Health and Safety gone mad!!!

AsknAnswer

Delilah1976 wrote: »

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.

This REALLY gets on my wick. As the child's parent, you do this at home all the time, and as the child's parent is it your responsibility to make sure you do the best for your child, not theirs (i.e don't scald your baby). I just get a feeling of "how dare they suggest I may cause my child harm/call my ability as a parent into question".

I overheard this exact exchange take place in a local cafe and the manger was awful to the woman who was close to tears. I couldn't help but interfere. I asked the manager what procedures were in place to ensure his staff did not overheat the bottle. His response was that the parent should test the milk prior to feeding the baby. I simply said "But you obviously don't trust the parent to do that otherwise you wouldn't have such a policy which dictates that a parent cannot have hot water to heat a bottle". We got into a big discussion where he said his staff should maybe test the milk on their wrist, with me answering how they would be satisfied it was the correct temperature, as what feels warm to them could be boiling to an infant. He then went on about using temperature probes, with me again arguing that a prepared bottle of infant milk should not be opened to prevent the risk of cross contamination. Basically it was an argument he would not win.

The customer got her hot water in the end.

tandraig

could it be something to with the cost of a pot of tea v a pot of hot water or costa coffee dont sell hot water so the assistant didnt have a clue what to charge?
or did they think you were requesting hot water and had brought your own tea bag???

Grandmasu

Tandraig I do not think so as when refused a pot of water I asked for two pots of tea with the tea bag left out (put on a saucer) and was refused that as well. Obviously this way I would have paid for two pots of tea.

Maybe I would have burnt myself putting the teabag in the one pot that I wanted it in.:cheesy:

voiceofreason

Grandmasu wrote: »

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

Utter rubbish - I urge you to push this to the limit, and potentially even get the HSE involved, as I'm sure they'll be fair annoyed to be blamed for what's nothing more than Costa's own company policy.

Lazy, greedy companies should not be blaming perfectly sensible H&S legislation for their own nonsensical policies.

Get well stuck into the Costa manager when they call you and press the point; you're entirely right that this is ludicrous, and fair play to you for making a stand!

Grandmasu

Have just had a call from the local Costa Coffee manager apologising for the incident yesterday. He explained that there had been a big insurance claim in London when someone had been scalded with hot water and this had cost many thousand pounds.

Apparently the insurance company will not pay out if anyone is scalded by water as they would not have paid for it. I asked why then they did not make a nominal charge or allow me to pay for two pots with the tea bag left out.

He told me that the ruling was that no insurance could be paid if the injury was with plain water. He said I could drink the tea and bring the pot up for refill as long as I left the teabag in the pot! I told him that was not what my Mother wanted and that although I appreciated his position the rule was ludicrous.

He has offered me an opportunity to have tea and cakes "on the house" when I next went but told him that I had no intention of returning as I would still be unable to have the hot water I desired. I also asked him to pass my observations up to his head office about the stupidity of this ruling, I did not "rant" at him as I felt he probably agreed with me.

Gosh what a fuss over a pot of water but I still find the whole experience incredible, if I had not experienced it first hand would have thought it was one of these incidents from which urban myths are born

chester19760

I once worked in a cafe for years and we'd give hot water to parents wishing for a break to feed their children. On one occasion a baby grabbed the jug and scalded herself and her mum (luckily not badly) and needed to go to hospital.
The mother blamed herself as the jug was far too close to the edge of the table and we as a business did not stop giving out hot water in jugs but did make sure we carried the jugs to the table and put them in the middle, and explained why. No further accidents

Esqui

Lip_Stick wrote: »

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

My ar....m

voiceofreason

Grandmasu wrote: »

Apparently the insurance company will not pay out if anyone is scalded by water as they would not have paid for it......

.....He told me that the ruling was that no insurance could be paid if the injury was with plain water.

This is somewhat contradictory - is the issue one of insurance cover being invalidated with regard to non-payment for a non-chargeable product (in which case you should be fine here when you ordered and paid for a "pot of tea", even if the teabag's served seperately), or one of cover being invalidated for serving plain hot water (but why should this be the case - surely no more dangerous than a pot of hot tea?)?

Either way, it stinks of BS, this - will you be pushing it further?

mustrum_ridcully

voiceofreason wrote: »

This is somewhat contradictory - is the issue one of insurance cover being invalidated with regard to non-payment for a non-chargeable product (in which case you should be fine here when you ordered and paid for a "pot of tea", even if the teabag's served seperately), or one of cover being invalidated for serving plain hot water (but why should this be the case - surely no more dangerous than a pot of hot tea?)?

Either way, it stinks of BS, this - will you be pushing it further?

This IS an insurance company they're talking about so I wouldn't be surprised if it's perfectly true.:rolleyes:

Andy_L

voiceofreason wrote: »

get the HSE involved, as I'm sure they'll be fair annoyed to be blamed for what's nothing more than Costa's own company policy.

HSE's myth buster page is worth a browse now & again
http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/index.htm