A former Bunnings staff member has raised their concerns for staff working in the heat. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
The mercury passed 40 degrees in Wagga for the first time in four years on Monday (27 January) and with the extreme temperatures, came concerns for the city’s Bunnings warehouse workers.
A regular shopper and a former Bunnings employee questioned the store’s heat policy as workers dealt with the gruelling temperatures.
Lockhart resident Leanne Shilo first raised the issue during a recent visit to purchase hose fittings at the Wagga store.
“I felt sorry for the workers having to be there in the extreme heat,” she said.
“I know there’s not much you can do when, in reality, it’s a tin shed, and it’s impossible for them to close down because of the extreme heat because it would cause an uproar.
“But [21 January] it was a hot day. My personal experience was that I was only standing there looking at hose fittings and there seemed to be absolutely no airflow or anything; it was quite concerning, and I felt sorry for the workers as they have to work, especially with the cost of living.”
A former Wagga Bunnings employee agreed with this sentiment, claiming it was a difficult place to work during hot days and that more needed to be done to look after staff.
“It feels like there’s no air-con at all and that’s not just in Wagga but in most Bunnings stores,” said the man who wanted to remain anonymous.
“If you’re lucky, you may have a fan in your aisle but it does f*** all. Sometimes, you’d get a Zooper Dooper or be allowed to take random breaks but that doesn’t mean a lot when it’s 40 degrees and you’re pushing a bunch of trolleys.
“They did have certain heat restrictions in place but they’d never close the stores. You still have to unpack all the crates and put stock away, stuff that was exhausting at the best of times.
“Some days it felt like, here’s a hydrolyte and a glass of water, good luck!”
Ms Shilo posted her concerns on a Wagga social media page, on which more than 80 people commented on the store’s high temperatures.
“Some previous staff members did enlighten me to the fact that Bunnings do care for their workers and they provide hydration and cooling cloths,” she said.
“There was a percentage of the public who replied to the post, saying that we need to ‘harden up’ and deal with it. I was just having a rant with my personal opinion.”
Region contacted Bunnings for comment about staff and customer policy.
“The safety of our team and customers is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive ‘Beat the heat’ policy which helps guide stores on the best actions to take in the event of extreme heat,” Bunnings Regional Manager David Williams said.
“Given the large and open layout of our stores, we recognise that temperature control can be challenging, especially on hot days, so we are always looking at ways we can keep the team as safe and comfortable as possible.
“In addition to evaporative cooling at our Wagga store, we provide drink stations, electrolyte drinks and icy poles, neck coolers, provide regular breaks and rotation of tasks, and suitable clothing such as hats or the removal of aprons.
“We have daily safety meetings with our team to check in to get their feedback and ensure their wellbeing.”
Loading ...
