Nurses ‘feel faint’ in heat
Union claims LGH at 40C in full PPE
THE Tasmanian branch of the Australian nurses and midwives union has alleged nurses were having to leave their shifts at the Launceston General Hospital early due to “heat exhaustion and feeling faint” from working in temperatures of “up to” 40C in full PPE.
The Mercury revealed on Tuesday the hospital’s airconditioning system required an upgrade after years of neglect, with D Block, the inpatient unit, especially susceptible.
In a leaked staff email from Hospitals North chief executive Jennifer Duncan, she described the system’s frailty as a “long historical issue”.
“The system was designed to cater for 28C external ambient and as a result higher external temp causes problems,” she wrote.
“It is acknowledged the system has more load on it than originally anticipated, additions to buildings and small changes over many years
means there hasn’t been a real overhaul of the system.”
Ms Duncan said a “project group” would be convened next week for “review of HVAC (heating, ventilation, and airconditioning) across the campus and replacement of the system as part of the major risk”.
ANMF Tasmania secretary Emily Shepherd revealed she wrote to Ms Duncan over Christmas and again this week about the longstanding problem, saying the union had “significant safety concerns for staff and patients”.
She alleged some staff had to work in temperatures of up to 40C over the past few weeks.
“It is unacceptable that nurses have had to work in temperatures of up to 40C in plastic aprons, masks, gloves and eye shields without the ability to turn on a fan or even open a window,” she said.
“Members reported that patients were suffering from the heat and that nurses had to leave shifts early due to suffering from heat exhaustion and feeling faint. This is not a safe working environment.”
She said the 40C figure was conveyed to her by members working in Ward 6D on December 27.
Acting Premier Michael Ferguson cited $1.4m the state government spent on the hospital’s airconditioning in 2018 as evidence the “legacy” issues with cooling in the hospital were being addressed.
“We will fix it,” he said. He declined to answer directly why a project group was only being convened next week when the issues had been known for years.