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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sainsburys health & safety rules

286 replies

SloeGinRocks · 16/06/2017 09:35

So it was a really hot day and Ineeded to have a quick nip round our local Sainsbury's the other day with DS age 4 who had just woken up....He likes to sit in the big basket. But is too big for the baby seat. He helps me unpack the shopping...

Making him walk round the supermarket when he's hot and tired is a nightmare so I let him hop in.

I'm pushing the trolley it's not overloaded, we have a nice chat and get what we need.

I get to the guy on the check out and this conversation unfolds:

"Hi how are you?"... "children are not allowed in the trolleys" he informs me... "right fine thanks for letting me know - can I have some bags please?".... "it's health and safety in case they hurt themselves" ... " yes well he's fine and its a nightmare to go shopping with him otherwise "

The man kept looking at he like I'd murdered someone and grumpily took my money from me. I thanked him very politely and went ok my way...

I couldn't help thinking that this is a ridiculous rule? The trolley is not going to tip up, I'm not going to put my child in danger, the food is not touching the trolley where he's sitting..... I spend a lot of money with Sainsbury's, as do lots of parents - why are they trying to make life harder (1st world problem I realise)

Hmm Was IBU?

OP posts:
sassymuffin · 17/06/2017 01:18

I worked in a supermarket for 8 years and have seen or been a first aid responder in countless trolley accidents involving children that have been described up thread.

It used to quite upset colleagues when customers refused to remove a child sitting in a trolley because if an accident happened and the store was successfully sued it affected every single colleagues small annual bonus from that particular store.

nokidshere · 17/06/2017 01:55

Health & Safety is about measuring risks, likelihood and outcomes.

So the likelihood of the trolley overturning is probably reasonably low but the outcome of the trolley falling over is relatively high (i.e. cracked skull) because they are always pushed on hard floors. So the overall risk factor is deemed high because of the outcome

So the above, plus the fact that people need someone other than themselves to blame when things go wrong, is probably why the supermarkets have the rule.

He wasn't BU he was doing his job by informing you of company policy.

kmc1111 · 17/06/2017 02:35

It is really unsafe. Years ago when I was a cashier we'd have at least one child a week hurt themselves in a tipped over trolley (even though we constantly played a warning over the speakers). Lot's of broken fingers, one amputated finger, big bumps on the head and a few cracked skulls. One poor boy broke his leg extremely badly as he tried to clamber out mid tip and managed to end up half stuck and all twisted up.

After one poor elderly man broke his hip and subsequently died when a child tipped the trolley on top of him our manager finally told us to confront and refuse to serve anyone with a child in the trolley. It should have been a national policy though.

People massively overestimate the sturdiness of trolleys. They can hold a huge amount of weight, but aren't built to deal with a sizeable portion of that weight constantly moving about. I had one start to tip once when a 25lb bag of potatoes quickly shifted position. A 4 yr old who suddenly switches sides or tries to hang off the edge is in real danger.

Butteredparsnip1ps · 17/06/2017 08:01

If you need a big shop and your child isn't shopping trained yet why don't you click and collect?

Slightly flippantly, I love the phrase shopping trained. Does it apply to adults too?

RudeDog · 17/06/2017 08:25

Haven't enough people said they have seen accidents for OP to stop doing it.

If you don't like its you could take your own trolley? It belongs to them! They get to decide how it's used..

EggysMom · 17/06/2017 08:33

Took my disabled son to the supermarket at the start of May, only to find that all three of their disabled child trolleys had been taken/lost. I hadn't taken his disabled buggy because they're always had the specialist trolleys ...

A member of staff actually suggested my son ride sitting in the main section of a normal trolley, and they offered to accompany me round the store with a second trolley for the food. Fortunately my son was so taken with the novelty of this, that he sat cross-legged and never moved once!

Screwinthetuna · 17/06/2017 08:37

I put my kids in the trolley in Sainsbury's and haven't been told otherwise.

FrancisCrawford · 17/06/2017 09:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

racheltable · 17/06/2017 09:05

Oh for god's sake, why do you think people should to put up with having your child's feet and backside where their food goes? Disgusting.

Learn to control your child in the supermarket. Do some actual parenting. And if you can't be bothered to teach him to behave correctly, leave him at home with his father while you go.

welcometowonderland · 17/06/2017 09:07

YABU

And you clearly dislike being told YABU Hmm

LionsTeeth · 17/06/2017 09:10

I once saw a child's thumb get caught between shelving and the bars of the trolley. The thumb came clean off and it was absolutely hideous. The trolley doesn't even have to tip up for a child to be seriously injured.

Tattybogle89 · 17/06/2017 09:12

I'm guilty of this. In the deep trolleys. . Very occasionally to avoid tantrums and when in a rush. Naughty. There was an accident at my local supermarket last week though and its made me think twice..
A 3 year old boy was in the trolley part of the not so deep trolleys, and he stood up fell out and landed on his head. He split his head open and was unconscious. They called an ambulance and I hope he was ok. Very scary. X

user1492287253 · 17/06/2017 09:13

surely it is a no brainer. yes people do it but surely they know they are doing so against the rules? to be upset if someone points it out is ridiculous

Coddiwomple · 17/06/2017 10:52

all the people so worked up against sitting in trolleys have demonstrated is that they are dangerous when they kids misbehaved in them. Thank you, we kind of knew that.

I can also tell you that a little child running across the supermarket car park is very dangerous.

The problem is not about sitting in the trolley, is jumping around or even standing in it! My child is in no danger in my trolley, no more than he would be walking next to me, unless someone pushes him or run him over.

No one is telling you to put your child in it, my supermarkets have no issues with it, why all the anger about something that doesn't concern you and really doesn't have any impact on you.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 17/06/2017 11:16

To be honest, if a parent does this and their child gets hurt... As long as they accept they are 100% to blame then I can't say it bothers me. When they try to blame the supermarket, they're just a tit. If anyone else gets hurt because of them they should apologise profusely.

Trolleys are manky anyway so that side doesn't bother me.

RandomlyGenerated · 17/06/2017 11:20

There is plenty of published evidence to confirm the risks: this paper gives figures for accidents and even just the title of this article "Shopping Trolley-Related Accidents In The Uk: A Preventable Cause Of Morbidity" should make you realise that it's not worth doing.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 17/06/2017 12:21

And of course, as I thought, Coddiwomple decides to ignore everything she's told because she thinks she knows better.

I feel so, so sorry for her poor kid, having a mother who knows the risk and yet doesn't give a shit.

Addley · 17/06/2017 13:04

Coddi, are you willing to bet your child's fingers that they will behave? Children don't always do exactly what you tell them and may entirely non-maliciously do something risky, in a situation where you've created that risk.

From my perspective, there is no such thing as misbehaviour in trolleys, because it's something that shouldn't be done anyway. There is no correct being-in-a-trolley behaviour because just being in the trolley is something they shouldn't be doing.

wheresthel1ght · 17/06/2017 13:55

The have a duty of care to point it out.

However I do allow dd to ride in the deep trolley but she is under instruction to sit and never with her shoes on. She only stands to. Help unload the trolley.

Shopping with any child is a bloody nightmare and should be done in whatever way makes it bearable frankly

corythatwas · 17/06/2017 14:05

I'm usually on here moaning about excessive aversity to risk-taking where young children are concerned.

But I can't help noticing that we are talking about Sainsbury's trolleys in Sainsbury's shops: surely that means they get to decide how those trolleys are used?

I don't care if friends of mine are happy for their children to bounce on sofas in their own home. And I would never go against a parent in allowing it if they wanted to forbid it in mine. But if I forbid it, that is enough: my sofas will only be bounced on if I say so. They have rights over their child, I have rights over my property.

grannytomine · 17/06/2017 20:27

Having a child fracture their skull seems a strange way to make shopping bearable.

Grumpbum · 17/06/2017 20:33

Not read the whole thread, so shoot me

After working in ED for a good amount of time, putting your child in the basket of a trolley is dim, as is not strapping your child into a high chair

Mexxi · 17/06/2017 20:39

The check out bloke is my new hero. I hate seeing kids in trolleys. YWBU for allowing your child to ride in the trolley.

youaredeluded · 17/06/2017 20:42

I have a 5 and 3 year old. They walk around the supermarket. Why wouldn't they? You are being lazy and you are making your kid lazy.

OwlOfBrown · 17/06/2017 20:50

The problem is not about sitting in the trolley, is jumping around or even standing in it! My child is in no danger in my trolley, no more than he would be walking next to me

I'm afraid you're wrong. If, for whatever reason, another person or trolley ran into yours whilst your child was sitting in it, your trolley would move, your child wouldn't. Much the same as being flung forward or backward in a car accident. Whilst the speeds are much slower, your supermarket trolley is much harder than your car's upholstery.

why all the anger about something that doesn't concern you and really doesn't have any impact on you.

I'm certainly don't feel anger about this, just pity. After all, it doesn't have any impact on me. 100% of the impact will be on your child ('s fingers, face, head ...)