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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

AIBU to think they put us in danger

64 replies

Heartbrokengirl14 · 08/10/2019 07:55

I work in a school. Yesterday there was a gas leak, it was very strong, could smell it before I reached the entrance. SLT decided to delay start to the day and send students home if they had already arrived. Children were all fine.
However all staff where made to sit in a gas filled school and wait for 2 hours before being sent home as school had to wait to see if the gas board could quickly fix it and the school could reopen.
I understand there is a procedure and they need permission to close the school but surely exposing the staff to a gas is plan stupid. Or do other schools do this?
AIBU to contact the union and complain? Would they do anything?

OP posts:
SunglassQueen · 08/10/2019 07:59

It should be treated like a fire alarm
Speak to your fire Marshall

Lipz · 08/10/2019 08:00

Omg this was SO wrong!!!!! Any person who works with gas will tell you to not switch anything on or off and leave the building and contact the gas board. It's nearly their motto worldwide.

2 hours is a long time to sit in this. Have you any headaches ?

If there was a leak they did put you in danger.

Gas is highly explosive, it only takes someone to turn on a light switch to ignite it.

I would follow this up with a complaint.

WaterSheep · 08/10/2019 08:04

Being made to stay in school goes against the advice given regarding gas leaks, you are supposed to leave the building.

How are you feeling today?

Optimist1 · 08/10/2019 08:05

Why did none of you refuse to stay in the building at the time?

Original poster
Heartbrokengirl14 · 08/10/2019 08:07

Most people got headaches. I was ill. Not massively so but enough to through up. My husband drove me straight to the walk in clinic and was not very happy.
I’ll email my union and see what they can do.

OP posts:
EmpressLesbianInChair · 08/10/2019 08:07

Your union rep should already be raising hell at that.

Totalwasteofpaper · 08/10/2019 08:10

Complain. Loudly.

I’m amazed you all complied I’d have insisted on standing outside

Original poster
Heartbrokengirl14 · 08/10/2019 08:10

School doesn’t have a union rep. And I think most people felt they couldn’t leave as we were made to feel silly for asking. Most of the staff are new intake or NQT and I don’t think felt able to go again the SLTs or headteacher

OP posts:
HillRunner · 08/10/2019 08:12

I can't believe a group of adults consented to such an unreasonable and dangerous request. Why didn't you refuse?

HillRunner · 08/10/2019 08:14

If an adult doesn't have the wherewithal to say "No, I'm not going to sit in a gas filled room, I'll wait outside", then frankly I question their suitability when it comes to looking after and safeguarding children.

Lindy2 · 08/10/2019 08:14

Why did you all stay inside?
If someone told me to sit in a room smelling of gas I would simply refuse and tell them I would wait outside in the fresh air.
I can't actually believe a group of adults continued to sit in a room when they felt ill because someone told them to...

HillRunner · 08/10/2019 08:16

I understand there is a procedure and they need permission to close the school

This wasn't about closing the school, this was about evacuating it. If there was a fire, would staff be told to stay in the burning building because they 'need permission to close the school'?

Staggering stupidity.

Lindy2 · 08/10/2019 08:17

So, if it's true;

  • yes you should complain.
  • and you should all also go on an assertiveness course.
(you should also learn to spell threw up - hope you are not an English teacher).
OwlBeThere · 08/10/2019 08:21

@Lindy2 even teachers can make typos and be dyslexic or just not that great at spelling you know. No need to be a dick.

Brefugee · 08/10/2019 08:24

and get unionised...

Juells · 08/10/2019 08:30

If an adult doesn't have the wherewithal to say "No, I'm not going to sit in a gas filled room, I'll wait outside", then frankly I question their suitability when it comes to looking after and safeguarding children.

^^ this

bluebluezoo · 08/10/2019 08:31

People were headachy and vomiting from gas exposure and still sat in the room being further exposed?

I don’t know what to say. Stupidity on every front.

Unless they had turned off the gas at the main, making it safe, and were just waiting for the all clear to reopen the school? In which case you were safe enough, did you open windows to dissipate the smell at least?

Zaphodsotherhead · 08/10/2019 08:35

Schools quite often don't have uniion reps and it can (in my experience) be VERY difficult to get union interested in things like this.

And SLT and Headteachers can be proper bullies about 'making' the staff do as they are told. There's very much a culture of 'do as I say or your life won't be worth living afterwards'. And if OP is support staff rather than a teacher, that attitude is doubled.

regmover · 08/10/2019 08:36

Wow, that's awful, unbelievable. Hard to imagine any school that I've ever worked in where every member of staff would put up with that. And where nobody would have been straight on to the union (many schools don't have a union rep in the building, but school staff certainly know how to get one on the phone quickly).

AmIThough · 08/10/2019 08:37

You're an adult and sat in a building with a gas leak long enough to make you vomit?

Nobody was able to stand up to SLT?

What would you have done if they hadn't sent the kids home? Would you have spoken up then?

Smelborp · 08/10/2019 08:46

This was dangerous. They did put you all in danger, but more importantly, you put yourselves in danger.

Zaphodsotherhead · 08/10/2019 08:46

Re the union thing. We had an issue where I worked, with pay scales. No union rep in school. It took me several YEARS, many letters, some under the table dealings with those in other establishments with similar pay scales and getting to 'see' paperwork that I, apparently 'wasn't allowed to look at' before eventually getting some sort of resolution - and that was only because the Head changed things.

Union were nowhere. On permanent 'holiday' whenever I phoned (and only available by phone once a week). Oh, I could have driven forty miles to the local HQ (during a working day, when I was, you know, at WORK) to try to get a meeting, but no guarantees that they wouldn't have been 'on holiday' by the time I arrived.

So don't hold out for any help there, OP.

Magicmama92 · 08/10/2019 08:50

I dont understand why youd all sit in it. I'd have said il wait outside and I'd have been opening windows and doors to let air in. Yiu all must be feeling unwell from it. I'd be complaining and making sure you all dont have to do it again. Just becouse your teachers dosnt mean you have to sit in an unsafe environment.

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 08/10/2019 08:51

There’s a phenomenon where people who are alone in a dangerous situation will act sensibly to get out of it, but people in a group may not. They all feel embarrassed to take action, because no one else is.

www.dowellwebtools.com/tools/lp/Bo/psyched/16/Smoke-Filled-Room

Brefugee · 08/10/2019 08:54

I'm quite aghaast at the useless union reps you seem to have :(

You know you can vote them out, right? Change unions? Go over their heads.

But true, if they're not on site anyway, not much they can do.

OP, how about you all call in sick today with vomiting and headaches?

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