Air con at work.

[rambo]

Hi guys, need some advice.

 

I'm a london bus driver.

 

All our buses have air con for the driver, however, the buses on my route only about 3 out of 15 have working air con.

Most, when you switch the air con on blow out HOT air.

 

The buses have been reported countless times for non working air con.

 

Today, both buses I drove had non working air con, and, tbh, if my shift was any longer, I would not of been able to carry on driving.

My arms felt like lead, I felt very tired and larthargic, and was losing my concentration.

 

If This happens again, I will stop driving and refuse to carry on for safety reasons.

 

My question is this, do my company still have to pay me?

I'm not going 'sick on duty', i'm happy to carry on driving, as long as the bus has working air con.

 

Your thoughts?

[scoobied]

Hi guys, need some advice.

 

 

 

I'm a london bus driver.

 

 

 

All our buses have air con for the driver, however, the buses on my route only about 3 out of 15 have working air con.

 

Most, when you switch the air con on blow out HOT air.

 

 

 

The buses have been reported countless times for non working air con.

 

 

 

Today, both buses I drove had non working air con, and, tbh, if my shift was any longer, I would not of been able to carry on driving.

 

My arms felt like lead, I felt very tired and larthargic, and was losing my concentration.

 

 

 

If This happens again, I will stop driving and refuse to carry on for safety reasons.

 

 

 

My question is this, do my company still have to pay me?

 

I'm not going 'sick on duty', i'm happy to carry on driving, as long as the bus has working air con.

 

 

 

Your thoughts?

 

 

 

 

Does the company have a VOR policy - ie a list of faults a driver can VOR for and faults that shouldn't be VOR'd? If the a/c is on the VOR list then you're sorted. If not look at H & S policy re max and min working temps. I assume that temp in cab is around or above 30c so you may be able to argue it. However I suspect you'll probably just have to keep driving in which case get some oral rehydration salts sachets from chemist/supermarket mix them in several bottles of water and drink during shift. Also freeze some bottled water overnight and take with you as that'll take most of day to defrost leaving you with cold drink.

[rambo]

No VOR policy.

Also, no maximum working temp in law.

[honeybee13]

Do you have a union, rambo?

 

HB

[rambo]

Garage union is unite, but, to be fair, what can they do?

[Mr Happy]

Rambo your company have a duty of care towards you, they also have a duty of care towards all other people your acts or omissions may affect.

If you have an accident caused by your loss of concentration due to heat stress the company can be held liable, should you cause a death the company director can receive a heavy fine or imprisonment, this can be a difficult one and a slightly grey area because motor accidents are normally dealt with by the police and not currently the Health and safety executive.

 

Some information that may help about working temperatures and illness caused is available here .

 

You may also have some protection under the provision and use of work eqipment regulations section 4 more details here.

 

These are all open to interpretation but you can use them to encourage the company to repair the vehicles air conditioning.

 

Edited

If you do walk out and stop work they do not need to pay you, if you make them aware that you are suffering from heat stress and they do nothing to help, if you are off ill confirmed by a doctor you will have a case for a civil claim for compensation for loss of earnings, there is a case law relating to this and I will post as soon as i find it.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Mr Happy

[rambo]

cheers mr happy.

 

It's soooo annoying, for how often we need air con, is it really asking to much to have working air con.