To have created a fuss at work?

I think if you are qualified for the role and they need you they should pay you extra and have it put in your contract. Otherwise don’t do it.

A qualified nurse is on a professional register (NMC) and therefore is duty bound to follow a code of conduct and not work outside their code of conduct. Their employer should have indemnity insurance and if they don’t then it is the nurses responsibility to ensure they take out their own cover.
Without a professional body I imagine that it’s more of a grey area - if you feel you are being asked to do something that potentially puts service users at risk then you still have a duty of care, need to raise your concerns and speak to your union representative if you feel that your employer hasn’t addressed the issue. You should still raise concerns even if you have it in writing that it’s not your responsibility.

and I’ve asked to reduce my hours on the days when I’m asked to do the role
This is concerning. If they ask and tou agree to cover the role, them yes, it becomes your responsibility.

If you are paid extra hours to cover that role, it implies that there is a contractual arrangement for that role.

You need to now say no every time and make sure your hours are reduced, explaining why.

I know what you mean. I work on a mental health ward. Our minimum staffing is ideally 2 nurses and 3 support workers, but sometimes, eg if a nurse calls in sick , we end up with 1 nurse and 3/4 support workers. This sounds like, for example, you’re qualified to work as a nurse but are currently working as a support worker and your organisation wants you in the nursing numbers without paying you equivalent or you officially counting. I know it’s unlikely to be the same field, but if it’s anything like this at all you need to be very very careful as this sounds potentially legally dangerous. Do you have a professional body you’re registered with? Maybe contact them.

If I was on duty in a work situation where someone could get injured, I would not care about the company 'taking responsibility', I would be hyper alert and probably anxious about everyone's safety. And I would not want to be paid minimum wage for it.
Hope you find a resolution OP.
Oh, we cross posted - you have found one - good!

?

Your attitude here is a bit odd. At any given point you could be called as a witness, whether it’s as an employee or otherwise. You can’t prevent that. Eg your colleague could call you as a witness over bullying, you might later find yourself explaining what you witnessed at an employment tribunal. That doesn’t make you directly liable.

Ultimately if you have only just started this job, you have no reason to stick around, so just keep up the job search.

I would want to ask if you're not responsible, who is? Id need the name of that person and to discuss with them before deciding.

You mentioned you'd easily get another role - what is keeping you there?

I think you are right that potentially you are the one in the witness box if anything goes wrong. In those circumstances it is inevitable that those investigating will be asking who was in the safety role, and as soon as your name is given they will want a full statement from you about how you fulfilled that role and why you didn't take the required steps to avoid the accident.

It sounds like childcare. You're not happy and feeling pressured and have other work to do. I'd make it clear your limitations and if they don't listen I'd leave.

If it makes you legally responsible than it doesn't matter what the organisation tells you.

The problem is that you agreed to it. It's a grey area, you need to go back and say you don't agree to it anymore and they need to have someone on duty with the ratio.

What are they likely to say?

can you not send an email to your line manager along the lines of ‘Further to our discussion today, I wish to clarify that you verbally agreed that I do not have responsibility for XYZ. As discussed this is not a responsibility within the role I was employed to do and is outside ny scope of practice’. Then you have expressed your concern in writing and hopefully they will clarify in writing.

Of course there is such a thing as an unavoidable accident. If the appropriate measures haven't been put in place to actively ensure an accident doesn't happen or minimises the risk and one happens, it would still be an accident. But might have been avoided if the appropriate measures had been taken.

Some professions have ratios of staff and often a business will consider that, if the ratios of staff are in place, they have met their responsibility without considering the accountability of those included. That leaves a grey area when it comes to who is responsible if something goes wrong.

I think you need to be very clear, and in writing. Otherwise they exploit you and you are potentially on the hook when there’s an injury.

You need to be in or out.

Ie contract, pay and clear wriiten agreement you will have the resources and the remit to do the job correctly. you take full responsibilty and people are kept safe
OR
" my job is x. i took it (not y) due to several factors and personal reasons. I was caught off guard and felt pressured when this was initially raised but i must be clear. I do not want and was not hired to be responsible for Y. You need to hire someone or find an alternate solution."

I have no idea what you’re talking about - what do you mean by ‘ratio’? What field is your work in? Is there such a thing as an ‘unavoidable accident’?

And I think a key question would be “why did you agree to do this role when it wasn’t in your contract?” - and I think legally I would be seen as the responsible adult (despite what the organisation tell me).

That would be my concern too.

When it comes to things at work and being asked to take on responsibilities that aren't mine, my question to myself is always, "If the worst happens, could I justify my involvement to the authorities/investigating body?" If the answer is no, I just say I won't do it without appropriate safeguards for all (including me) in place.

If I accepted a role knowing it compromises me or someone else, then I'd consider myself complicit in the failing.

I wouldn't accept a verbal assurance either.

In your case, you feel uncomfortable with it and now have a reason to be (the broken bones) so I'd ask for a meeting to clarify your responsibility around it because you feel it even if they are saying its not yours. Where is your protection?

If they insist, I'd ask for clarity in writing so that your role and level of responsibility for it is clear along with who does ultimately.have responsibility for it.

Hard to say without knowing the exact details but appreciate you won't want to put them here necessarily.

I think you need to decide if you want the money for the additional responsibility, or the lower paid job without the responsibility, and go at it from that angle.
If you don't want the responsibility, say what you said in your post at 06.55 to the manager. They cannot make you work beyond the scope of your role.

I don't have any experience with this particular scenario but I think you have two options which hang off the question do you want to have the responsibility?

If yes, then you can go back to them and negotiate a change to your contract, with a salary increase for the increased responsibility. You can position this as having had a couple of weeks to think about it, and there having been some incidents, you feel that you want this new responsibility formalised and the extra risk properly remunerated.

If no, then look for another job asap. Sounds like you are potentially open to action if there is an incident and without any back up, contract, or extra money, it's just not worth it.