The purpose of this post is to advise members as to their rights during heating problems.You are undoubtedly aware that the DWP Estate together with certain functions has been sold off to LS Trillium.
This does not have a bearing upon your rights, and delays in contacting Trillium to restore the heating should not be used as an excuse for inactivity. The employer during several heating failures at Warbreck and other sites has used the cover of the “contract” and sorting out the heating/ boilers as a smoke screen for not taking any action regarding the staff sitting in very cold rooms. At the Norcross Safety Committee meeting on 2nd April 2008 we asked the various Business Units what action they had taken during the winter months due to heating problems. Their answer was none as staff hadn’t reported any problems.
Agreements
Warbreck: The agreement on heating used to be in Local Agreement 5 ‘ventilation and heating at Warbreck House’.
Other Sites: All the other sites will have had their own similar Agreements, however the employer tends to fall back on the Departmental Guidance, or its own made up one.
The Employer's Advice
During the heating failures in previous winters the employer’s advice has included staff wearing coats in the Office due to the heating failures, rather than taking the harder decisions that impact on the clearance of the files and the answering of the phones, i.e. to send the staff to warmer areas such as the canteen whilst the heating is being repaired, or send them home with full flexi credit.
Our Advice
Despite acknowledged difficulties with Trillium we are not of the opinion that any such problems should mean that members’ conditions of service are undermined.
The workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 lay down a statutory minimum of 16C (60.8F). As far as DCS is concerned this temperature should be achieved by 8.00 am. The same will apply to other areas of the DWP who have a 7.00 am start time of their FWH bandwidth.
There were also local agreements, which specify that temperature should be 18.5C (65F) by 8.00 am (as far as DCS and most areas of the DWP were concerned).
If this situation were not met we would, depending on the time and temperature, look to have (i) staff provided with free drinks (ii) sent to a warm area i.e. the canteen (iii) re-housed into warm areas provided that this did not lead to overcrowding or (iv) sent home with relevant flexi-credits.
DO NOT SIT IN SILENCE IF
THERE IS A HEATING PROBLEM
If the situation isn’t timeously remedied contact the H&S Senior or Deputy Senior Site Representatives for your site (numbers below).
If the temperature is below 65F please inform your line manager (or an alternative manager in your line management chain if they aren’t in) and inform your Trade Union Health and Safety representative.
Norcross:Martin Jones, Ext: 63505
Rachel Wallace-Dand, Ext: 60724/62858
Lee Wallace-Dand, Ext: 62796
Warbreck:
Michelle Kenyon, Ext: 61186
Warbreck:
Michelle Kenyon, Ext: 61186
Duncan Griffiths, Ext: 63484
Peel Park:
Janice Gibbons, Ext: 88622
NB: It may be better to ring an alternative Branch number (available on the notice boards around site) rather than leaving a message on an answer phone as any one of the individuals may be out of the office for the day. Only leave a message if no one else is available.
Peel Park:
Janice Gibbons, Ext: 88622
NB: It may be better to ring an alternative Branch number (available on the notice boards around site) rather than leaving a message on an answer phone as any one of the individuals may be out of the office for the day. Only leave a message if no one else is available.
We hope that the above information is useful; if you require any further details, please contact your site PCS Office.
