To think we shouldn't have to work on 33/34 degrees without air conditioning?

[newfunahead]

It's boiling hot in my office we have fans which blow around hot air and that's it! I can't concentrate and actually feel sick!

We need real air conditioning before I faint

I’m heavily pregnant and work in a hospital without air conditioning in many wards. Ward temperatures are reaching dangerous temperatures for patients and staff. Thankfully I am mostly community based currently but I don’t have air con in my car and running around carrying heavy equipment is hardly ideal either. I probably could call in sick but like the rest of the NHS, I just have to get on with it really as otherwise I’d be failing my patients.

I think employers should have to make reasonable adjustments - temporary fans/air con units, changes to uniform or dress code policy, offering working from home where sensible... but I don’t think the country can just grind to a halt because it’s warm.

Newfunahead

Do you work in my office? Hospital?

We did try to get a portable aircon unit but they were all in patient areas.
The most irritating thing is that the office outside have air con but keep turning it off/on and then opening windows which defeats the whole purpose!

Just leave it on low and it will maintain a cool temp.

The building site on the corner of the road near my office has shut down for the afternoon, the gates are closed and they've all gone. Don't blame them.

There are laws about temperatures you work in.
OK then...... after a google search maybe not.

During working hours the temperature in all indoor workplaces must be reasonable.

There’s no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures, eg when it’s too cold or too hot to work.

However, guidance suggests a minimum of 16ºC or 13ºC if employees are doing physical work.

There’s no guidance for a maximum temperature limit.

Employers must stick to health and safety at work law, including:

keeping the temperature at a comfortable level
providing clean and fresh air
Employees should talk to their employer if the workplace temperature isn’t comfortable.

Incy - I was pregnant in summer that was no where near as hot as this one I can't imagine how exhausted you must be feeling!

And those poor patients with aircon we just aren't prepared for this weather

Mother I don't work in a hospital but my office is insanely hot

Horn - I don't blame them either I heard of a lot of builders have recently got sunstroke

Hells - I heard on the news today they are taking about bringing in maximum working temperatures but I guess we will be back to cold weather by then

Nursery asked us to pick up early yesterday and today as it’s too hot for the kids and the staff!

OP, I agree with you. I feel like shit and I can't concentrate. Annoyingly, we do have provision to work from home but we need permission!

I'd literally be working in my undies lol

Oh I wish we could swap, my work is freezing. I work nights, so the temp naturally drops and there’s 2 of us in the office so hardly stuffy. AC is on full blast constantly (including in the winter).
Most nights I sit with a thick fleece on, and a long jumper covering my legs. My colleague wears long johns.

I don’t understand why it’s so difficult for employers to get it right! I wish they’d just bring in laws about temperatures already.

Can you try one of those little fans? They’re not the greatest but give a little breeze atleast.

The temperature in my classroom was horrendous but we were told by SLT that we couldn't have fans due to health & safety. Naturally, all the SLT offices have air con.

I heard on the news this morning that the government may review a maximum working temperature as this heatwave may become the norm in years to come.

Also I imagine if we start having summers like this regularly a lot more places will install permanent AC.

We had this a few years ago before our office had air con installed and it was 30+ degrees. We were told we could work from home but in all fairness my home was just as boiling as the office, so it made bugger all difference.

I used to fill a washing up bowl with cold water and put it under my desk, where I also had my fan. I'd put my feet in the water and have the fan on and that really helped. I also had one of those physio ice pack things which I used to keep in the freezer in the work kitchen & I'd wrap it around my neck when I really started to bake and again that helped too.

The mobile air con units are really effective (I have one at home) - not the shit ones that you put ice into but the proper units where you have a pipe that takes the hot air outside. If you can persuade your office manager to buy one they are well worth the investment. Mine at home is 15 years old now & still going strong.

We have summers like that regularly and our schools don't have aircon.

OTOH they do finish school late June, which helps a bit, but even so they have some very hot weeks.

DS's classroom was in a mobile unit one year and his teacher was heavily pregnant and the school wouldn't allow us to bring in air conditioning units. I felt for them all.

theres nothing we can do about the temperature at our place. we do all we can but its not made a difference

what would help is if the grumpy customers didn't make us feel worse by moaning that their non essential 20 min shopping trip with us has made them feel hotter!!!!

bugger off and stay at home then!!

Work for royal mail. We just get told to put Sun cream on and carry lots of water. It's a fucking nightmare in this and the public are still grumpy and unappreciative.
Theres a couple of pregnant post ladies and they are still out in it doing the same job as everyone else which I find an utter disgrace.