To be worried about work with the temperature tomorrow

[Freakedoutandannoyed]

I work in the NHS, based in a large open plan office. It’s pretty warm in there generally even when it’s cool outside. I’m really concerned about how hot it is going to be tomorrow and if I have any leg to stand on re working from home?

It will be fine. It’s going to be hot so take plenty of water. But a couple of years ago it hit 40 and we managed.

Most people will feel the same. Im.a teacher no chance of working from.home. Am fat and menopausal too. We will be fine

Is there no a/c or heating controls? Any external doors to open?

Gosh think how Nurses manage running around for twelve hours in thick cotton uniforms. I used to dread it. I do feel for anyone in an office with no air con. We are lucky the air con is decent. My ds is a health and safety officer and was just telling us how he felt bad about asking a heating engineer who was working in 40 degree temperatures in a loft to put his long trousers on ( he had switched into shorts).

Do people always get anxious and concerned about these kind of things? It’s summer, it’s hot, you’ll cope.

Cool clothes, plenty of water, maybe take a little fan?

It’s summer as someone has said. Dress appropriately. Just get on with it. It’s not difficult.

No it’s a room within a corridor of rooms, just small windows on either side.

Can you take in a fan? My air conditioning was broken for three days last week, it got over 100°F all three days and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We kept the curtains closed and used fans and dressed appropriately.

Unless you need a reasonable adjustment because of illness or disability, it’s a bit fragile and pathetic to expect to wfh because it’s hot. There are plenty of people, especially within the NHS, that will have to work in hot conditions tomorrow. Why are you more special than everyone else?

I do all these things but the other week I started to feel genuinely unwell it was so warm. It’s tricky then to see patients and do my job if I feel like I’m going to faint.

Ive also been told that two people last year did in fact pass out through it being so hot so I don’t think I’m being completely ridiculous.

Hydrate well, take a fan. Take a facecloth , wet it and leave in the fridge and pop it round your neck in the hottest part of the day.

If you have flexibility in terms of when you take your lunch break, use that

Your manager knows the forecast. If you were able to wfh they would have already put the arrangements in place. For many people, their homes will be just as warm if not warmer than their workplaces.

You can’t work from home if your job involves seeing patients, obviously. Take a fan in.

There should be a maximum temperature for working in. Every June we have a heatwave and I feel the sweat running down my legs as I teach and hope the kids aren't too aware of how drenched I am.

How would you see patients if you wfh?

Do you have children? Should all the people caring for them be able to stay at home too if they felt a bit iffy from the heat at some point last week?

I’m in a similar situation although we also go out and about.
However I absolutely love the heat and accept that a few hours in the office will be a bit uncomfortable.
I think if you are worrying about it now you need to try and rationalise it.
Plan to find somewhere shady for your break (take your unpaid break even if you don’t normally)
freeze some half bottles of water/squash tonight and top up with cold water in the morning. Home made slush.
Wear something cool I wear a linen dress or trousers.
run cool water over wrists when you go to the loo.

If you are prone to faintness check your blood pressure, eat a bit more salt to counteract the sweating and slow down (if you’re prone to rushing about)

I do a mixture of face to face and online appointments. I think it’s wrong that our office gets so hot though as many of our patients take medication which means that they can easily overheat and then we expect them to come to a building with 30+ temperatures and stuffy.

What has (safe) workplace temperature got to do with caring responsibilities?

You have my sympathy. I find it almost impossible to function when it’s above 23 degrees, especially when it’s humid. I’ve always run hot but now I’m 50 and perimenopausal it’s a nightmare. Keeping hydrated really helps but I struggle to concentrate in the heat and I absolutely dread it.

How can you work from home if seeing patients? I assume your patients will be braving the heat

I used to work in a kid's hospital. I remember during one heatwave, we had staff pass out from heat stroke. Some were doctors. Any fans in the building were for patient use only. No one could bring their own one in as it had to be PAT tested first... and that can take weeks.

My DP is saying he should not have to work tomorrow. He WFH 😂

Unfortunately the UK hasn't adapted yet to the fact that summers are getting hotter.

For a rare day as PP says stay hydrated, take your own fan, cooler clothes, etc.

If this is an ongoing issue ask your office manager to investigate in under H&S workplace regulation. There is no statutory maximum(!) but a number of places will have guidelines and monitoring. As you are with the NHS I would hope(!) there are guidelines around temperatures in areas that patients use.

They do on MN.

It's only a few weeks since people were agonising about cancelling expensive holidays because it was going to be raining/temps were too low. This week there have been numerous people wanting to cancel their holidays because it's going to be too hot.

OP, lots of us are in the same boat. I'm fitting patients for wheelchair accessible cars tomorrow. At least part of the time, I'll be outside.

I'm just planning my clothes - a loose linen skirt and a thin cotton shirt. Light cotton undies, soft leather ballet flats. No synthetic fibres.

Get in early, close the blinds and open all the windows. Let the breeze in but keep the sun out.

Take a 'hot' water bottle with you but fill it with cold water. Place that against your back as you sit. Use a fan if you have one.

Avoid heavy carbs, fizzy drinks and sugar, eat fruit & salads for lunch. Drink plenty of cold water, put a spare full water bottle in the fridge and swap them over so one is cooling while you drink the other.

And move slowly. You'll be fine. So will I.

I'm taking in a nosepeg- the smell of 32 year 9s after they've done PE will be something to behold!