A 62-year-old builder says he was slapped with a bizarre “indecent exposure” complaint after working without a shirt under his high-vis vest during a scorching heatwave.

Jim Haynes, a grandfather of three with four decades of construction experience, was laying concrete slabs at the University of Liverpool over the sweltering bank holiday weekend when temperatures hit a brutal 31C, or nearly 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

Trying to get through the punishing heat, Haynes worked in a sleeveless high-vis vest, orange work trousers, a hard hat, and the rest of his required construction gear.

But according to Haynes, someone at the university apparently had a problem with one missing item: a T-shirt.

“This morning I’ve come to work and the site manager has come out and said, ‘We’ve had an email from the university complaining about your indecent exposure,’” Haynes said Tuesday, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The issue, he said, was that he “hadn’t got a T-shirt on” under his high-vis.

Haynes, from Oswestry, Shropshire, said he was stunned by the accusation.

“I’ve got a high-vis on, I’ve got my orange trousers on, I’ve got a hard hat on, and I’ve got everything I need to work, so what’s the problem?” he said.

Then he added the line that says it all: “Indecent exposure is a bit much.”

Haynes was working at the Mulberry Court site, a 1970s block near Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral that is being renovated into student accommodation.

The builder said the work conditions were already miserable enough without having to worry about complaints over his outfit.

“We’re laying concrete slabs in a sun-trap, with no breeze,” he said. “You can imagine how hot it’s going to be.”

And while temperatures had cooled slightly from the earlier peak, Haynes said he feared the complaint could put his job at risk if he refused to cover up.

“I think it’s ridiculous, especially in this weather,” he said. “That accusation is a little bit far.”

Rules at the site reportedly ban workers from going without a T-shirt, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The University of Liverpool did not directly address Haynes’ specific “indecent exposure” claim, but said in a statement that it takes health and safety seriously.

“The University of Liverpool takes health and safety seriously and as with all projects relating to the University estate, there are robust policies and measures in place to monitor health and safety practices in relation to this re-development, including those relating to weather conditions,” a spokesperson said.

While builders working shirtless in the summer heat may be a familiar sight, many major construction firms have cracked down on the practice because of safety concerns.

The issue is not just appearances. Sun exposure has been flagged as a major health risk for outdoor workers.

According to analysis of Health and Safety Executive data cited in the report, construction workers account for 44 percent of occupational skin cancer diagnoses and 42 percent of related deaths each year, despite making up only around 8 percent of the U.K. workforce.

Still, Haynes insists he was not walking around inappropriately dressed.

He says he was covered in his work gear, sweating through a heatwave, and simply trying to get the job done.

For him, calling it “indecent exposure” went way too far.