smokers at nursery

Eagle_1

jeez the carer was having a ciggy outside, I really think people are making a mountain out of a molehill.
Of course id be the first on to jump and shout if a carer was smoking in a confined space with children but this carer was outside.

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

i dont think there is any proof in what you say with regards 30mins for fumes etc a little dramatic i think ,but as a non smoker i can sympathise i would just check what there policy is most if not all ban smoking on premisis ,and in the grounds etc and to be honest that should be your concerns answeared if the carer nips out at dinner to the shop and has a fag i dont think theres much you can do about it ive yet to find any place where every one is a non smoker etc i new the odd doctor who had the odd joint after work

jellyhead

was it a very odd doctor? :rotfl:

how old is your child, and is this a nursery for 3 year olds, or a babycare nursery? i think there are smokers in most professions, you have to expect that some teachers and nursery school teachers are going to smoke, but i don't suppose they are in such close proximity to children as somebody who cuddles babies, changes their nappies and holds them to give them a bottle.

my baby will say hello to the relatives of mine who smoke but he doesn't really like to be cuddled by them because they smell. my nephew pulled away from his dad the other day because his breath smelled of smoke, and this is just a 2 month old baby. it was a shock to the smoking dad, and he brushes his teeth every time he sees the baby now.

i've been sticking up for the rights of the carer on this thread but if you have a baby then i can see that you wouldn't want a smoker caring for them too closely.

KathrynPenguin

margaretclare wrote:

Our local hospital recently brought in this change, not only within its walls but extending as far as the boundary with the pavements surrounding the hospital property. It used to be revolting, every time you went through the main entrance into OPD's main waiting area you had to pick your way not only through a screen of cigarette-smoke but also negotiate around patients in wheelchairs and on crutches, staff in uniform, all enjoying their habit.


Margaret Clare

The hospital is making a very shortsighted move. Remember the nurse killed in Hornchurch who would not have been in a dangerous position if she hadn't had to walk away from the building to smoke. As a former smoker who has dealt with some very stressfull situations at a hospital I would have ignored the signs and found somewhere to smoke, at Basildon hospital they have bus shelters, not in front of the main entrances specifically for smokers which allows them somewhere dry to sit, I see this as a safe and working compromise. Of course some very selfish people still smoke in front of the doors and I find it distastefull having to walk through their cloud but I am understanding as I know how stressful and upsetting it can be at the hospital.

If you were at the air show monday I guess not to far from me either.

WestieFan

Having worked in a childcare environment (though not directly with the children), any staff who smoked always went outside, out of view of the children, as was Council policy. They were only allowed to smoke in their breaks or at lunchtime, and always washed their hands and brushed teeth (or sucked a mint) afterwards. In 10 years I never heard a complaint from a parent, (although many of them were stubbing out cigarettes at the gates when they brought their children!)

I think you will be hard pressed to find a nursery where absolutely none of the staff smoke, and if you do, there's no guarantee that any future new members of staff don't smoke. I don't think employers (unless employing somebody like a childminder or nanny to work in your own home) are allowed to specify in job adverts that only non-smokers can apply.

I think all you can do is ask the head teacher or head of centre what the policies are, and decide from there.

Personally, I always worried more about exhaust fumes when I walked my children to nursery!

essexhoney

KathrynPenguin wrote:

The hospital is making a very shortsighted move. Remember the nurse killed in Hornchurch who would not have been in a dangerous position if she hadn't had to walk away from the building to smoke. As a former smoker who has dealt with some very stressfull situations at a hospital I would have ignored the signs and found somewhere to smoke, at Basildon hospital they have bus shelters, not in front of the main entrances specifically for smokers which allows them somewhere dry to sit, I see this as a safe and working compromise. Of course some very selfish people still smoke in front of the doors and I find it distastefull having to walk through their cloud but I am understanding as I know how stressful and upsetting it can be at the hospital.

If you were at the air show monday I guess not to far from me either.

what shocked me the most the last time my daughter was up at the childrens ward was when i went downstairs and outside to use my mobile i noticed lots of the staff disappearing over the back of the car park which i thought was rather odd, so i walked over and noticed a wooden gate with a sign on it saying 'occupation therapy staff only' with the clouds of smoke you can only guess what they were doing :eek:

wobbley

Ooooh ! that's terrible. I've been trying for ages to find a nursery thats not near a road as I'm so concerned about CO2 emissions affecting my child. Also it has to be at least 2km from any powerlines as that may cause leukemia. And it has got to be a brand spanking new building to make sure there are no asbestos (or related products) nearby. I had to rule out a 'country nursery' when someone told me about the devastating effects of methane from the cows.
I thought I had found one, but it turned out to have an old landfill site in the next valley. So it was either send them to nursery with breathing apparatus or risk the harmful Radon gas escaping.
The next one I tried had one of those newfangled radio telephone thingy masts a mile away. I was aghast when I found out. Upon talking to other parents I was horrified when one young mother pulled out one of these new phones and said something about getting a good signal. I was mortified! - How dare this so called responsible mother subject children to spurious radio waves and the damaging properties that they have.
Today's world and attitudes is so damaging to children, so many hidden dangers, it makes me weep.

bonnie_2

agree wobbley, we could all sit indoors with oxygen masks and air purifiers and never go outside and still get cancer.
people are taking it a bit to far.

missk_ensington

What a load of codswallop, you don't seriously think going near a child 5-10 minutes after having a cig is gonna do any harm?! This is nannying gone too far, the bloody fumes you inhales crossing the road is worse than this! I'd be more concerned about the kids sharing cups and sucking on toys then giving it another kid to suck, cos my little boy has had a cough/cold/tummy upset nearly every month since he started at nursery!

You cannot tell a smoker that they cannot have a cig for 7-8 hours during their working day. Especially working with a room full of screaming kids!!!

funky-footprints

wobbley ... excellent post !!! you have made me chuckle !! can i copy it and paste it too all my friends !!
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