pregnant and dangerous job, please help!

Googlewhacker

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

Hi all, just a quick update re my situation, well i did 1st shift in the other house today and suprise suprise no risk assessment done yet!:mad:, and i got hit by a client, in the stomach!!, i am not supposed to work with her as she does have challenging behaviour, i was in the kitchen and she came in and attempted to drink dish water from a dirty cup so i said dont drink that i will get you some fresh and she hit me, then tried to bite me and chased me down the hall trying to hit me again!:eek: So much for being safer in this house eh!:eek:

Have you asked why there wasn't a risk assessment?

I'm not sure one day in that its unreasonable not to have the risk assessment done?

escortg3

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

Hi all, just a quick update re my situation, well i did 1st shift in the other house today and suprise suprise no risk assessment done yet!:mad:, and i got hit by a client, in the stomach!!, i am not supposed to work with her as she does have challenging behaviour, i was in the kitchen and she came in and attempted to drink dish water from a dirty cup so i said dont drink that i will get you some fresh and she hit me, then tried to bite me and chased me down the hall trying to hit me again!:eek: So much for being safer in this house eh!:eek:

Sorry did you say you ran away? :eek:are you actually trained to do this type of work.

first rule never, never give a negative statement to someone challenging like "dont drink that" . You also should not have said anything in your situation you should have just fetched someone else, if as you state you are not supposed to work with her.

Running away actually makes you an easy target and by adjusting your approach to be positive not negative you wouldnt of had the situation

Feisty_Fairy

escortg3 wrote: »

Sorry did you say you ran away? :eek:are you actually trained to do this type of work.

first rule never, never give a negative statement to someone challenging like "dont drink that" . You also should not have said anything in your situation you should have just fetched someone else, if as you state you are not supposed to work with her.

Running away actually makes you an easy target and by adjusting your approach to be positive not negative you wouldnt of had the situation

NO i never said i ran away and YES i am trained in this kind of work thank you very much, i am hardly going to stand there while she hits me am I, so i removed myself from the situation, there wasnt time to get someone else as she had the cup to her mouth! I am not supposed to work directly with her as in 1 to 1, but if she follows me into the kitchen i can hardly ignore her can i?

Feisty_Fairy

Googlewhacker wrote: »

Have you asked why there wasn't a risk assessment?

I'm not sure one day in that its unreasonable not to have the risk assessment done?

I have asked yes and they have assured me that the risk assessment will be done b4 my next shift, i just wish they would see it the way us workers do though, i am the 2nd out of 3 pregnant employees over the last 12 months that has been moved to the 'safe' house and have been attacked by this client! you would think they would realise by now that its NOT safe!

escortg3

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

NO i never said i ran away and YES i am trained in this kind of work thank you very much, i am hardly going to stand there while she hits me am I, so i removed myself from the situation, there wasnt time to get someone else as she had the cup to her mouth! I am not supposed to work directly with her as in 1 to 1, but if she follows me into the kitchen i can hardly ignore her can i?

Originally Posted by Feisty_Fairy





You said she chased you down the corrider which implies you were running away.

I didnt say stand there whilst she hits you, i just feel that what you said caused her behaviour.

If this girl doesnt have one to one staffing in the house then now you have been hit i would not be working with her, wages or not.

Less harm will come to her drinking sink water than what could have happened to your unborn child.

mountainofdebt

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

i am the 2nd out of 3 pregnant employees over the last 12 months that has been moved to the 'safe' house !

So what happened to the other pregnant worker?

mariefab

I understood that employers were required to have some form of documented health and safety policy.
In my experience there has always been an accident/incident/near miss type of form for reporting any health and safety issues.
Is this not the case where you work?

surreysaver

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

The clients are the people i look after NOT the staff!

I know. What I'm saying is the relationship you have with them should be a professional one, not a friendly one. You need to keep your emotions out of it. You are employed to look after them, not to be their friend.

cheepskate_2

Feisty_Fairy wrote: »

and have been attacked by this client!

Been following this and heres my view, possibly you may not like it.

So you already knew this client was agressive, already knew she had hit other pregnant staff, yet you still challenged her (you may not see it like this but she may) and gave her a negative statement.

Im confused : you knew she was agressive, you knew you were the only staff in kitchen with client, you knew you are in a delicate situation, you knew you were not suppossed to work 1-1 with her.

(Quote) What are you suppossed to do, let her drink the dirty water?

Going on the previous circs, yes, and go out and get someone else to deal with it, the risk assessment was you would not deal 1-1 with thisperson..

A conpany like yours can only do limited risk assessment, you also have to take responsibility in the "risk assessment" of situations.

No matter what you say i dont think you will be happy until you get paid leave. If this was me I would be helping not only the company but myself to come to a better solution to keep my child safe. You seem from your posts to be a bit obtrusive in the helping each other stage

dickydonkin

cheepskate wrote: »

A conpany like yours can only do limited risk assessment, you also have to take responsibility in the "risk assessment" of situations.

No matter what you say i dont think you will be happy until you get paid leave. If this was me I would be helping not only the company but myself to come to a better solution to keep my child safe. You seem from your posts to be a bit obtrusive in the helping each other stage

My sentiments on both points you have made cheepskate!

The more I read this thread, the more I am convinced that there is a genuine likelihood of harm and as I stated earlier, if I was responsible for the safety of the OP and her unborn child, I would insist - sooner - rather than later - that the risk is removed from the OP or the OP is removed from the risk - the latter seemingly the more practical option.

There is mention of risk assessments, H&S policies etc on this thread - but they are only pieces of paper and the content and control measures are only as good as the competence of the person undertaking them and the organisations desire to rectify any shortcomings or indeed comply with their own H&S policy.

If the OP was my partner, (based on what has been posted on here) I would not be faffing around like this worrying about what money, holidays or time off I would be getting - that must surely be of secondary importance where the welfare of a pregnant woman and her unborn child is at stake. I would not allow her or the unborn child to be placed at risk and I would simply not allow her to work in an environment that poses a risk for a vulnerable person.

The OP needs to ask herself what is more important - money or the welfare of the unborn child and herself. A no brainer in my mind.