Overheard a heated coversation between a TM and driver about the driver having a night heater in her cab. Her shift is 8 hours possibly sat on a loading bay max 1-2 hours. No night out involved,and canteen toilet facilities are available at all times.
So is a night heater legal requirement or will a cab heater (normal fan) suffice.
Ken
I have never seen any rules that state a night heater must be fitted to any vehicle, wether it does nights out or not
The only legislation relating to the temperature of a workplace says that it must be a minimum of 16 degrees C. That may come into play in this instance if the driver concerned cannot run the engine. It comes under the Health and Safety at Work Act IIRC.
Lucy:
The only legislation relating to the temperature of a workplace says that it must be a minimum of 16 degrees C. That may come into play in this instance if the driver concerned cannot run the engine. It comes under the Health and Safety at Work Act IIRC.
Sorry, but incorrect, the relevent legislation is the section 7 of the Workplace (Health, safety and Welfare ) act 1992…
It says in the act that the temperature in a work place must be “reasonable”, the code of practice says 16 degrees, or 13 degrees where manual labour is atking place
HOWEVER
the act only affects workplaces “in premises”
Vehicles are exempted from the relevant sections of the regulations
(3) As respects any workplace which is or is in or on an aircraft, locomotive or rolling stock, trailer or semi-trailer used as a means of transport or a vehicle for which a licence is in force under the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971[6] or a vehicle exempted from duty under that Act–
(a) regulations 5 to 12 and 14 to 25 shall not apply to any such workplace; and
(b) regulation 13 shall apply to any such workplace only when the aircraft, locomotive or rolling stock, trailer or semi-trailer or vehicle is stationary inside a workplace and, in the case of a vehicle for which a licence is in force under the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971, is not on a public road
Bugger. Bang goes my “Supermarket Strike” until you fit me a decent heater in the Landy then… 
This one is right up there with the you can only do nights out if you have a SSC/Globetrotter/Topline/Megaspace/MinesBiggerThanYour’s cab one. Wishful thinking, no more than that. 
I am sure there is a regulation about having night heaters in Austria as about 12 years ago I was stopped and during the vehicle check they tried the night heater, it was working so no problems, but I asked what would have happened if it wasn’t and was told I would have been parked up, put into a local hotel and have to get it fixed before being allowed to carry on. But that is Austria on nights away work, and this is England
Quinny:
Overheard a heated coversation between a TM and driver about the driver having a night heater in his cab. His shift is 8 hours possibly sat an a loading bay max 1-2 hours. No night out involved and canteen toilet facilities are available at all times.So is a night heater legal requirement or will a cab heater (normal fan) suffice.
Ken
He wants a ferking night heater !!! I think he wants to get himself a pair of gonads…there are children sleeping on the streets of this country in these conditions andn countless number of OAPs that will suffer extreme hardship through the coming winter and I could go on but I won’t.
Hard to imagine the context in which this conversation took place but it makes my blood boil when I hear wining like this.
Sounds like a jelly looking for a spine to me 
Don’t sit on the fence coder, say it as you feel it.
Coffeeholic:
Don’t sit on the fence coder, say it as you feel it.
WELL ! !!! I CAN’T MY BREATH SOMETIMES when you hear clowns like these in drivers restrooms
Coffee this has got to sit in the biggest p.take of 2007 …Im all for Elf and safety but these type of drivers make me wanna chuck !!
I bet he wears a hi vis best in bed with the missus and checks the room temperature before nooky 
rant over sorry 
thecoder0:
rant over sorry
Don’t be sorry, I agree 100% with you.
jimti:
I am sure there is a regulation about having night heaters in Austria as about 12 years ago I was stopped and during the vehicle check they tried the night heater, it was working so no problems, but I asked what would have happened if it wasn’t and was told I would have been parked up, put into a local hotel and have to get it fixed before being allowed to carry on. But that is Austria on nights away work, and this is England
Im not sure whether it is a legal requirement. I doubt it, but you will get nicked for running your engine to keep warm in Germany or Austria when parked for the weekend
Quinny:
Overheard a heated coversation between a TM and driver about the driver having a night heater in his cab. His shift is 8 hours possibly sat an a loading bay max 1-2 hours. No night out involved and canteen toilet facilities are available at all times.So is a night heater legal requirement or will a cab heater (normal fan) suffice.
Ken
Wheelnut…this geezer sounds like he is sat in an RDC or similar canteen facilities toilet etc etc…
I don’t think ARLA do much German or Austrian work
What more does he want a RUG for his knees …Jeezus !!! 
steady on Coder
montana man:
:shock: steady on Coder
thecoder0:
I bet he checks the room temperature before nooky
you don`t want your arse getting cold while in the throws of passion
quick get the temp guage out … it IS saturday afterall
It’s actually one of those problems which can be very easily solved with a bit of diplomacy and politeness on his part. If there are canteen facilities he can sit in, then his problem is solved. If there aren’t, and it is genuinely brass monkeys out, why doesn’t he try politely explaining his predicament to the goods-in staff and arranging to keep his keys so he can run the engine periodically?
And, no. This isn’t a pie in the sky suggestion. I speak from experience here. Part of my dreaded medical condition (YAWN) is a complete inability for my body to control it’s own temperature once it reaches certain levels. So if I get too hot, I get dizzy and start to pass out. If I get too cold, I go as stiff as a board with agonising pain. Once I reach either extreme it can take several hours to put right again.
Now, this has caused me concern both in summer when the cab has been like an oven, and in winter when my night heater has failed and I am waiting to get back to base for a repair. In both situations I have explained this to the staff concerned and they have allowed me to keep my keys, warned the loading/tipping team that the engine may start periodically, and I have given a solemn undertaking not to move off the bay until one of the actual team comes out and tells me to - regardless of red/green lights, whatever.
If you negotiate this sort of set-up politely and with understanding reference to their H&S rules, they invariably help you reach a solution. Ask, don’t demand, is the key. It may be different for me because I have actual medical grounds to be making these requests, but it has to be worth a try.
Quinny:
Overheard a heated coversation between a TM and driver about the driver having a night heater in his cab. His shift is 8 hours possibly sat an a loading bay max 1-2 hours. No night out involved and canteen toilet facilities are available at all times.So is a night heater legal requirement or will a cab heater (normal fan) suffice.
Ken
my first night out job was in a day cab up to three times a week and yes i lived in the cab had a few jobs like that
but now i have the wisdom to ask all the questions at the interview and say no thanks before i start 
but a driver that cant do an 8 hour shift without a nightheater is (leave it to your imagination)
He wants a ferking night heater !!!
Err…
The he,is actually a she.
Ken.
Quinny:
He wants a ferking night heater !!!
Err…
The he,is actually a she.
Ken.
Ah, a girl. explains a lot. When I first read this thread I though to myself, what is he, a girl, turns out I was right.