On a practical level, can you offer them use of a shower facility on your site?

Carol - It's a difficult situation you describe and probably not one which readily comes under any OS&H legislation. Some people work in inherently smelly industries, e.g. at animal or fish rendering premises, so intermittent exposure to pungent drivers wherever they come from could be considered relatively minor by comparison. Kate makes a good suggestion for premises with showers to consider extending their availability to visiting niffy drivers. Also, though such drivers are likely to use motorways, it's possible that some might not realise that motorway service stations have shower facilities for truck drivers or know of truckstop type premises. Therefore, it's worthwhile for opportunities to be taken, tactfully of course, to advise such drivers - and their employers - about such facilities. However, on a much more serious note, I suspect that in some or perhaps many cases the highly 'aromatic' nature of the drivers suggests that they have had minimal stops en route (either out of choice or due to time/delivery pressures imposed by their employers) and therefore are very tired. As well as posing a serious risk to themselves, fatigued drivers pose major risks to other road users. Furthermore, according to some TV traffic police documentaries I've seen, truck drivers from abroad have something of a reputation for driving excessive hours and causing serious accidents through fatigue. For a related anecdote, a relative of mine worked for a few years at a firm whose products were collected by lorries from numerous European countries. Structures at the factory loading area plus walls along the slightly bendy but not unduly narrow access road seemed to regularly receive scrapes by the lorries. Though some of these scrapes were probably due to the fact that some lorries were especially large, there was also a feeling that some were due to fatigue affecting some drivers. However, I don't recall my relative mentioning any problem with pongy drivers! p.s. On a general point, there's no ban on serious topics being raised on this forum on this day of the week. Equally, why do some people think that humour on this forum is limited to this day?!!

Change the 'report to the warehouse office' procedure to...... Please report to the well ventilated area a square mile from the office, where an XYZ employee will incinerate your clothes, jet wash your armpits, angle grind your toenails and shot blast your teeth. Once you have donned your clean clothes please report to the ......... Happy MTWTFS&S (so as not to favour Friday Mr Bullough).

Chris42's mention of positive air pressure in offices at #5 reminds me of experiencing an outward draught through the sliding hatches in the customer counters at some banks. Although I thought that this might be related to a security measure against the possible use of noxious gas by thieves, perhaps it's also a response by banks to complaints by counter staff about odiferous customers. Back on topic, stevie40 has offered some sensible suggestions. As for SP900308's suggestions I'll join him/her with two other unlikely and wholly unacceptable suggestions: Firstly provide reception employees with large respirators to don each time they get a whiff of an approaching malodorous driver. Even if there are major language problems, such drivers might get a clear message from seeing the respirators being donned. Also, if this strategy doesn't work, how about installing a sheep dip type faciity below a concealed trap door in the floor along which drivers have to approach the reception area? If one or more employees decide a driver exceeds their niffiness tolerability threshhold, they can activate the trapdoor to cause the driver to drop into a bath of warm cleansing and suitably perfumed water. This provides those affected by the problem with an immediate and direct way of resolving it! Simples as some say, except for the floor slip hazard created after a dunked driver has climbed out of the bath and drips copious amounts of water while continuing to the reception area. :-)

Try this approach: http://www.telegraph.co....r-due-to-body-odour.html

Have a bank of battery operated air fresheners arranged around the hatch window. At the approach of a whiffy driver, a button is pressed releasing pleasant smells into the hatch area. Hopefully it will work on the same principal as air curtains over doors do in relation to heat. Most blokes don't object to vanilla smells, less floral than most lilac for instance.

An interesting web article quoted by Mr.Flibble and one which prompts thoughts such as how can the thrill ride operating company expect to actually enforce its ban on riders raising their arms. Also, there might be scope for companies to market a spray-on product for use pre- and/or post-ride. However, I'll refrain from suggesting other types of physiological "fight or flight" responses which scared riders might exhibit. Also, thank goodness, it seems that the ban on thrill riders exposing their armpits hasn't so far been attributed to "elf n afety" requirements! Also, on a highly topical note, many of the events during the forthcoming Olympic Games will be very sweat-inducing for their participants, especially if the weather is to be hot! Therefore, what measures will there be to protect spectators and athletes from exposure to unpleasant sweat-related aromas? Oh well, at least this shouldn't be a problem at the swimming events. Apologies to Carol B for this digression from your original topic, but it's all part of the wider discussion which your topic was liable to generate.

On a serious note, especially after my earlier whimsical reference to sweating Olympic athletes, it's pertinent to note that newish sweat, alias perspiration, is not offensive. Body odour is actually the unpleasant smell produced by bacteria which colonises and proliferates on old sweat and associated skin and clothing. However, as I'm no expert on such matters, perhaps more knowledgeable forum users can expand on them, including the nature and source of such bacteria, and why they produce an offensive smell.

One could always use the subtle 'zimmy' approach to such situations... ''Oi smelly, get in the shower or I'll drag you in''... May not be the best idea though...

Quite right SP....a slap around the head no good then :-( ops... did I say that

I would get a portable shower unit, and advise all your driving companies of your new facilities for their use when on your grounds.

Walker - Please, change with the times! Lucozade bottles have been replaced as the truckers 'comfort container' of choice by plastic milk bottles. They are much cheaper to obtain and have - ahem - a much wider neck for greater comfort :)

Not so funny for the guys/gals who are tasked with cleaning the ditches/undergrowth that these containers of urine are thrown into. Eye protection. Respiratory protection. Full overalls. You cannot dispose of the urine in the ditch....and the bottle has to be emptied to be disposed of. And it is a big problem. And that is just a number one.....the other is done under the trailer, and remains to be trodden into later in the day/night.