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?

Can you adjust clothing/switch into scrubs - nice and cool (but shows sweat badly)
Those cooling pads that you get for pets can be nice to sit on (I have one in my pillow case) - don't last long though.
Sounds mad but wet your socks - the evaporation can be nice if your feet get hot and no-one can see it.
When you handwash at the end rinse in cold water for a minute.

Wet paper towels wiped over your neck your forehead, your back - the evaporation cooling effect is short lived but great.
Cold drinks, cold food, cold water - everything you can do.

The wards are often boiling hot - one year they couldn't turn the heating off (don't know why) so had air conditioning units going at the same time as radiators - insane.

It will be a crap day - kids are allowed in PE kits which means that they thinks it’s anything goes. So I will be hot, bothered, surrounded by scents of BO, sweat, Lynx Africa and Victoria’s Secret. And every kid (think I see about 140 tomorrow) will
moan about the heat!!

You have my sympathy! My patients are very lovely 🤣 I just would like to be able to be in a comfortable room where I can concentrate and not feel like I’m going to faint. If that makes me pathetic by MN standards then so be it!

I do feel sorry for you, some people really are affected badly with heat, make sure you drink plenty of water, electrolytes if your BP is low and wicking clothing if possible. My husband works with industrial ovens in this heat and comes home half melted, he has had to send 2 guys home on days like this because they get ill.

According to the gov uk website

There is no maximum temperature for workplaces.
However, all workers are entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard.

Temperature in the workplace: What the law says - HSE

Take a thin scarf with you. Dip in water at work and pop it in bag in the fridge or better yet a freezer. You can use it to cool your neck/hands/face. Keep cooling it when not in use.

Lots of cool drinks. Ice lolly for lunch! Cool little treats to get you through.

We have a new apprentice, started last week. He's still 16. The smell of Lynx Africa nearly floored me on Monday morning. 😁

This is a common problem throughout hospitals. It’ll be much nicer in your warm office than it will be on most of the wards. (I wear compression stockings when it’s particularly toasty at work to help stop the fainting).

We're always so dramatic about a little heat in this country.

I’ve worked on a lot of wards and I’d say this is on par with some of the worst. Not quite as bad as the full hazmat suits in the thick of Covid but no one was expecting us to look presentable then!

And it's a bit daft to force people who are able to WFH to spend the day sweltering if they could do their work in comfort at home. People are less productive when they're struggling due to their physical environment, and people who can't work from home aren't any worse off if the people who can do, so their situations are irrelevant really.

I have to go into the office tomorrow, but I still hope all employers who can allow their staff not to, do so. The fewer on the train or adding to the traffic pollution the better.

In fairness, I’m fine with heat abroad as generally buildings have air conditioning and if I can move about at my own pace, stop etc it’s much easier to regulate yourself than rushing around at work stuck in a very stuffy office that is 30+ degrees.

Bung a couple of disposable water bottles (not fully filled) in the freezer. They'll be lovely and cold most the day.

I work in a school, I am going on a year 7 school trip. They will all be overheated, forget sun cream and water and no doubt lots will feel sick. Working in a civilised open plan office….what a dream!

30+ indoors is pure shite but threads like this always bring out the faux head-tilters going ‘really op? It’s called summer’ when unless you live under a rock you know this country doesn’t have the infrastructure or humidity for 30+ degrees and these intense heat waves are becoming a regular occurrence.

At least you'll be under cover. My poor DH works outside with zero shade and has to wear thick fire-proof clothing. I'm really worried about him working tomorrow, hope he doesn't melt.

Are there blinds in the room? Get in early, open windows , pull down blinds.

It depends on the work too though
my office has no windows, we aren’t allowed fans and can’t control the temperature as it’s all done remotely
so if some idiot sets it to heat or 28c it can take a couple of hours to get it adjusted

I've b2b meetings, all f2f tomorrow. Our offices are glass. No a/c. I find the fan on the floor at my feet and legs best. I've put out a light linen mix dress, can get away with birkies and will get in for 6.30am to get some work/prep done before the day starts and it will be heated in more ways than one.

Roll on Wednesday!

Ah yeah the fan debate in the nhs. We aren’t allowed to bring any in as they need to be PAT tested which can take a long long time. Might risk if for a 🍪 and bring mine in, would rather not have people (myself or patients) keel over mid therapy!

This

I was once a patient in hospital during a heat wave, there was a portable air con unit in each bay which worked quite well. There was some sort of water container inside, and when it was full the unit switched off until it was emptied. Except the night staff all refused to empty it, they were a pretty grim and unhelpful lot generally. Unfortunately it happened to be an orthopaedic ward, I was the only one with working legs ( though only one working arm!). Guess who emptied the unit . 🙂I probably broke about a million h and s rules but it saved us melting.

It is because we are not used to it.

Can’t wait to be in a sun facing classroom with 32 teens tomorrow. It’s guaranteed that every lesson, at least one kid will ask me to put the AC on despite the building never having had AC.

Wear a cool dress, lots of deodorant, hair up and take water. It’ll be raining before you know it!!