Workplace gives me tight chest and wheeze

[hhuk]

I work in a supermarket and its a very cold place. I have been diagnosed with asthma when I was 13 which the symptoms subsidised at early adulthood. I was diagnosed again just two years ago aged 31. Both annual asthma checks have stated that it's getting worse

 

I work on the checkouts which are both by the chillers and doors to outside. Customers chatting with each other outside the store keeps the doors opened. Can't tell them to move as that's rude.The cold atmosphere makes my chest feel tight and I wheeze now and again. I do not suffer from tight chest outside work.

 

I have mentioned this to management but not interested. Going to work to feel unwell is not good. I wear a thermal t-shirt under my uniform and its not making any improvements.

 

I take a puff on my brown inhaler, the preventer before work and carry the blue inhaler, the reliever when I need it. Outside work, I never carry inhalers on me.

 

Seriously worried that I will get an asthma attack at work. What am I going to be like in the winter when the store gets colder?

 

Even I had a customer that said her chest feels tight when she shops there. I did not mention my problems to her.

 

What should I do? There are no opportunities to transfer to other stores near me. They are warmer as colleagues from other stores do mention how cold my workplace is. If I do change jobs, I will lose out on two fewer weeks annual leave as I get 6 weeks and paying for extra fuel, buses etc plus staff discount which I saved £360-400 a year in saving.

 

Something needs to be done before someone gets ill.

[JoeyJoeC]

Can you not ask to be moved to another till?

 

Do you have these problems by being outside?

[rebel11]

Hi hhuk

 

Here's some info:- http://www.asthma.org.uk/knowledge-bank-living-with-asthma-asthma-at-work-having-asthma-at-work

 

Some more info:-

 

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/asthma-at-work-your-charter.pdf

[Sidewinder]

As a very first step you do need to raise this formally with your employer. The employer has a duty of care whilst you are there and as you state in your OP 'Seriously worried that I will get an asthma attack at work'. In those circumstances the employer should be aware of the possibility of an attack so that they are prepared.

 

As asthma would be considered a disability for these purposes, you would also have a degree of protection form the Equality Act once the employer is aware of the condition and the effect which certain tasks (or locations) have in exacerbating the asthma. Once you notify the employer and explain that the cold air in your current work location is making the asthma worse, then there is a responsibility under the EA to consider reasonable adjustments in order to allow you to function effectively as an employee. This might be (as suggested above) not placing you on checkouts where you are most affected, retraining you for a different role, allowing a degree of latitude for absences caused by asthma (changing the measurement criteria for example) or allowing you unscheduled breaks to take medication.

 

Do you have a Personnel Manager either in store or an Area PM you could discuss this with?