RATS in the workplace!

Torry_Quine

This is no laughing matter. :eek: Contact with rat's urine can give you a nasty disease called Weil's disease. Please be careful and take precautions.

V_Chic_Chick

Torry_Quine wrote: »

This is no laughing matter. :eek: Contact with rat's urine can give you a nasty disease called Weil's disease. Please be careful and take precautions.

Very true. It's potentially fatal (there was an Olympic rower who died of it a few years back), and starts out with flu-like symptoms and an incubation period that is anything up to about a month long. If you do have any flu-like symptoms, then make sure you visit your GP and say that you have been in contact with rats urine, and that therefore there is a possibility of Weil's.

Mischa8

Get Environmental Health involved.

If they have pest control in then that should be an end to it. You *do* need to be protected against Weil's Disease though whether you have to wear plastic gloves etc.

I hope for their sake that rat droppings are not found in boxes of chocolates or their urine or whatever or rat carcasses.

There was a story years ago (true) about a dead mouse being found in a Topic bar, crushed, it was from factory who supplied hazelnuts for the Topic bar. Put me off my favourite chocolate bar for years.

Oh, another thing - your QS/Quality Control people and/or Health and Safety - surely a) QS/QC would want to veto boxes of chocs going out and b) H&S would want to ensure safety of staff.

Rats carry fleas etc and can also give nasty bites. sorry if it sounds like scaremongering but I'd want to really (politely) ensure the company deals with this rodent problem.

Mischa8

skivenov wrote: »

Whatever you do, you get furry friends in warehouses, especcially this time of year if you're near fields. Pest controllers will be laying poison, but it's not an overnight solution.

Sounds daft, but make a noise as you approach somewhere they might by, they're way more scareed of you than you are of them. If you've going up to a pallet of cases, give the pallet a kick and bang the boxes.

I've heard of factories where rats have run along the factory floor and one guy apparently jumped on a rat to kill it. It was the size of a small cat. And some are fearless especially if food is involved, if it isn't kept separately.

Mischa8

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Making a mountain out of a rathill

As long as they are getting the pest control to sort it (can take time), are disposing of any damaged produce due to rats and offering somewhere to wash hands etc then I fail to see whatelse they can do.

I personally wouldn't want to eat chocolates from this company. :eek:

would you REALLY want to work in a company with rats scampering about??!!

I have some friends (seriously) who even if you mention the word rat/mouse - they freak out. Lucky OP doesn't seem like one of these.

Takeaway_Addict

Mischa8 wrote: »

I personally wouldn't want to eat chocolates from this company. :eek:

would you REALLY want to work in a company with rats scampering about??!!

I have some friends (seriously) who even if you mention the word rat/mouse - they freak out. Lucky OP doesn't seem like one of these.

As long as its contained then no problem. As mentioned before however careful you can be you will not eradicate the problem.

You do realise that your local tescos/Asda etc most likely have mouse and rat problems....you not going to eat anything from there then?

Bigmoney2

jj_5 wrote: »

So, a few issues here. I work for a chocolate wholesalers. The depot has for the past 2 months, had a rat problem. Ive seen them. And im worried for my safety. I handle the boxes of chocolate and this rat has been in amongst them eating some of it.

The bosses seem to be doing very little, to solve the problem. Though they are aware of it.

What steps should i be taking, because personally i feel we should be closed for business until its cleared up.

Cheers

And if they close factory and lay you off they don't need to pay you either.

Sharon87

I would just keep a note of where you see the rats and when, then inform your managers, it might help them and the pest company where about to put traps or hunt them out!

I would also suggest asking your manager to provide some disposable gloves in the meantime.

imatt

Sorry, couldn't resist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u9a6l54idU

Your bosses need stuffing with the proverbial ragmans trumpet! As someone has pointed out this is a health hazard! Dunno what to suggest really other than making your voice heard. And if it isn't then if Environmental Health do shut the warehouse down, you can have a clear concience! Shoron87's advice seems a good place to start.

jj_5

Thank you all for your replies. To be honest Im not sure what else they can do they have provided us with gloves and im wearing them but i still feel putting these cases into shops when rat urine/droppings could be on the cases is not right.

To bigmoney2 , I have no qualms with not being paid if I knew my health wasnt at risk going into work every day.

And to the people who mentioned environmental health, how could I contact them anonymously, surely if my bosses get a knock on the door theyll know its been one of us? (Small team)