Workplace has bedbugs - employer doesn't care.

[Jazzandblues]

I work in an custodial environment where there are beds and I discovered today that there are bedbugs. I spoke to few colleagues and there isn't much of a concern among management and health and safety regarding risk to staff. Only advice is for cells with bugs discovered locked and for staff to wear gloves.

I have been told that I am overreacting for asking something be done about it. I have been warned that if I raise it further up that I may be deemed "difficult".

Any advice?

I would be 'deemed difficult as fuck' It needs to be dealt with or you will end up taking them home. complain complain complain. Hope it gets dealt with asap.

Good grief! Who is managing this place?

Actually, further to that I would I inform Environmental Health and ask for help as you are getting no where with management.

Is this the kind of place where Independent Custody Visitor's might inspect? Is there any way to anonymously request a visit off them?

What, so you have detained people there living with bed bugs?

Parasites are a health hazard and shouldn't be disregarded for the people who sleep in these beds!
Anyone you can report to?

Union?

Report to the governing body, the visiting gp, environmental health and are the residents being locked in the affected rooms or are the rooms unused. Bedbugs are impossible to get rid of without special treatment and this is a risk to staff and residents. Disgraceful disregard for everyone, sometimes the media highlight issues like this.

I completely agree with all the PPs
I would definitely take it higher!

Unfortunately, if this is a prison then I doubt much will be done due to budget issues.

I would still report it to the manager though.

They are absolutely failing in their duty of care, to the prisoners, and as an employer. Raise hell. A national newspaper would probably run a story on this, so if they don’t want that they should bloody well do something

if it is a custody suite at a local cop shop then it is easily dealt with by fumigating and leaving it empty for the necessary time for chemicals to work/ refumigate is necessary. place needs closed down till this is done

Sorry all totally forgot about the thread. 🙄

If the room is infested it's merely locked off but the men move their belongings to a new cell rooms are always being discovered with bedbugs.

@GoingOffOnATangent I have been advised that for the purposes of health and safety at work, bedbugs are not considered a health hazard.

There are been no urgency to deal with this from management.

Moving into another cell won't help, the bugs will be in clothing. They need specialist fumigation. There must be an advocacy service, registered health worker, Chaplain or prison staff who speaks ip for the men. Its a failure to ignore this .