It’s 32° in the office

[ivegottogetaway]

On day one of a ten day heatwave.

No AC is available as it’s a hospital and it’s all (rightly) directed to the wards. No more fans, we just have desk fans that blow hot air at us.

It’s set to get hotter and hotter, the building traps heat overnight and there’s barely any breeze.

AIBU to just want to walk out?! It’s awful

YANBU. Have you tried one of those cooling towels you put in the freezer for round your neck? Or a neck fan? Worth a try! I do sympathise, it must be horrible.

Tr

I have one, I need to remember to bring it in!

Cooling neck towel and a neck fan were my life savers in school the week before last! Along with ice cold water to drink.
Also Ice packs on my wrists and across my lap after a cool shower in the evening to cool me down enough to sleep.

It’s just so draining, sitting in it all day

It’s awful isn’t it I’m not looking forward to this week in school but got my fans charged up and ice packs feeezing! Also a water spray is nice and cooling.

Buy a neck fan, they're great.

Another for neck fans. Take a spare drink thats frozen and keep it in insulated lunch bag. It lasts for hours. Add wipes to the lunchbag and take 1 a time to wipe your face and neck

I feel your pain op I really do. I worked in a hospital for nearly 20 years and each summer it was unbearable even for the patients. I still work in the NHS but this building is temperature controlled because of the equipment kept here. I’ve been here 5 years now and still feel so thankful for the water coolers and reasonable temperature all year round. It’s disgraceful that the government still doesn’t have a plan to sort a/c out in hospitals, care homes and schools where all the most vulnerable people are herded together even though we’ve all been aware that summers will get hotter and hotter. And in my experience it’s only Europe that’s clutching its pearls over the impact ac has on the environment, other countries have it in place and use it freely.

Do the pupils get to use the same things to help them stay cool?

Yes they could bring in a personal fan, we had water play out for every year group and the headteacher had great fun soaking any that wanted it with the hose and our lovely PTA provided ice lollies for all children and staff. They are also allowed to wear PE kit and the 2 days it was really hot it was non uniform with an early pick up at 1.15 for any parent that wanted to but school remained open for anyone that couldn’t!

OP get some hot water bottles. Fill with water and freeze.
Take these to work and use. (You can also top up with ice cubes or a bottle of water from the fridge)

The aircon at work broke a few years ago in the middle of a heatwave. We took towels into work and would wet them and then put them around our necks and on our legs if we were wearing dresses/skirts. We would then have the fan blowing on us (can you take your own in). Another thing is to take frozen bottles of water or those cool box things people use for picnics and sit them in your lap or put on your desk and lean an arm on them etc. Also, are you in the kind of office where people could sit with their feet in a bowl of water? Appreciate it wouldn't be acceptable in many places but would in some when needs must.

Unfortunately I think we all have to get used to this.

• Ensure blinds are closed and windows open
• wear loose light natural fibres, preferably linen
• move slower
• drink lots of cold water
• eat fruit & veg, and protein
• avoid carbs, especially sugar
• wet towels on necks & wrists.

We don't have aircon either, and the office faces south. It's WARM.

did you try the bowl of ice in front of the fan routine yet? worth a try.

I had a big block of ice in front of my fan today. It didn’t do a lot

I was in hospital this morning and the majority of the staff had those neck fans.

The room I was in didn't even have a blind so the staff had put up paper to try and block the sun. I felt so sorry for them in there all day with not even a blind.

OP, just wanted to say that after the last heatwave a few weeks ago, I have told multiple people that some hospitals don't have AC. Blows my mind that you and hundreds (thousands?) of others in hospitals, schools etc. are working in these now normal heatwaves. I created a MM thread about govt. subsidies for AC a few weeks ago and it didn't go well 😂 Not one of the handful of people believed me in real life when I said some hospitals don't have AC!!! You have my sympathies and hopefully we can normalise AC in hospitals, schools, care homes etc. sooner rather than later!

In a hospital? With staff and patients? At work. NO. ALL hospitals in the UK should have AC.

I’ve just bought a handheld misting fan which helps a bit. It might be worth a try.

Yeah but they don't, so that's why she did it 🤷‍♂️

Where is the ice coming from??

I think you meant to reply another PP.

The taxpayer. In the massive fridges that they have in hospitals. We could keep dead bodies and ice together to save money.

We have a small fridge (paid for by staff) that has a tiny ice box in the top. Is that okay?