Worker criticises Argos distribution centre in Bedford for contravening 'health and safety laws' during pandemic

A worker at Argos distribution centre at Marsh Leys in Kempston has blasted the company for not ensuring staff's safety during the coronavirus lockdown.

The worker - who wanted to remain anonymous - said: "I am employed by DHL. Our distribution centre is a two man operation with heavy goods of over 50kg.

"It involves many teams working together, separated in an eight hour shift by no more than a foot apart on a machine. We have many agency on a daily basis walking into the building and are being employed - complete strangers. These agency workers are currently being asked to work with DHL staff, within a vicinity of no more than 30cm apart to lift heavy goods."

He claimed that while DHL staff are refusing to work with anybody within two metres, DHL management is asking those that do not want to work within two metres of a colleague to work by themselves, and lift items ranging from 35kg to 80kg - contravening all legal health and safety laws.

He said: "We have no choice. We either have to work for eight hours a day within two metres of a colleague, or lift items that have been deemed to be unsafe for just one person.

"All of the items within the Argos distribution centre at Marsh Leys are non essential - furniture flat pack, garden items, freezers.

"We have complained and made clear to senior management within the business that our employer has currently a ‘duty to ensure that people are more than two metres apart’ but it cannot possibly ensure that unless we work against health and safety laws."

According to Government guidelines - issued last week - if you do go out, you should stay two metres (6ft) away from other people at all times.

A spokeswoman for Argos said: "Like many other online retailers, we are selling essential products for the millions of people now living and working entirely from home. This includes products for the home office, for educating and entertaining children and for families to stay fit.

"The safety of colleagues who are helping us to deliver this service is extremely important and we have introduced a range of measures to protect them. This includes providing hand sanitiser, making more gloves available to colleagues who wish to use them and ensuring everyone follows social distancing guidelines.

"The Marsh Leys site which supports the delivery of larger, heavier items is no exception to this and a number of new ways of working have been introduced to limit the amount of time that colleagues work in close proximity, keeping it far below the Government’s guidance of 15 minutes.

"For example, colleagues are no longer permitted to operate machinery together – one colleague is responsible for driving while the other walks a safe distance behind. Also, where more than one colleague is needed to safely deliver an item, these colleagues will travel to a customer separately before spending a brief time together taking the product off the delivery van to the customer."