Health and Safety gone mad!!!

Grandmasu

Have just come back from a day out with my mother which was nearly spoiled by a stupid rule at a Costa Coffee Franchise at a Tesco Store. After queuing for a short while I asked for a pot of tea and a pot of hot water to be told I could not have a pot of hot water.

On asking why I was told it was something to do with Health and Safety, I queried this asking why it was more dangerous to have a pot of water without a teabag than one with, but was given no explanation. I then asked if I could have two pots of tea and leave the tea bags on the side as my mother wanted to drink hot water but was again told it would be against health and safety rules.:mad:

At this stage, thinking I was going mad, I told the young lady to forget it as I wanted a pot of hot water and would go elsewhere to get it and that I really could not imagine why a pot of hot water should be so hazardous.:huh:

We then drove to a small Garden Centre where we served with a pot of tea and a pot of water which we managed to drink without any danger.:D

Maldives_lover

This isn't health and safety gone made, it's just a case of a little bit of knowledge is dangerous or the sa didn't know what to charge for a pot of water:D

I work in health and safety and believe me this sort of stupid ruling doesn't do anyone any favours. Any Safety Adviser with half a brain wouldn't be suggesting something so idiotic

LeeSouthEast

H&S isn't the cause. A lack of training is the cause, and probably nothing to do with H&S either. It's just used as a get-out clause.

Grandmasu

I agree the sales assistant did not really know, and that lack of training will have left her unable to justify what she said. That is why I did not take it any further with her "she was following orders" and did not really understand why she had been given this instruction. I have left my telephone number with customer services who have said the manager will give me a call. and would discuss this more vigorously with them. Although in the great scheme of things it is a trivial matter the whole thing is so ludicrous that I feel the need to take it further.

Errata

It's not H & S, it's Costa making sure they don't supply free hot water for customers to dunk their own tea bags in.

Delilah1976

I was also refused a pot of water to heat my baby's bottle up as it was "a health and safety issue" and I may over heat the bottle - fair enough I thought, until they offered to heat the bottle up in the microwave - something that all health professionals/baby books tell you specifically not to do as it causes "hot spots" that are likely to scald a baby.

Esqui

It's because tea is magic

Grandmasu

Ah Esqui, Now I understand, the tea bag will prevent you from being scalded if you pour or spill the water over yourself!
Errata So why would they not let me have the pot of water with a separate tea bag I would have paid for it indeed have done in the past although usually it is free. My Mother just prefers to drink hot water, and at the age of 88 I think she is entitled to do this.

Errata

No idea, clearly their reasoning is beyond the understanding of us mere mortals.

Esqui

Grandmasu wrote: »

Ah Esqui, Now I understand, the tea bag will prevent you from being scalded if you pour or spill the water over yourself!

Exactly! And hot water without tea is dangerous. Trust me, I know.

Handy hint: Never try making tea with no clothes on

Lip_Stick

Esqui wrote: »

Exactly! And hot water without tea is dangerous. Trust me, I know.

Handy hint: Never try making tea with no clothes on

I won't even ask you what you burnt. :eek: