This is what can happen when you mix a jobsworth with the summer heat and forget common sense.....
A bit of background...
Currently it is hot and sunny in the UK. Not as hot as some places but at work it is hot enough! In the late 20s celsius to be precise. The area I am currently working in has over 80 staff (from at least 3 different departments) in the unit and 1 small unventilated kitchen which contains 2 microwaves, a 4 rack toaster, a fridge, kettle and hot water boiler which is like a permanent kettle and is stocked (by the tea club) with various fruit drinks as well as tea and coffee supplies. Since I started working on the unit in January I had noted that the kitchen door was always kept closed and it was always quite hot in the kitchen.
This morning after checking my work emails and answerphone for urgent messages I went to make myself a cup of coffee. There was a lady from one of the other departments in the kitchen. It was amazingly hot. Fortunately she did not faint, but told me she had last year when it had been hot. In my innocence I asked why the door was not propped open and was told because the Health & Safety bods and Fire Officer insisted it be kept closed. I suggested we prop the door open as it was becoming almost unbearable just standing in the small area. We could not find a door stop so used the bin to prop the door open! I then informed the Office Manager what we had done (I have to pass her desk to get to my office) and was asked to tell the overall boss so I did. Instead of being told off (as I think the office manager thought I would be) I was asked to inform the fire officer of my actions and ask him for his suggestions/advice as the kitchen was in effect unusable with the door closed but propping the door open was supposedly illegal. I duly rang the fire officer who wanted an incident form completing and a note putting on the door so that everyone knew what had been done and that he was aware. He told me approx £200 would solve the problem and that an incident form would help make a case. All this was duly done and myself and the overall boss had to be put down as witnesses to the incident.
Fast forward a few hours and a lovely jobsworth comes along and ignores what has happened and ignores the notice and closes the door. When I found the door closed and the heat now even hotter than first thing I asked him to help me prop the door open and managed to politely say I did not want a repeat of the earlier palaver. He looked a bit guilty and them came up with the most stupid (trying to be polite here) excuses. Eventually he went and got a proper door stop which was used instead of the bin and agreed to read the notice and agreed that if the fire officer was aware perhaps the door should be open. How I wanted him to be the person who passed out in the heat (sorry not very nice of me but I was so annoyed by this time at the lack of common sense)!! The note on the door was added to with highlighter and lo and behold the door stayed open all afternoon and the temperature reduced to a more comfortable level.
The door was closed when we left for the day and I now wait to see what happens tomorrow.
I keep thinking shouldn't kitchens have some ventilation? In a similar kitchen upstairs from our unit the kitchen has two windows in it, which are always open, and the door is always propped open. I feel Health & Safety has gone mad when it makes getting a drink unworkable and in order to ensure you stay hydrated in hot water aren't you supposed to drink more liquids?
Moan over!! I'll leave you in peace now. *g*
Currently it is hot and sunny in the UK. Not as hot as some places but at work it is hot enough! In the late 20s celsius to be precise. The area I am currently working in has over 80 staff (from at least 3 different departments) in the unit and 1 small unventilated kitchen which contains 2 microwaves, a 4 rack toaster, a fridge, kettle and hot water boiler which is like a permanent kettle and is stocked (by the tea club) with various fruit drinks as well as tea and coffee supplies. Since I started working on the unit in January I had noted that the kitchen door was always kept closed and it was always quite hot in the kitchen.
This morning after checking my work emails and answerphone for urgent messages I went to make myself a cup of coffee. There was a lady from one of the other departments in the kitchen. It was amazingly hot. Fortunately she did not faint, but told me she had last year when it had been hot. In my innocence I asked why the door was not propped open and was told because the Health & Safety bods and Fire Officer insisted it be kept closed. I suggested we prop the door open as it was becoming almost unbearable just standing in the small area. We could not find a door stop so used the bin to prop the door open! I then informed the Office Manager what we had done (I have to pass her desk to get to my office) and was asked to tell the overall boss so I did. Instead of being told off (as I think the office manager thought I would be) I was asked to inform the fire officer of my actions and ask him for his suggestions/advice as the kitchen was in effect unusable with the door closed but propping the door open was supposedly illegal. I duly rang the fire officer who wanted an incident form completing and a note putting on the door so that everyone knew what had been done and that he was aware. He told me approx £200 would solve the problem and that an incident form would help make a case. All this was duly done and myself and the overall boss had to be put down as witnesses to the incident.
Fast forward a few hours and a lovely jobsworth comes along and ignores what has happened and ignores the notice and closes the door. When I found the door closed and the heat now even hotter than first thing I asked him to help me prop the door open and managed to politely say I did not want a repeat of the earlier palaver. He looked a bit guilty and them came up with the most stupid (trying to be polite here) excuses. Eventually he went and got a proper door stop which was used instead of the bin and agreed to read the notice and agreed that if the fire officer was aware perhaps the door should be open. How I wanted him to be the person who passed out in the heat (sorry not very nice of me but I was so annoyed by this time at the lack of common sense)!! The note on the door was added to with highlighter and lo and behold the door stayed open all afternoon and the temperature reduced to a more comfortable level.
The door was closed when we left for the day and I now wait to see what happens tomorrow.
I keep thinking shouldn't kitchens have some ventilation? In a similar kitchen upstairs from our unit the kitchen has two windows in it, which are always open, and the door is always propped open. I feel Health & Safety has gone mad when it makes getting a drink unworkable and in order to ensure you stay hydrated in hot water aren't you supposed to drink more liquids?
Moan over!! I'll leave you in peace now. *g*