The grumpy thread

[Pete-M]

Work! It just keeps on giving!Today was rather hot and humid. That's why our heating was jammed on FULL for the duration then. The controls are in London. They wouldn't shut it off. We couldn't open the windows, for 'Health & Safety reasons' and because the keys for the locks had been 'lost'.If it's like that tomorrow, I will refuse to work.

I'm pretty sure there should be a thermometer in all offices... and there's a maximum temperature...

What is the maximum/minimum temperature in the workplace?The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 lay down particular requirements for most aspects of the working environmentRegulation 7 of these Regulations deals specifically with the temperature in indoor workplaces and states that: During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.However, the application of the regulation depends on the nature of the workplace i.e. a bakery, a cold store, an office, a warehouse.The associated ACOP goes on to explain: ‘The temperature in workrooms should provide reasonable comfort without the need for special clothing. Where such a temperature is impractical because of hot or cold processes, all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a temperature which is as close as possible to comfortable. 'Workroom' means a room where people normally work for more than short periods. The temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius unless much of the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius. These temperatures may not, however, ensure reasonable comfort, depending on other factors such as air movement and relative humidity.’Where the temperature in a workroom would otherwise be uncomfortably high, for example because of hot processes or the design of the building, all reasonable steps should be taken to achieve a reasonably comfortable temperature, for example by: * insulating hot plants or pipes; * providing air-cooling plant; * shading windows; * siting workstations away from places subject to radiant heat.Where a reasonably comfortable temperature cannot be achieved throughout a workroom, local cooling should be provided. In extremely hot weather fans and increased ventilation may be used instead of local cooling.Where, despite the provision of local cooling, workers are exposed to temperatures which do not give reasonable comfort, suitable protective clothing and rest facilities should be provided. Where practical there should be systems of work (for example, task rotation) to ensure that the length of time for which individual workers are exposed to uncomfortable temperatures is limited.References * L24, Workplace health, safety and welfare, (ISBN 0717604136 - available from HSE Books)[1] * Thermal comfort microsite

Tell them to get it sorted. If they're being arseholes with you, be an arsehole back. On this particular one, you've got 'elf 'n' safety on your side

[CIH]

I recall those days;Me (shirt & tie); "christ it's warm in 'ere"Women coworkers (in sandals & vest tops, not nice ones) "What are you moaning for ?"

[Mr H Sceptre]

I worked in Health & Safety for a few years, &, bizarrely, there is a minimum temp. where a workforce will be sent home but not a maximum one. So, unfortunatley there is nowt anyone can do about working in the stiffling heat.

[Pete-M]

Yesterday afternoon I was in Birmingham. That's not why I'm grumpy.A truck went past (the type you see with cubed cars on the back) with what looked to be a recently immaculate W126 560 SEL with the remains of a very shiny Imp dumped on top of it. The Imp looked as if it was mint not so very long ago, the front bumper was shiny as fook, the one remaining headlamp looked almost new and they were obviously scrappage victims on their way to be cubed.I don't normally get upset about this, but from the quick glimpse I had both cars had been proper minters and it was very wrong indeed.Mainly because I like W126s.

[Guest]

I worked in Health & Safety for a few years, &, bizarrely, there is a minimum temp. where a workforce will be sent home but not a maximum one. So, unfortunatley there is nowt anyone can do about working in the stiffling heat.

Aye, I've fallen foul of this before. During the height of summer in '05 I worked at a Co Op Late Shop. The air con stopped working and it got so hot inside that the chocolate on the shelves melted. One of the fridges shorted out and a whole crate full of milk went very manky very quickly.After 4 hours of continually wiping the sweat from our eyelids, and arguing with head office (who refused to send a repair man out), my supervisor shut up shop and sent us all home.I seem to recall him getting absolutely bollocked for it. We lost loads of stock and ended up with seven or eight complaints from the locals because they couldn't buy 87,000 tins of Stella and three pound scratchcards.

[Lankytim]

Hey, CIH. Your porka looks like a write off. I demand you send the N/S/F wing to me!

[Mr Lobster]

NEW CARS - I do not require a light to come on to tell me when I should change up a gear, I can work that out for myself thanks.I've noticed this trend on quite a few cars in the last couple of months and I do find it somewhat condescending. I have also noticed that if you follow the recommendation to change up, in most cars you end up in 4th at approx 25mph which might be GR9 for the environment but not so handy otherwise.

[Cavcraft]

Never thought I'd say this but here goes... Mr. A. Ngry Of-Cheshire, 2, AxeThroughMyEffing Radio Towers, Next-time-you're-getting-my-faeces-through-the-post on sea, England.Dear Bob Shennan,Any chance you could tell Chris Tarrant to let his guest speak more than two ******g words before interrupting them with inane comments/remarks?I mean God forbid that an interviewer is actually allowed to let their guests speak, but this ***t is so annoying I'm actually missing Steve Wright.Please make this *****r go away very, very quickly and never invite him back. You b*****d.Your's, etc.

[pogweasel]

I am with you on the Tarrant thing. Utterly, utterly appalling.Boorish waffle would be bad enough, if he hadn't continually fucked up the job of pressing the right sodding buttons. Songs cut off in their prime, jingles played over and over, or at the wrong time, frankly sloppy and unprofessional. Whilst S.Wright has a tendency towards smugtwattery, at least you get a professional output. The last week of pm's on R2 has been sub-student-radio quality. I would hope that Tarrant is not going to be paid for this abysmal effort.

[trigger]

Glad it's not just me who's me moaning about that twat Tarrant, He just seems to want to talk about himself all the time and about how great he is, Not giving any of the guest chance to talk and generally be-smalling everyone.On the plus side he's been playing a some fooking great songs this week, just a shame you get traffic news jingles over the top of them...

[Rocket88]

^^^^^^^^+ eleventy billion

[AnthonyG]

Glad I haven't been listening to Radio 2 this week then!.Steve Wright does piss me off though, sometimes I'd happily pay the licence fee twice over if they could replace him with someone good like Johnnie Walker.

[RedSparrow]

Glad I haven't been listening to Radio 2 this week then!.Steve Wright does piss me off though, sometimes I'd happily pay the licence fee twice over if they could replace him with someone good like Johnnie Walker.

Steve Wright is a total nobber. What amazes me is that so many people like him.

[MrDuke]

I thought I was the only one who loathed Steve Wright that much. I've never heard anyone outside of tinpot local commercial stations that seems to be so passionately in love with the sound of their own voice. And who the HELL wants to listen to 15 mins worth of f**king horoscope readings? The only saving grace is that sometimes a listener will request some decent tunes for the 'oldies' segment. I suspect he owns mega-shares in the Beeb to have had such a long career in spite of being so bloody annoying.In other Grumpiness: why is it that Morrissons are so utterly facking USELESS at staff distribution. Every time I go in, there'll be at least 4 people standing behind the deli counter rearranging the mini pork pies even though there's only 1 customer queueing, while the checkout queues will be backed up down the shopping aisles because half the sodding tills are closed? You'd have thought that after running a supermarket chain for a few decades, they'd have got their heads around the concept of shift patterns which cater for the busiest times of day.Although I suspect that it's sheer bloodymindedness in their case; when I lived in 'MegaCity 3', they took over the local Safeway, including the only 24-hr garage for over 10 miles, then refused to keep either open after 8:00pm. Eventually, in a burst of generosity, they opened until 9:00pm. How totally disrespectful to the local community can you be? I'd expect that kind of attitude from Tesco or Walm...sorry, Asda, but not 'friendly northeners', as they made out when they bought out Safeway.And black and yellow looks shit. And yes, I am aware that I've just spent far too many lines ranting irrationally about a shop. It made me feel better, whaddyagonnado?

[Mr Lobster]

I simply cannot listen to Steve Wright. I tend to go over to 5 Live for 'Drivetime'. Partly because Peter Allen seems a grumpy old sod and I like that.

[boobydoo]

In other Grumpiness: why is it that Morrissons are so utterly facking USELESS at staff distribution. Every time I go in, there'll be at least 4 people standing behind the deli counter rearranging the mini pork pies even though there's only 1 customer queueing, while the checkout queues will be backed up down the shopping aisles because half the sodding tills are closed? You'd have thought that after running a supermarket chain for a few decades, they'd have got their heads around the concept of shift patterns which cater for the busiest times of day.

Funnily enough, I've started shopping at Morrissons because you never have to queue and the staff are all very friendly. Thats in Letchworth Garden City. I find the produce very fresh and the prices good value I think.I used to go to Sainsburys but you'd spend 10 mins shopping and 30 mins queueing....complete tossers.I hate food shopping at the best of times....complete pain in the a**!!

[Guest]

Hey, I don't mind Morrisons. They do cheap bottles of shandy and have a nicely low-rent chicken counter. Wonder if there's any 24 hour ones though, doubt it.

[ChinaTom]

Hey, I don't mind Morrisons. They do cheap bottles of shandy and have a nicely low-rent chicken counter. Wonder if there's any 24 hour ones though, doubt it.

just wish they would not put the fish counter by the front door. Not as good a greeting as freshly baked bread. Disappointed by the really basic instructions given by the self-check-out machines meaning I have no excuse to call over the 6'2" blonde Polish girl supervisor in the Diss branch

[dollywobbler]

Don't you hate it when a job just goes wrong, then more wrong, then an extra helping of wrong?I scored a BX interior for £50. Proper posh 16v one. Really nice. As the BX estate is a converted hatchback, it should all drop in fine. However, it transpired to be a job of utter fail. Bolts that can't actually be accessed, bolts that sheared, bolts that wouldn't undo without a breaker bar, bits that actually aren't as compatible as they should be, seatbelts that unroll fine outside the car, then don't when fitted. Twice. The effort required to smash said seatbelt, backache from crouching inside a seatless car and then to top it all, the fuse for the central locking, clock and stereo has blown for the third time in two weeks, second time in 24hrs. Gah!

[MrDuke]

The thing is, I only go to Morrisons for the really nice/cheap stuff you can't get elsewhere. Also because our branch is right amongst all the student houses for the local uni, so there's a guaranteed percentage of schwinnnggg every time I go in.Although if I can be bothered with the extra distance, I'll always favour Aldi, closely followed by Lidl. Half the fun with them is that you never know exactly what's on the shelf from week to week. Our local Lidl, bizarrely, has a huge, permanent, 'Mexican' section, along with the de rigeur Polish and Greek stuff. Plus the Aldi southern comfort knock-off is seriously nice.

[Cavcraft]

Don't you hate it when a job just goes wrong, then more wrong, then an extra helping of wrong?I scored a BX interior for £50. Proper posh 16v one. Really nice. As the BX estate is a converted hatchback, it should all drop in fine. However, it transpired to be a job of utter fail. Bolts that can't actually be accessed, bolts that sheared, bolts that wouldn't undo without a breaker bar, bits that actually aren't as compatible as they should be, seatbelts that unroll fine outside the car, then don't when fitted. Twice. The effort required to smash said seatbelt, backache from crouching inside a seatless car and then to top it all, the fuse for the central locking, clock and stereo has blown for the third time in two weeks, second time in 24hrs. Gah!

Been down that road many a time. Those fucking hex bolt things are an absolute nightmare. If you move the front seats to/back you can access the bolts.Regarding the blown fuse the earth strap on these (BXs) are a common fault and it might be worth removing it, baring some metal with a wire brush and then re=applying earth or even adding a new one.

[Guest]

At work, the most lousy day of the year is when the final demands for the annual bills hit - all hell breaks loose and the phones light up with calls full of shrill squeaky-voiced people. That day was today. With the office fully-staffed, it's a nightmare. But imagine my delight to turn up and find that two of my colleagues were off today to play golf (one being the gaffer).Makes me think of all the times I've had to turn up two hours early or move my annual leave around to suit their needs. If they can take the busiest day of the year off to play golf, they can bollocks if they think that's happening anymore.Phones are such a bloody rude invention, I wish they were banned. Imagine if everyone had to write letters, that would be my dream job. I love writing letters back to people, shoving a load of "moreover" and "on that basis" and the likes in there. Ring me up and you can tell I'm not bothered, get me to write a letter and it'll be a work of art. Better service for a better communcations method.

[whitevanman]

I have no excuse to call over the 6'2" blonde Polish girl supervisor in the Diss branch

pictures please dammit...can't not have pics of tall women, it is forbiden

[MrDuke]

Phones are such a bloody rude invention, I wish they were banned. Imagine if everyone had to write letters, that would be my dream job. I love writing letters back to people, shoving a load of "moreover" and "on that basis" and the likes in there. Ring me up and you can tell I'm not bothered, get me to write a letter and it'll be a work of art. Better service for a better communcations method.

I detest my phone at work. Not the people that phone up, the actual phone itself - it has the most rankling, grating ringtone imaginable, in fact I usually end up sounding more rude and irritable when I answer it purely because of the noise it makes. I've asked for one with a quieter ringtone, but no-one can be arsed finding one for me, so I'm slowly breaking the number 1 key; when it stops depressing, they'll have to get me a new replacement.I have been known to write letters purely for enjoyment, particularly to complain about shit. Few things are more satisfying than delivering crushing insults and thinly-veiled abuse in polite, legally inoffensive language. If I had to do it for a living, though, I'd hate it just as much as phonecalls.

[pogweasel]

My phone does the music of "Duelling Banjos" from deliverance. I like that. Somewhere here I have one of those comedy "Karma Chameleon" phones. I think I should put that one in my office, though I would never answer it, just sit there watching it do it's funny dance and seeing it's belly light up "red, gold & green" at the appropriate moment in the ringing sequence.

[brammy777]

I agree with the comment about Morrisons staffing, at lunchtime it can be hugely busy! They do an amazing Chicken and Stuffing sandwich, but the BLT for some reason has an inch thick layer of marg in it, no thanks.All the shite cars go there too.Sainsburys piss me off with that stupid member lane thing, so when theres a massive line of customers they will refuse everyone who isnt a member, typically no one even uses it!

[Claypole]

I have no excuse to call over the 6'2" blonde Polish girl supervisor in the Diss branch

 

pictures please dammit...can't not have pics of tall women, it is forbiden

 

Next time buy either something booze related or if you are being thrifty a packet of seeds - they don't weigh enough for the self service scales to register so get flagged up everytime.

[ChinaTom]

excellent tip - must remember that. I can always impress her with my knowledge of Polish too. (One word actually, Scrap-latch, which is spelt wrong as I insist on using vowels, but means scroll conveyor)Would nip over there now with a camera, but it's several thousand miles away from where I am now, and in this place 4'6" is considered tall. Blondes would be cast out to sea as witches.So next time you're on the A140 fill up with petrol there as it's the cheapest for miles around. Call into the store for a scotch egg and a packet of seeds...

[Lankytim]

A very good mate was killed in his BMW 3 series four years ago, his younger brother was in the passenger seat and was very badly injured and suffered brain damage. The personal injury claim is only just going through and I have been asked to give a statement on what kind of person my mate was, what we got up to, how much he drank when we went out, that kind of stuff. Im guessing that if it can be proven that my mate was a total maniac then it could be said that his brother may have been partially responisble for his own injuries, seeing as he got into the passenger seat of the car with my mate driving to start with. This could give the insurance company a good reason to minimise any dough they give my mates brother. As he has brain damage, and will probably never work again the bill for any sort of compensation could be pretty substantial. No idea what it could be though. 40k, 200k, 1 million quid? Dunno.Anyway. Im being interviewed on Monday and apart from it bringing back the memories of that day 4 years ago I really have no idea what to say or what slant to take. I dont want to say anything that would cost my mates brother money and affect his quality of life. Maybe I should just decline the interview alltogether.

[RedSparrow]

Thats a tough call LT.Can you speak to his family / friends so at least you can all give a similar account?