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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU (Tesco-related) to think that hot water bottle is not a H&S issues ?

35 replies

albertcamus · 27/11/2014 20:40

AIBU to think that 'Health & Safety' should not be ground for Tesco to refuse to sell DH a hot water bottle to help my whiplash-injured neck ? He was told that he could only purchase one from the pharmacy, which was closed. Not surprising that food shoppers are flocking to our local re-furbished Lidl, and that the (stupidly-priced @ £9) hwbs remain on display while I retire to bed with a creme egg ? :(

OP posts:
Hassled · 27/11/2014 20:43

That's just nuts. Why would buying it from a pharmacist make it less of a health and safety issue?

Mind you, filling a hot water bottle is basically dicing with death. Many's the time I've scalded that area between my thumb and forefinger - it's a perilous business.

madsadbad · 27/11/2014 20:45

They are 4 quid in aldi, if you have one near you

madamginger · 27/11/2014 20:50

The hotwater bottles are pharmacy stock and are set up on the system to only scan through the pharmacy tills.
I work for tesco pharmacy and I took delivery of 500 this weekShock the pharmacy stock is entirely separate from the rest of the store and is set up in such a way that you cannot scan in through any other tills

Original poster
albertcamus · 27/11/2014 20:51

Right, that will be a BOGOF mads, off to Aldi tomorrow ...

Agreed, Hassled, clearly the agenda is to flog a burns kit with each HWB - I suppose it's called upselling ?!

OP posts:
Vitalstatistix · 27/11/2014 20:52

well that's ridiculous isn't it?

someone made that decision. The hot water bottles didn't. Grin I wonder who and why.

eurochick · 27/11/2014 20:54

Computer says no....

Umbongolongo · 27/11/2014 20:58

ICE ICE ICE! ice reduces inflammation, heat promotes bloodflow, which is not what you want to an already swollen area.

Get some peas, wrap them in a tea towel, 20mins. Go. Ice for the first 3 days, then heat.

Umbongolongo · 27/11/2014 20:58

(obv a bit rubbish that they wouldn't sell him one though!!)

madamginger · 27/11/2014 20:59

Well its not really to stop you buying hot water bottles, it more to stop you buying night nurse etc through the tills, the hwb are an unfortunate casualty of the system!

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 27/11/2014 21:00

If you're cooling an area, I find that a cold water rinsed and wrung tea towel does nicely, although you have to refresh it every so often - no need to sacrifice peas!

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 27/11/2014 21:02

Thats all well and good Madam but why dont they also have a shop stock.of them too?

If Accessorize, M&s and Asda can sell them in store why cant Tesco?

TheCowThatLaughs · 27/11/2014 21:06

A creme egg?? Shock

goingmadinthecountry · 27/11/2014 21:07

Once lost plot in there - they refused to sell me Calpol (for dd) and Lemsip for me - it was taken off me by some lad younger than my son! Yes I know there's a rule. Had to go over to Pharmacy where I was moaning to a friend (felt rubbish and had taught all day feeling bad) - friend agrees it's a bit mad. Ooh, love, it's on;y for your own good, I wouldn't want you taking medicine you don't understand says lady in hugely patronising voice. Madam, I'm a consulatant replies my friend.

Obviously rules are there for a reason, but a HOT WATER BOTTLE?? If you really planned on scalding yourself, you could just pour the kettle over your arm. Govt will stop us making tea for ourselves soon in case we hurt ourselves.

goingmadinthecountry · 27/11/2014 21:08

You can choke on a creme egg, you know! Don't swallow it whole.

madamginger · 27/11/2014 21:09

Because the pharmacy head office ordered them rather than the health and beauty dept. They are run as 2 separate Dept's because of the legal aspects of the pharmacy side of the business.
Most people would buy a hotwater bottle from a pharmacy so it seems the most logical place to keep them.

Original poster
albertcamus · 27/11/2014 21:11

Um no peas in the freezer, I daren't send him up there to buy frozen peas now, will frozen rhubarb do instead ?

madamginger I do think this type of policy needs to be considered against commonsense before front-line staff have to deal with aggrieved customers

think I'm now going to look for a leopard-print Accessorize hwb, rather than the pink old-lady version !

OP posts:
WellnowImFucked · 27/11/2014 21:12

I was coming on to say same as Unbongo, inflammation needs to be calmed down.

Anti inflams and 20 minutes cold pack every hour.

As re: health and safety I have 2 friends who work in the area, whenever you want to see their heads explode, just tell them something like this, so fun.

If the case is as MadamG says, fair enough say that don't trot out the H&S crap..

Original poster
albertcamus · 27/11/2014 21:16

going it's not any creme egg, it's a 10 for £1 Screme egg with green filling, from www.approvedfood.co.uk (best before Aug 2015), a discount site I was driven to using while Lidl was closed, due to the only alternative being Tesco.

I will mind how I go, will not share with DH in case we are both struck down and cannot summon help if needed ...

OP posts:
ilovecolinfirth · 27/11/2014 21:22

Cream egg already??!! I thought they only appear from 26th December?!!!!

Original poster
albertcamus · 27/11/2014 21:34

This was a Halloween Screme egg, it is crying out to be eaten before next Aug) !

OP posts:
Topseyt · 27/11/2014 21:34

It does get ridiculous. You could burn yourself just as easily cooking food which you buy from Tesco as when filling a hot water bottle.

No reason why they couldn't have a stock of hot water bottles for the main store too.

There are daft warnings on just about anything these days. I had a new oven fitted about 18 months ago and the instructions book warned "Caution. May get hot when in use". Actually, I would be more likely to complain about an oven that didn't get hot when in use.

ShadowKat · 27/11/2014 21:39

Not sure I agree about the pharmacy being the logical place to stock hot water bottles. I'd have been looking for a hot water bottle in the section of Tescos where they keep bedroom stuff before checking out the pharmacy.

Hot water bottles carry "keep toasty warm in bed" rather than "medical supplies" connotations for me.

Regardless, if they can't be put through the main tills because pharmacy stock can only be scanned through pharmacy tills,the staff should say that's the case instead of coming out with nonsense about health and safety.

Umbongolongo · 27/11/2014 21:44

anything would. any frozen veg, that can kind of be positioned around the area of pain!! Try the rhubarb. Cold takes 20 mins to get to work, but don't leave it on any longer. then a min of 20 mins off before putting it on again. Have you got any ibuprofen?

Original poster
albertcamus · 27/11/2014 21:49

Yes, but the super-strength (beautiful bright pink) hospital Ibuprofen seemed to 'get me there' more than the dumbed-down over the counter version ... the combo of that + Diclofen + Year 9 French x 2 hours today has induced nausea.

Frozen rhubarb & chocolate should do it, I hope !

OP posts:
madamginger · 27/11/2014 22:01

You shouldn't take diclofenac and ibuprofen together, they are basically the same thing and will upset your stomach

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