Air con and working from home

[Tony Lockhart]

Jeepers.

I worked for seven years at Dhahran on Tornado aircraft, squadron level for most of it. In the summer, every day is 44°c sometimes over 50°. When you go to an aircraft to work on the hydraulics or near the engines, the aircraft just sees you as a heatsink. No air conditioning. No fans. Just hot air. And then at the end of August the humidity rockets, and as soon as you even think about moving, you’re drenched in sweat. Everything is wet. The aircraft struggle in it.

So although 30 odd degrees and working on Apaches is still a challenge, it’s a piece of piss really.

Just drink water, frequently.

 

[wow&flutter]

I ended up in A&E two weeks ago. I was due to see the nurse to get some blood taken and popped out to a local shop before going. This was around 4pm, got to the shop, felt crap. Took off my bike jacket and helmet and sat for 20 mins in the shade, still not right. I felt better riding to the surgery but when I got off the bike I really wasn’t good.

Nurse took one look and knew I wasn’t right, I asked her to check my bp and it was 90/50 at 140bpm. Way off my normal 125/80 ! Sat for half an hour, no improvement.
Seem by a doc before I left, still 90/50 and was asked the question no one wants to hear. How did you get here!!!

She offered to get an ambulance but after another 20 mins and lots of fluids I started feeling better. Rode home and sat for an hour then got a neighbour to drive me to the hospital.They took Bloods and BP started to climb and felt better by the hour.
Got the full results today, kidney shock, liver not happy and I was dehydrated big style. Change of bp meds and things have improved measurably! Looking for a string bike jacket as I type!

Keep hydrated folks, it gets serious rather quickly!

 

[davidsrsb]

Getting HVACengineering adverts on this thread
Real AC is the only solution in hot and wet conditions like I live in, fans and water sprays don't help at all

 

[gintonic]

Jeepers.

I worked for seven years at Dhahran on Tornado aircraft, squadron level for most of it. In the summer, every day is 44°c sometimes over 50°. When you go to an aircraft to work on the hydraulics or near the engines, the aircraft just sees you as a heatsink. No air conditioning. No fans. Just hot air. And then at the end of August the humidity rockets, and as soon as you even think about moving, you’re drenched in sweat. Everything is wet. The aircraft struggle in it.

So although 30 odd degrees and working on Apaches is still a challenge, it’s a piece of piss really.

Just drink water, frequently.

Having found myself in Riyadh in August, and Kuwait City, temps pushing 50, it is not an experience I would care to repeat.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Having found myself in Riyadh in August, and Kuwait City, temps pushing 50, it is not an experience I would care to repeat.

Thankfully management didn’t apply much time pressure, knowing that it would all go very wrong if they did. I don’t think Riyadh suffers the humidity of Dhahran, but I should think Kuwait can.
For two years at Dhahran I worked in the hydraulic workshop. Air conditioning, tiled floors, clean and cool toilets. Luxury. Out on the squadron I NEVER used the toilets for a poo. Always held on to it.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Keep hydrated folks, it gets serious rather quickly!

When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, I was based at RAF Leeming. A few of the lads were in Cyprus on detachment with a squadron of F3 Tornados, so were sent immediately to Dhahran. After a week or so, a television news team interviewed them, and one guy, Knobby (with a silent ‘y’) told the TV crew that they were already acclimatised so were ready for battle. TV crew thanked them for their time, Knobby turned to walk away, and he collapsed. Dehydration. Two days in hospital.
Oh how everyone laughed.

 

[Weekender]

One of the benefits of working in a converted cellar is no need for AC.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

One of the benefits of working in a converted cellar is no need for AC.

Unless you’ve heat generating equipment?

I bet the cave market is booming right now!

 

[Darren L]

I've worked outside (and I do mean WORKED, heavy, continuous physical work) for up to 16 hrs a day in the summer, sometimes reaching very high temperatures for the UK, my only advice is too drink lots of water and use a sun block.

 

[cutting42]

16 hours..... Luxury

 

[Darren L]

16 hrs a day laying block paving, no luxury involved, and that wasn't just the odd day, that was everyday sometimes, until the job was finished

 

[Seeker_UK]

I worked for seven years at Dhahran on Tornado aircraft, squadron level for most of it. In the summer, every day is 44°c sometimes over 50°. When you go to an aircraft to work on the hydraulics or near the engines, the aircraft just sees you as a heatsink. No air conditioning. No fans. Just hot air. And then at the end of August the humidity rockets, and as soon as you even think about moving, you’re drenched in sweat. Everything is wet. The aircraft struggle in it.

AIUI, when the temp / humidity hit a certain level, the MO could issue an order to cease all heavy manual work. Not if was ops, obviously.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

AIUI, when the temp / humidity hit a certain level, the MO could issue an order to cease all heavy manual work. Not if was ops, obviously.

Yep, the official line was that if the temperature hit 50°c, all non-essential work would stop. And guess how high the temperature went, officially?

We gathered together three calibrated thermometers one day. Alcohol, mercury, and a Fluke. In the shade, 55, all three. Officially, 49.

 

[cutting42]

16 hrs a day laying block paving, no luxury involved, and that wasn't just the odd day, that was everyday sometimes, until the job was finished

I didn't mean to diminish your efforts or how hard it was, it was just that the thread was getting a bit "you think you've had it hard" a la 4 yorkshiremen.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

I didn't mean to diminish your efforts or how hard it was, it was just that the thread was getting a bit "you think you've had it hard" a la 4 yorkshiremen.

Office workers complaining about the heat. No time for them.

 

[cutting42]

Office workers complaining about the heat. No time for them.

We do our bit, I sometimes had to walk from one building to another actually outside !!!!

 

[deebster]

Yeah, and I got a nasty paper cut once

 

[Darren L]

Yep, the official line was that if the temperature hit 50°c, all non-essential work would stop. And guess how high the temperature went, officially?

We gathered together three calibrated thermometers one day. Alcohol, mercury, and a Fluke. In the shade, 55, all three. Officially, 49.

Phew, that's hot, really hot, I don't think I've ever experienced temperatures as high, the only time I was stopped working officially was during a concrete pour of a blast roof, apparently it was -12 c .

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Phew, that's hot, really hot, I don't think I've ever experienced temperatures as high, the only time I was stopped working officially was during a concrete pour of a blast roof, apparently it was -12 c .

I’ve been sat in the back of an open Land Rover, 4am, -14c. No noise allowed, the cold from my 7.62mm SLR making its way through my gloves. At least there was no wind.

 

[gintonic]

We do our bit, I sometimes had to walk from one building to another actually

Kuwait and KSA, I had walk from office to car. Some of the hotels i stayed in had underground ACed car parks.....

I recall being in Doha in about July - temp was abut 45 deg in the shade!, and going to a street market on a day off. I saw a rather nice beaten copper bowl, I went to look when the stallholder shouted t me and gave me a gentle tap on the back of my hand with his cane......it took a minute for the penny to drop, to realise he was stopping me from burning myself.....