A company in Stockton took matters into their own hands this week in a bid to help cool down its employees – by turning one of their rusty skips into a makeshift swimming pool.
As temperatures reached a scorching 38 degrees in Teeside earlier this week, employees at Scott Bros, a family-run large haulage and plant hire business, were desperate for a way to cool down as they worked away in the heat.
Peter Scott, 46, company director, took matters into his own hands and decided to fill one of their empty skips with water.
“It might look a little strange, but a large skip makes the perfect plunge pool,” Peter told NeedToKnow.online.
“We had no shortage of people asking if they could take a quick dip.
“It was also a bit of fun, while allowing people a well-deserved break.
“It really helped our staff to completely cool down.”
To ensure the skip was safe for employers, the company cleaned it out with a pressure washer and inserted plastic sheeting in the bottom.
As a recycling firm, they then filled up the skip with recycled water from their bowser.
Peter said: “Everyone really loved it, partly because at heart we are a recycling firm, and we were following the company ethos by taking an empty skip and repurposed it as a plunge pool!
“There was plenty of mickey taking and laughter, but those who took a turn really enjoyed themselves.
“We even found a couple of squirter guns to add to the fun.”
Neil Crawford, a machine operator at Scott Bros, was one of the employees who took the plunge.
He said: “We’ve been happy to get on with our jobs despite the heat, but this is a proper treat.
“It’s almost as good as being by the pool in Benidorm!”
Peter has said that a lot of people have dismissed the creativity as a “stunt” but says it was a “genuine attempt at keeping our employees cool”.
He added: “As well as the usual precautions of keeping staff safe while working in such heat, such as providing plenty of drinks, we were thinking of other ways that we could help them keep cool.
“It turns out that the answer was right in front of us all the time, one of our empty skips!”
