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Heat wave again - what's wrong with wearing shorts?
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Posted By Martin Taylor
Yes it is hot everybody isn't it.
Today I've been asked why our workforce can not wear shorts?
Business is manufacturing and light assembly with forklift operations across site.
Some areas are obvious NOGO for shorts - chemicals - dirt and dust.
I am not comfortable with relaxing current standards but can not really find a solid reason to ban shorts in the general manufacturing areas.
Are there any manufacturing places out there that allow shorts in hot conditions? DO you have any H and S concerns?
thanks
Martin
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Posted By Merv Newman
There are indeed lots of manufacturing situations which allow, nay, supply shorts for use during hot weather.
Unless you are working in a foundry I feel that any additional injuries resulting from shorts versus trousers will be on the level of first aid.
And I include the chemical industry in this as the wearing of clothing is known to be an aggravating factor when an employee is splashed with chemicals. (the time required to get ALL your kit off is the time during which the chemicals are in contact with your soft bits)
Discuss
Merv
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Posted By Kirloo Bap
Yup
Mate from ICI had the same problem and won. They were allowed shorts.
Methinks bare arms, methinks bare legs whats the difference? (hey if you can work out a difference then I say top marks for a cracking risk assessment!)
KB
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Posted By The toecap
The difference between bare arms and bare legs is that arms can and often will be washed when dirty, whereas legs stay dirty all day and if its semi nasty stuff then there MAY be problems. Its down to the environment thats worked in.
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Posted By Raymond Rapp
Have to agree with the previous postings, for most work activities shorts should not be a problem. I think risk aversion can, and is being taken too far. Okay so there is a risk in everything we do, but let's get a grip on reality, and elimante real risks and leave the trivial ones alone. Can you imagine construction workers on the continent being told to wear long trousers?
Regards
Ray
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Posted By Hilary Charlton
I am H&S advisor for a manufacturing plant and our employees wear shorts. We haven't had an accident as a result and we've been doing it for years.
Hilary
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Posted By Julia R
Spare a thought for tree surgeons while you're blithely thinking about wearing shorts to do physical work in hot weather.
Chainsaw trousers are about as warm as wearing a duvet round each leg, and shinning up a tree then carrying several tonnes of timber is likely to be harder work than your average construction worker. How many tree surgeons do you see working in shorts?
Clearly protection needs to be appropriate for risk, but if you'd be better off in overalls then the weather doesn't change that.
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Posted By Martin Mulholland
A lot of the problem, I think, stems from history in which Management is averse to allowing worker freedom. It may not really be about risk at all but more about exercising control.
For example, how many people do you know who work in offices who are not customer-facing still have to wear a tie?
And while i'm at it - apart from a handy glasses cleaner - does the tie serve any purpose at all?
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Posted By Peter Phillips
Explain the difference between shorts and skirts. Neither could I, shorts won. We had male staff threatening to turn up to work in skirts, would have been ammusing but we didn't fancy the bad publicity.
GP
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Posted By Martin Taylor
thanks for the comments - from what has been posted there aren't many safety objections to the wearing of shorts.
Interesting discussions ahead me thinks
Martin
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Posted By EC
Im going to turn up work wearning my national dress the kilt. lets see them ban me for that. i might even be a true scotsman and wear nothing underneath.
Alot of the problems is works safety plans, risk assessments put down as a matter of course PPE, overalls etc without doing a proper assessment. Any officer inspectintg these has to go by what is written down.
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Heat wave again - what's wrong with wearing shorts?
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