# Exhaust Fans in Warehouse



## downset00 (Aug 10, 2021)

Can someone explain why headquarters in Minneapolis is in charge of turning on and off exhaust fans in DC’s hundreds of miles away??? It’s a heat wave advisory and they are mandating the stupid masks again. How about we suck the stagnant air out instead of just blowing everything around in the DC??


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## Luck (Aug 10, 2021)

downset00 said:


> Can someone explain why headquarters in Minneapolis is in charge of turning on and off exhaust fans in DC’s hundreds of miles away??? It’s a heat wave advisory and they are mandating the stupid masks again. How about we suck the stagnant air out instead of just blowing everything around in the DC??


I was not aware HQ was in charge of that. My Fac Ops team seems to turn them on whenever they feel like it.
Possibly that is with approval being given behind the scenes though.


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## FrankM0421 (Aug 10, 2021)

Is that why I've never seen them on?  Working nights it's noticeably cooler outside than inside.  They could also just open the louvers to let some air flow but nope lets have these big ass fans blow the hot air back down on everyone.


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## ItChecksOut (Aug 10, 2021)

So in high humidity areas they tend to keep them shut as it 1 causes boxes to "crumble" far easier and you see a ton of fallen bulk locations that would have been stable were it not for the humidity. 

It also can wreck the conveyer system mainly the rollers used in outbound. I've seen it so bad once that the facility shut done because boxes would drop from the sorter and stick right to the shutes without budging. The facility missed plan just due to this. 

I'm sure there are other factors at play but these are the ones I've seen first hand.


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## BoxedIn (Aug 10, 2021)

Yeah, when I was on nights and they used them when it was humid out, the floor got a lot of condensation on it, and machines were sliding around a lot lol. Not a fun night to GPM.


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## Reshop Ninja (Aug 11, 2021)

Luck said:


> I was not aware HQ was in charge of that. My Fac Ops team seems to turn them on whenever they feel like it.
> Possibly that is with approval being given behind the scenes though.


🤬 It's the same thing for the ac/heating units for the stores. We have people getting seriously ill in my store from the heat.


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## Hal (Aug 11, 2021)

It's not HQ. They're designed to only turn on when the air outside is cooler than inside and they can then pull the cooler air in. That's why they're often off when its hot out. Its uncomfortable in the DC but its still worse outside.

If E&F wants to override them then THAT requires HQ approval.


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## Lifer2010 (Aug 13, 2021)

What does the temperature have to hit in order to get an extra break? I use to have the guidelines but couldn't find them the other day when I looked.


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## Heethin (Aug 13, 2021)

Just think how many people in the building are blowing wind from their butts and we have to breathe that for the whole shift. Seriously tho… it’s so hot I don’t think I’ve ever sweat so much in my life.


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## Luck (Aug 14, 2021)

Lifer2010 said:


> What does the temperature have to hit in order to get an extra break? I use to have the guidelines but couldn't find them the other day when I looked.


For my northern DC it used to be something like ~115 or 105. Don't quite remember. Only that it used to be almost exactly 1 degree above the temperature it currently was when we asked 🙄

We got a new safety manager recently and he gave us extra breaks this past week. It wasn't even all that hot compared to some Temps we got last summer (and didn't get breaks). Needless to say we are pleased with some of the changes he has made already. 

Of course we also had been having multiple code greens for heat related illness the past few weeks because many the hundreds of new hires across the board are coming from air conditioned jobs or whatever and don't know how to handle the heat.  

So that was probably the real reason for the decision.


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## 60SecondsRemaining (Aug 14, 2021)

HQ doesn't control it, they monitor it.  There's a little thermostat box in different places in your warehouse.  Probably white or brown with plastic over it.  Go find them and wrap them in plastic wrap.  Your fans will turn on.

I promise.


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