chris_uk
Premium Member
Registered: 8th Jul 03
User status: Offline
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basically since i have started my new job (march last year) the chairs ay work are i woulndt say uncomfy but not the best shape to sit on baring in mind i sit at them for 9 hours a day.
now since about id say maybe august time ive had a tight chest and every once in a while if i pushed my chest out it would crack, i never really thought anything about it, but its begun over the past 3 months to get gradually worse, the bottom of my spine hurts and my chest pops all the time.
i have seen a chiroractor and he says he getspatients alot with the same and its due to how you are sitting as most of them were office workers.
now 3 months ago i advised my manager that i needed a risk assessment doing to get me a better chair, footrest, even a pillow for my back but nothing was done.. this has been going on for weeks and weeks now. ive told my manager, the head of the unit and the person who has been meant to be getting it sorted for me.
I advised my manager that its got to the point now where i have to slouch in my chair to stop the bottom of my back really hurting, and i advised him that if he didnt sort anything out then i would be taking days off work until its sorted.
well this puched some action and 2 times now a risk assessment has been organised and 2 times it has failed, today being the 2nd time.
i have decided that i am not going to go into work tomorrow (today technically) due to this and i am going to go see the chiro again to see if i can get any written confirmation of what is going on.
Would you say i am within my rights to refuse work, not just because my back hurts and chest pops, but the faact its taken over 3 months to sort out a 5min questionaire!
and to top it off, i was told that even when the risk assessment has been completed.. the stuff i may or may not be getting might take up to 6months to arrive!!!
For those who are too lazy to read.. summary is..
started work, back hurts and chest pops, told them i needed a risk assessment over 3months ago, nothing has been done about it. should i beable to refuse working until the matter is sorted.
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chris_uk
Premium Member
Registered: 8th Jul 03
User status: Offline
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fucking hell.. thats actually alot of txt lol
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Paul_J
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
User status: Offline
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Personally, I'd go to whoever is your health and safety person in the company (probably some bird in hr or something).
I know you could sue them if this is the case and your health and safety person will know this too, hence you explain it all, if it can be proven you never had the problems before working there, then u have a good leg to stand on.
hence u cry to the Health and safety person / legal people and they'll replace the chair in a day 
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Paul_J
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
User status: Offline
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p.s. my last company were so anal about Health and safety and not wanting to get sued, they had to issue statements about 'please don't travel if you think you may be at risk when the weather is bad i.e. snow'
So skipped days when it snowed even tho I could've actually driven to work.
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Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
User status: Offline
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I personally wouldnt refuse to go in, i would go in and tell your boss that after he has ignored your requests you wont be sitting at your desk until someone from healthy and safety has given you a new chair
By not going in you would be breaking your terms and conditions of employment
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12vMatt
Member
Registered: 28th Oct 06
Location: Sunderland
User status: Offline
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if you cant sit at your desk then you cant work, go on Sick Leave until its sorted out
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AndyKent
Member
Registered: 3rd Sep 05
User status: Offline
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Do what Ally says. Go in, go straight to your boss and say if he can find you a suitable chair right now you will work as normal.
If not you continue to risk damage to your back and so you will not be working.
How can he argue - you've given them plenty of time to sort it out and they've not bothered. Their problem, not yours.
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csweatherston
Member
Registered: 16th Jan 06
Location: Devon
User status: Offline
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how many other people do you work with?...do any of them suffer the same problem?
it may fall down to your habits outside of work 
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Andrew
Member
Registered: 5th May 04
Location: Skoda Octavia Estate, Ford Puma
User status: Offline
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I've been suffering from pains in my chest too. I've been putting it down to the way i'm sitting.
What did your doctor actually suggest you can do apart from changing your chair?
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JM Curdy
Member
Registered: 20th Jan 05
Location: Stranraer, Scotland
User status: Offline
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my chest cracked like u described for a while but tht was after being involved in a high speed crash, was really scary the way it cracked
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chris_uk
Premium Member
Registered: 8th Jul 03
User status: Offline
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doctor told me what the problem was called, which i cant remember and said go to chiro.. the doctor is my mum lol.. and she knew straight away what it was..
went to chiro and i told him the symptoms and he confirmed what mum had said and then told me reasons why..
it cant be anything outside work because i have never had this problem before and all i do when not at work is pub or sleep..
i work from 11am till 9pm so there isnt really alot i can do lol
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Carl
Member
Registered: 9th May 04
Location: Jimmy Bennett's la la land.
User status: Offline
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have you got a trade union rep?
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Tom
Member
Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline
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Harsh 
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Jamie
Member
Registered: 1st Apr 02
Location: Aberdeen
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Ally
I personally wouldnt refuse to go in, i would go in and tell your boss that after he has ignored your requests you wont be sitting at your desk until someone from healthy and safety has given you a new chair
By not going in you would be breaking your terms and conditions of employment
I'm with Ally - you really should till go into work and get it sorted
Taking days off will only make your situation worse IMO
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Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
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Probably the VX220 thats giving you a bad back tbh.
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chris_uk
Premium Member
Registered: 8th Jul 03
User status: Offline
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i dont drive it enough to get a bad back from it, and when i do drive it im very comfy.
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