about provision of emergency lighting in a post sorting office.

I am the owner of the building, and do not 'let' it, or lease it to Royal Mail - I provide the building as part of my contract with Post Office Limited. I provide the building, pay the rates, electricity, heating etc., and POL provide the building to Royal Mail, where seven postmen are employed (by Royal Mail). I am not the employer or manager of the postal staff, but am expected to oversee their work, and report any problems to Royal Mail.

Who is responsible for emergency lighting? Me, the Post Office or Royal Mail? You will appreciate that this is a question which has yet to be answered satisfactorily - Royal Mail insist that it is nothing to do with them, sub postmasters disagree and the Post Office, in their usual fashion, don't want to know. I'd be interested in opinions.

Royal Mail provide fire extinguishers, but not No Smoking signs.

[Andy Hall]

This is called outsourcing.

You can answer the question yourself in a very simple way.

If one of these posties falls down in the dark, breaks their leg and never walks again, which of the parties (Royal Mail, Post Office and you) will end up carrying the can? Keep in mind that these deals are done for reasons of cost saving and offloading of responsibility.

Should said injury happen, do you imagine that these organisations will reach for their chequebooks?

You can do one of four things:

- renegotiate the contract with POL.

- install the lighting and pay for it yourself

- nothing and hope

- give POL notice of termination and offer your services to a professional operator.

[Tournifreak]

I would have expected either POL or RM to do a risk assessment. They are the only ones who know how they use the building, so they are the only ones who can decide whether it is necessary.

But, as owner of the building, I would have thought they would hassle you to get it fitted if their risk assessment deemed it necessary.

If I were you I'd avoid the hassle and do it anyway. People will generally not sue a charity with whom they have sympathy, but will sue their employer at the drop of a hat. Sounds like a lot of hassle for not a huge outlay.

Jon.

[Graeme]

The whole business is a very, very grey area. I think that both PO and RM work on the basis that, if they organise a risk assessment, they can no longer claim that it is nothing to do with them.

True - but I'm not the employer of the postmen, and don't even provide the building, to them.

Indeed. Thanks for both responses.